Armenians here to train northerners
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 01/00) - Yellowknife wants to be known to the world as the "diamond capital," but to an Armenian expert, it's our pizza that sets us apart.
"The best in the world," proclaimed Peuhak, one of 33 Armenians brought to Yellowknife by Arslanian Cutting Works to train Northerners in the arts of cutting and polishing diamonds.
The Armenians are world class diamond polishers and cutters, according to Hillary Jones, Arslanian's exchange co-ordinator. She said the reason they're here is to establish a continuity of high level polishing in their new factory here in Yellowknife.
The company operates three diamond polishing factories in Armenia.
"Altogether they have around 1,000 years experience with diamonds," said Jones.
"All of us are teachers," said Sophy who acted as interpreter, "we are here to teach Canadians."
We sat around half tables in the anonymous beige lunch room in the Arslanian Cutting Works compound, just past the airport on Highway 3.
For security reasons, they declined to give their surnames. All were amused at being interviewed for the community newspaper. With just one interpreter, the scene bordered on the chaotic.
They landed in Yellowknife 10 days ago, and aside from the fact they have to go outside to smoke cigarettes they didn't have a bad word about the city.
"It's a beautiful country," said Artak, and tilted her head slightly toward the window. "Yellowknife is a very nice town."
So far, their tour of the city has taken them to the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre and the Legislature.
Apart from the world-class pizza, they marvelled at the availability of pork. The bounty especially impressed Anatoli.
In Armenia pork is cooked over a wood fire and they take the same pride in the ability to barbecue that Yellowknifers attach to grilling burgers or steaks.
Armenia is an ancient country that traces its independence to the era of Alexander the Great. It was the first country to make Christianity its state religion.
There is a tragic vein in the country's history. It fell under the sway of the Turkish Empire and then Russia. Armenia gained independence 1991.
Questioned about changes brought on by the collapse of the Soviet Union, Sophy, the interpreter, pulled all their answers together:
"We wouldn't be in Canada right now," she said.
Half the group in Yellowknife will rotate in six months with other Armenian diamond experts from one of the three Arslanian companies in Armenia.
The others will stay for a full year to establish the base for a world-class diamond cutting and polishing centre in Yellowknife.
