Laura Power
Northern News Services
Friday, June 29, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A new version of the Old Town artists and merchants map is now in the works, thanks to Rosalind Mercredi of Down to Earth Gallery who decided it was time to create a new one.

The map will cover a number of galleries, studios, restaurants and shops in the Old Town area. Some of the businesses which will be marked on the map will include Gallery of the Midnight Sun, Bullock's Bistro, the Ashoona Family Studio and Frozen Rock Carvers' Studio.

Matthew Grogono of the Yellowknife Glass Recyclers Co-op was one of the collaborators on the map. He said a couple of years ago there was a similar map done up, which was great for business. It was distributed at places such as the airport and the visitors' centre, where tourists could pick them up.

The old map, according to Grogono, "was the most effective, powerful marketing tool we've ever had."

Ernest Raymond, a carver who works at Frozen Rock Studio/Gallery, said he believes the new map will be good for the gallery.

"I think if you put this on a map it would be better for us, because there'd be more publicity... soon as I heard about this I kind of agreed with the guy who came to see me," he said.

About a dozen businesses have already put their galleries, studios, restaurants and shops down for a spot on the new map, but more are expected to show interest.

The map will have the businesses' names printed on top of an aerial photo of Old Town, showing tourists and other interested people where they can find some of the city's attractions.

A draft of the new map will be presented on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Raven Studio (in the old dinosaur museum).