Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 09/02) - A Yellowknife landmark has some new owners and a new name.

Jim and Cheryl Eirikson took inventory at the Trappers Cabin gift shop and delicatessen last Monday and then were handed the keys. The store's new name is Reflections.

Jim Eirikson and partner Cheryl Eirikson took possession of their new business this week, previously called Trapper's Cabin, the store's new name is Reflections. - Thorunn Howatt/NNSL photo

"We came down here for lunch quite often and were really impressed -- actually they have the best coffee in town," said Jim Eirikson.

They started negotiating on the business last summer and secured the deal this week. It is the first time the Eiriksons have been involved in retail business. They are counting on Yellowknifers to continue lunching at Reflections, but they have a new idea coming too.

"We are putting an antique photo studio in the back," he said. The studio will be in place in the back of the store about mid-February, he said. "It is going to be a Northern theme. There will be an Inuit backdrop, and a Dene backdrop."

Visitors will be invited to dress up in native costumes and have an antique-style photo taken.

"That is something I hope will appeal not only to the tourist but also to local people," he said.

All of the business' employees will go through a four-day training process to learn to operate the new, specialized, digital equipment. The equipment comes from Texas and is worth about $50,000.

But Eirikson doesn't have any other major changes to Reflections.

"I don't think I'll keep the books here," he said. Material will be available for restaurant customers who want to read, and the giftware will be a bit more up-scale.

The previous owners still own the building and the Eiriksons have an option to buy after year one and again after year two.

Rent is expensive, but then again, all Yellowknife rent is expensive. "It's pretty well equal to what the payments would be paying if I had bought the building," said Eirikson.