Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 29/05) - More than 2,000 people from around the country will converge here next week for the 26th annual Assembly of First Nations general meeting.

This year is the first time the assembly has been held in Yellowknife, said organizer Sonny Lenoir.

The trade and venture show portion of the four-day conference will feature upwards of 80 booths, ranging from food and traditional crafts to oil and gas companies, he said.

"It is a great opportunity for businesses to participate on a national scale, with participants coming from as far away as the Maritimes," he said.

It is also a bonus to Yellowknife businesses.

Everything from local entertainment, sound equipment and translation services, to accommodations, restaurants and art galleries will benefit from the influx of people, he said.

Of the 58 vehicles National Car and Truck Rentals has in Yellowknife, approximately 48 are booked for the conference, said comptroller Robin Wotherspoon. "By the end of the conference, likely every vehicle that has wheels will be gone."

The Yellowknife Inn is 99 per cent booked for the four-day conference, said sales and reservations manager Cheryl Principe.

No rooms in the Inn

"The Assembly started blocking rooms in December," she said. "It is a blessing for hoteliers and all businesses in Yellowknife."

All of the approximately 780 hotel, motel and bed and breakfast rooms in Yellowknife are booked, said Paul Dodds, general manager of Super 8 and president of the Yellowknife Hotel Association.

This is one of the biggest events Yellowknife has ever seen, he said.

"It is a huge opportunity and a benefit to everyone," he said. "We get to showcase the city to more than 2,000 people, many of whom have never been here before."