City brightens streets for holidays
Six-metre-tall Christmas tree to go up downtown
Daron Letts
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 10, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
In 1987, driving through downtown Yellowknife during the holiday season was an adventure, thanks to a giant Christmas tree mounted in yellow concrete smack dab in the middle of Franklin Avenue.
This polar bear on display in the city hall foyer is among the public property decorated for the holiday season. The city turned on its Christmas lights last Thursday evening. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo |
Almost three decades later, a safer version of that defunct tradition is coming back to the intersection of 50 Street.
Three staff members with the City of Yellowknife department of community services are slated to erect an almost six-metre-tall balsam fir in the parking lot next to Centre Square Mall late this week or next week, on land the city purchased for more than $1 million earlier this year.
Last Thursday, the City of Yellowknife flipped the switch on its Christmas decorations, illuminating the Wildcat Cafe in Old Town, city hall, the Multiplex and lots of streets and structures in-between.
Energy-efficient LED lights and decorations adorn the medians along Franklin Avenue and Old Airport Road, trees in Somba K'e Civic Plaza, the Fieldhouse, Yellowknife Arena and Ruth Inch Memorial Pool – inside and out.
A new artificial tree with 19,000 lights representing the population of Yellowknife has been raised near the shore of Frame Lake in the Somba K'e Civic Plaza amphitheater. That almost seven-metre-tall tree was donated to the city by Telus.
Another balsam fir is lit up at the corner of Franklin Avenue and 52 Street. Another real tree, donated by Arctic Farmer, is displayed in the Fieldhouse.
The four-and-one-half-metre tall tree, which has been sheered to provide its Christmas tree shape, was grown near Prince Albert, Sask., according to Arctic Farmer owner Darwin Rudkevitch.
"It's one of the nicest Christmas trees," he said. "They take well to pruning."
An artificial tree that used to be installed next to city hall in previous years now lights up the landscape next to the fire hall. The $25,000 tree was purchased a few years ago, and is expected to last for six to eight years, according to Grant White, director of community services for the city.
Working outside to string lights in temperatures below -30 C is a tough task, but the festive spirit warmed the hearts of hardworking city staff, said White.
"Working in the cold is balanced off with the satisfaction of a job that's well done," he said. "Our guys have a great work ethic. They tend all their duties with great enthusiasm. At Christmas time, Christmas lighting lights up the city and makes everything nice and bright."
The McMahon Frame Lake Trail lighting campaign returns for a second year. Residents are invited to bring strings of Christmas lights to city hall for staff to hang along the trail, added White.
The Christmas lights strung along Yellowknife roadways are scheduled to remain lit until the end of January. Somba K'e Park is slated to remain illuminated into March.
There are approximately 84,000 lights strung by the city, including on the artificial trees, and it costs about $400 per month to keep them lit at the height of the holidays.
