Denturist relocates to Yellowknife
Phil Duffy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jun 01/01) - One visit to Yellowknife was all it took for denturist George Gelb to return to Toronto to pack up his thriving practice and sell his home in order to move permanently to the NWT's capital city.
"After periodically working with the Moosonee Cree communities of the James Bay area over a three year period, I grew to love the Northern wilderness," says Gelb.
"I started to consider relocating to a Northern city or community and last year when I was on an NWT photographic safari I stopped in Yellowknife. I knew right away this was the place I was looking for."
Born in Hungary, Gelb and his family escaped to Canada during the uprising in 1956. He spent his teens living in Montreal and attended university in Toronto where he later started his own business and consulting firm.
"Essentially what I do is provide removable dental prosthetic appliances for people with no teeth. I don't do any permanent fixtures like bridges or crowns, those are done by dentists," he says.
An admitted adventurer with a great love of the outdoors, Gelb says it took no time at all to feel right at home in Yellowknife.
"I love the wilderness and one of the advantages of living in Yellowknife is that you don't have to go very far to find it."
Aside from his many credentials as a denturist, clinician and consultant Gelb is a recent graduate of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron, and is licensed by the International Sail and Power Association as a coastal skipper and navigator.
"I have many outdoor hobbies such as target shooting, hunting, fishing, and canoeing, but my favourite pastime is cruising in my 50-foot trawler." he says.
Gelb works three days a week out of his office at the Frame Lake Family Dental Clinic, three days in different NWT communities, and does paperwork on Sundays.
"I'm going to thoroughly enjoy living on my boat when I finally decide to retire." he adds.
