Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 14, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - To the southern transplant, Yellowknife often proves itself to be a surprisingly urban landscape, offering more hustle and bustle than the mental picture created by the words "population 20,000."

However, any 'knifer who has ever taken a stroll down Franklin Avenue at 8:30 a.m. on a statutory holiday has probably wondered for a brief moment, if aliens have abducted the townspeople before remembering that it's a day of rest. A day of rest for some, that is.

Jordan Bowden holds down the fort at CD Plus at Centre Square Mall on Monday. - Amanda Vaughan/NNSL photo

"We close for one half day for a staff Christmas party," said manager Pham Qui at the downtown Reddi Mart, detailing the short list of days in the year on which the convenience store is not open.

Upon further inquiry, Qui confirmed that this indeed meant she and her staff are there to provide customers with their last-minute needs 365 days a year, including Christmas.

"We work a shorter day (on Christmas) only noon until 10 p.m.," she added, chuckling at the surprise of the reporter in front of her.

Qui said that her franchise is a family business with about 10 employees, and said that members of her family usually end up working on the stat holidays.

While she gives her staff the option of taking a holiday shift for the extra pay if they want, she said most of them would "rather be with their families."

A holiday wander through downtown past darkened doorways leads to the downtown Extra Foods.

One would of course expect the major chain grocery to be open for at least a brief span with few exceptions, and store manager Jeff Tonge confirms this.

"The chain dictates our hours for the most part," he said, but added that each store has a certain amount of discretion if they feel that the shoppers just aren't going to be there.

He said the store is closed completely on Christmas and New Year's Day.

The staff, on the other hand, are always there. Tonge said there are usually more than enough employees willing to work for time-and-a-half.

"It's never been a problem for us," he said.

"We're always busy on a holiday, everyone comes in for breakfast," said Robin Charlie, in between taking orders and greeting customers by name at the Gold Range Bistro.

Charlie said statutory holidays are usually just like any other day for the downtown restaurant with the exception of closing on Dec. 25, like most. She said the Bistro has a loyal clientele and several long-time staff that make it easy to be at work on a holiday.

"We're like a family here," she said.

Crossing the street to Centre Square Mall, the only mall open on Remembrance Day Monday, revealed that even though the lights were on, many of the stores were still locked up for the day.

CD Plus, however, was open for the music-minded, and an employee of two-and-a-half years, Jordan Bowden, said the store opens every day that the mall is open, though usually for shorter hours.

The shop has a handful of employees, but Bowden confessed that he usually ends up working on the holidays.

And how does he feel about that?

"I don't mind it," Bowden said, before adding that the store beefs up the legislated holiday pay to double-time, thus sweetening the pot.