You can also jump down to the photos here.

August 8, 2019

• Flew to Whitehorse from Yellowknife at 2:45 pm
• Arrived in Whitehorse at 3:45 pm
• Found out Budget cancelled car rental because we were 40 minutes late for reservation cut off.
• Was able to rebook with Driving Force and was picked up at the Transportation Museum. We rented a Kia Forte. It was red.
• Checked into Airbnb on Hawkins Street in Downtown Whitehorse. Cute place.
• Walked to Fireweed Farmers Market where we bought local meat, carrots and tomatoes. They had a beer garden for a fundraiser and were serving Winterlong Brewing Beer. A local craft brewer.
• Walked past the Klondike Ribs and Salmon but a 45-minute walk moved us along.
• Stopped at Woodcutters Brewing and had a pint on the patio. Bought two glasses. Liked this place.
• Found the Dirty Northern Bastard for dinner. It was basic. Beer was basic. Food was basic. Grabbed some off-sales beer and went back to Airbnb. Crashed early.

August 9, 2019

• At 8 am we went to Alpine Bakery where manger Erica gave us an incredible tour of the bakery. This was Marie’s gift to me by arranging this. It was interesting to learn about the operation of the bakery and how they are not strictly wood-fired oven bread or sourdough. It seems like many places are not just sourdough. 
• Had a small breakfast at the bakery of local yogurt and granola, while also getting some gluten-free crackers, hummus and expedition bread.
• Walked to McBride Museum near the Yukon River and spent an hour going through the museum. The exhibits ranged from First Nations to the Klondike, to the construction of the Alcan Highway which later became the Alaska Highway. This was the neatest part of the Museum but there were little books found on the subject.
• After the museum was visited a complex that houses Bullet Hole Bagels. We purchased two bagel sandwiches, which ended up being more than anticipated in price. And being a baker, I can commend their work and what they have built but prefer my own bagels.
• From there, we took a drive up the Klondike Highway and stopped in at the Takhini Hot Springs. There was much farmland along this way. 
• We doubled back past Whitehorse to Miles Canyon where we joined a free guided tour to Canyon City by the Yukon Conservation Society. Sylvie and Wyatt were the guides. Wyatt came off as an ass at first but ended up being very knowledgeable and hilarious. He, by far, made the whole tour worth it. The canyon itself was very neat and we both learned a lot about the local flora and fauna, the history of the river and how the soil and trees play a role in the Yukon.
• For dinner, we went back to the Klondike, which had just opened and we were one of the few there. It is supposed to be the equivalent to Bullocks in Yellowknife for stature. It is a tourist trap but was mostly filled with old-timers. Marie had the ribs, and I tried the Elk Stroganoff. The stroganoff was too rich, and the whole experience was underwhelming and expensive. Good to try but not worth the money.
• After dinner, we tried to find a place to have a few more and get a sense of the local flavour. We ended up at a place called The Local, which was formally the 202, as it was at 202 Jarvis. It was like a mash-up of the Monkey Tree and Gold Range. There might have been live music, but we were there so early it was still empty. We are not late-night people. We played two games of pool and left. Finished was a beer on the front lawn of the Airbnb before getting too tired at 8:30 pm and going to bed. 

August 10, 2019

• Cleaned up Airbnb first thing to get ready for check out.
• Headed to the Burnt Toast Cafe for breakfast. Arrived a little early so checked out Mac’s Fireweed.
• At Burnt Toast Cafe, Marie had the Cowboy Scramble sans cheese and I had a Croque Maddam.
• As we left Whitehorse we stopped at a grocery store, fruit stand and outdoor store to get very basic provisions.
•  Our first detour off the Klondike Highway was up the Takhini River Road that led to a beautiful glacier-fed lake.
• Otter Creek Bridge – Where an original 1903 bridge constructed for the highway still stands.
• Stopped in Haines Junction and at the Village Bakery where we had a sandwich and got coffee and gas.
• On the highway to Haines, still in Yukon, we started to hike the Kathleen Hiking Trail, which was 15 km round trip. We made it less than halfway, about 5 km and turned back due to seeing nothing and the threat of rain.
• Driving on we drove through Kathleen Lake Campground – part of the National Park – but the campground was full.
• Continued 30km further we found the Dezadeash Lake Yukon Territorial Campground where we found one tent site left at the self-check-in campground. We set up our tent to claim the site and grabbed a permit and left for a hike again.
• Back 6km we stopped at Glacier Rock Trail, known for the massive rock piles the glaciers left in waves up the mountain. The hike an easy 3.8km was up a boardwalk and then a rock carved pathway upward. Right near the top of the marked trail, right before circles identifying the top. we spotted a small black bear heading up the rock deposit further ahead of us. We stopped. It stopped. Looking at us. We moved slowly backward keeping an eye on it. It continued to move upwards. We returned to the trailhead.
• Returning to our campsite, we had a fire and a few snacks while reading. Finally retiring to the tent. Rednecks a couple sites over are load. Odd novelty in the wild wilderness of the Yukon’s Highway 3.

August 11, 2019

• Sleep was limited overnight due to the ongoing party two sites down. The drink escalated. The yelling escalated. The fighting escalated. It was too much.
• Up at around 7 am to a beautiful sunrise over Dezadeash Lake.
• Breakfast was sandwiches with bread from Alpine Bakery toasted over the fire. Packed up and left.
• First stop of the morning around 9 am was at St. Elias Trail. We each thought the trail was 3.8km round trip, but this was actually only one way. Total trip was 7.6km according to Marie. 
• St. Elias Lake Trail is a beautiful trail. The lake itself not so much due to not much of a viewing location, but the meadow before had was amazing. We both pondered life with sheep in this meadow. Just grazing.
• Both being tired we both decided it was best to try and head to Haines quicker than planned. We both forgot about the time change when entering Alaska.
• We did not stop much along the way but entered British Columbia and the Chilkat Pass Summit.
• The Chilkat Summit Pass is an amazing location. It resembles the terrain and land of Bathurst Inlet and the West Fjords of Iceland. Barren and treeless, but beautiful with water flowing rapidly through carved out canyons of rock from high above.
• Through the pass and down a steep hill we found the US Border and Customs. Our stop at customs was quick and Marie didn’t get us detained despite being nervous about our fruits. We continued to Haines.
• The road to Haines can only be described as misleading and unfortunate. Unfortunate in the scene that a Canadian has hard converting Miles to Kilometres and therefore took much much longer than anticipated. It was windy. It was flat. It was treed. It was boring.
• Our first stop in Haines was the Pilotlight(sp) Restaurant and Bakery. The chic little restaurant nestled into a hill overlooking the bay for which Haines is situated on reminds one of the houses from the Gooneys. Except that house resides in Oregon and was a house. It was if we were old fisherman just popping in for a bit. Relics of a time before lay around the building, overgrown with grass waiting for their next great adventure. The food. T’was fair. Eggs, sausage, bacon. It was underwhelming but a meal.
• The town of Haines seemed quiet for it being high tourism season. There were certainly enough RV’s to keep a person guessing where everyone was from.
• We drove to the Chilkoot State Park Campground to find a site. The site of which is just beyond a popular Grizzly Bear feeding area. The fish are running, you know. Snagged a site. Left the campground.
• Back in Haines we parked on Main Street and walked up and down to see what was up with this little town. We had picked up a newspaper print visitors guide and it showed useful in finding interesting shops. That said not much is open on a Sunday.
• At a sporting goods store, we picked up another blanket. At a liquor store, we picked up a combo pack of Alaskan Brewing Beer. At the IGA we picked up water and ice. Note that most campgrounds don’t have potable water.
• Randomly we started to drive in the opposite direction of the Chilkoot Lake and the Canadian Border and ended up at the Chilkat State Park. This was a beautiful view at the end, but the highlight really was seeing a porcupine alongside the road. Marie took a photo.
• Along the way, we stopped at a Cannery where a nice lady gave us information about the state park. We noticed in the processing plant load Latino music was being played. We wondered if many of the labourers were actually Latino.
• For dinner, we tried the Lighthouse Restuarant, but it was dated and the menu was lacking so we sat down and the left. We found a Cafe/Thai place, with a hilarious owner we served and cooked at the same time. It was nicer.
• After dinner back at the campground, we walked down to the lake with some drinks and watched the fish jump in the lake, catching flies. Two local men tried to get a boat going with no luck. An old man caught a trout and walked away with it. We then walked back to the Chilkoot River and saw a small grizzly bear catching fish.
• We retired to the campsite for the night.

August 12, 2019

• Woke up in the Chilkoot Campground to the sound of our Sonoma originating neighbours in the 4×4 Mercedes Spritzer.
• Had sandwiches at the campground and packed up our camp.
• Due to a rather unfortunate water battle incident, parts of the tent and foamy were wet, which needed to dry out. The foamy found a seat in the back of the car to air out.
• While leaving the campground heading towards Haines we stopped at the Ferry Terminal and checked into our ferry, making sure we knew what line and what time we needed to be back.
• Back in Haines, we stopped in at the Rusty Compass Coffee Shop, not to be confused with Fort Smith’s Rusty Raven Coffee Shop. We sat and watch locals come and go for a while.
• We walked around Haines to find the Library where we were able to connect to the Internet briefly to check in with the world. It was a nice library for a small community.
• While still in town we stopped at the IGA and picked up another bag of ice.
• In Haines, we all picked up a bottle of Chilkoot Bourbon distilled in Haines. It was $36 USD for a 375ml bottle. 
• Around midday, we lined up at the Ferry Terminal and waited to board the Columbia.
• Our 1-hour ferry ride from Haines to Skagway was full of a beautiful vista, much like the ones you would see on a postcard.
• On approach into Skagway, we gawked at the large cruise ships in port. The massive ships looked dwarfed beside the magnitude of the mountains.
• Disembarking from the ferry did not take too long and before we knew it we were enthralled into the chaos that is Skagway. Shops with expensive foods, souvenirs and trinkets were everywhere as people rushed to get from one place to another. Tour operators were loading and unloading people by the droves.  In a rush not to spend too much time in a tourist trap, I hurried us through the town trying to find food, which ended up being a bust on my part. I had a cod taco in the parking lot where we were parked. There were too many people.
• We – or rather I – did pick up a Saison from Klondike Brewing to go along with the Alaskan Brewing variety pack we picked up in Haines.
• Marie took the pilots seat as we drove into the Whitepass on our way back to the Yukon. Stopping infrequently to take pictures. We summited the routed and were able to see the glaciers in front of us and the river below us.
• At Fraser, we crossed the Canadian Border back in British Columbia. The border patrol officer made us nervous with his stern, emotionless demands. We made it through with no issues and were on our way.
• Leading into Carcross, Yukon you follow several long, glacier-fed lakes, that look majestic as they reflect the mountain ranges that stand around them.
• Carcross is a quiet little town nestled into the Southern Lakes area of Yukon with a focus on Indigenous cultures, and arts and crafts.
• After setting up our campsite at the campground right within the small community we walked to the area they call Carcross Commons. The area houses several small artisan shops, along with a coffee shop, visitor centre and bistro with patio. The whole area is nicely constructed and geared towards visitors. It was late and we were tired be we enjoyed a pint on the patio of the bistro with some chicken wings.
• Back at the campground we enjoyed our last campfire while we played a very drawn out game of Scrabble.

August 13, 2019

• We were not so much in a rush upon waking up to get a move on but we don’t waste time. Since the tent and gear were dry, we packed everything up and drove to the Carcross Desert. The smallest desert in North America.
• The are is filled with natural forming sand dunes that stretch a kilometre in all directions. We scaled up the sandy hills and enjoyed the view. A treat was to take off our shoes and socks and feel the cool sand on our feet.
• For our morning coffee we visited the Chilkoot Sourdough Bakery in an old log building which use to house the RCMP barracks. The coffee was strong and hot. The bakery small, with only some small pastry like items. They did have loaves of bread for sale but this was definitely a secondary product, and not what I would consider authentic sourdough bread.
• We walked back through the Carcross Commons, now with more shops open and picked up some souvenirs to bring back home. We also stopped in a Caribou Coffee and picked up a slew of fresh baked goodies and more coffee for the road.
• Our next stop was to a family friend of Marie’s who we thought was close to Teslin. To get there we set out on Highway 8 to Tagish. After passing Tagish we drove across the mouth of the river that connect to Marsh Lake.
• Marsh Lake was actually where this family friend lived, but just off the Alaska Highway, and closer to Whitehorse than we though. Our stop here was a calming walk on the shoreline of Marsh Lake.
• On our way back to Whitehorse we decided to start a Whitehorse Brewery Crawl, unintentionally. 
• We first stopped in at Winterlong Brewing on the road to Mt. Sima, Whitehorse’s ski hill. The brewery was in an industrial area, but still seeing regular traffic. This brewery only consists of a tasting room and patio, while the brewing operation is hidden from view. I bought a nice shirt from them, and we sat and had a flight of four of their beers on tap. We tried the Pingo Pale Ale, Mountain View Saison, Weekend Warrior IPA and Reckless Abandon Double IPA. Their place was funky, minimalistic, but refined and on point.
• Our next stop was just past downtown Whitehorse to the original brewery of the Yukon, Yukon Brewing. This is definitely well established, having been open since 1997, and supplying beer all over Western Canada. Before we took their brewery tour we tried a flight while we waited. 
• On the Yukon Brewing Tour, I was the only one who did not speak french ironically. So the tour was in english much to my argument. Yukon Brewing has a massive brewing operation with up to seven fermenting containers at least 20 feet tall. They also have a bottle recycling program and washing machine, a label and bottler, a canning machine and mill, all in a building they keep expanding on. At the end of the tour, we got to again sample Yukon Brewing’s core lineup of beers. From light to dark.
• Being after 3pm we were then able to check in to our Bed and Breakfast in the Riverdale area of town. This was across the Yukon River in a residential area. 
• We realized there was a street food festival happening this afternoon and stopped there before dinner. We stopped and tried some falafels from a food truck that was converted from an old 60’s RV with a truck cap mounted on the roof to increase head clearance. 
• To further kill some time before heading to dinner we stopped in a Whitehorse’s third and most recent craft brewery, Woodcutter’s Blanket. Right in downtown Whitehorse, this brewery, which is a cocktail/bistro place and only opened its brewery in 2019, is housed in a historic log cabin that was built in 1938. We sat at their patio bar and watch the hustle and bustle of life pass by on a busy afternoon.
• Finally, for dinner we made our way to Wood Street Ramen. Ramen had been on our mind since leaving Whitehorse several days earlier when we discovered this place and since we no longer have a ramen vendor in Yellowknife. And to make ramen it takes a long time. Wood Street Ramen is located on Wood Street in downtown Whitehorse. I tried the Tonkotsu Ramen while Marie tried a lighter version with chicken instead of pork belly. Both were good in flavour profile, but the real treat for me was the fresh noodles. While still cut with a pasta cutter, they were fresh and you could tell.
• Back at the Bed and Breakfast we finished off our last night in Whitehorse.

August 14, 2019

• We could have laid in bed and took it easy at the bed and breakfast, but that is not us. We struggle with staying put for too long. So up we got, packed, cleaned out the rental car and off we went again to look for breakfast and coffee. 
• For the sake of familiarity we stopped at Alpine Bakery again to get coffee and good. Marie had a Morning Glory Muffin and Curried Bunny (dough ball with potato curry inside), and I had the housemate granola and yogurt.
• Our next stop was to the NorthLight Innovation Centre, which houses the Yukonstruct Co-working space, maker space and launch space, along with a startup vegan cafe and Yukon Development Corporation. We just showed up with no expectations, but, Ulrich, the gentleman at the front desk gave us a tour of the whole facility. The collaboration and the ingenuity to bring such a large space together is admirable. 
• Our final stop in Whitehorse before catching our midday AirNorth flight to Yellowknife was to the Yukon Transportation Museum, which was chalked full of exhibits on early aviation, to rail transportation, to the construction of the Alaska Highway. It could have easily taken an hour or two to read everything. 
• We checked into our flight and made our way back to Yellowknife, rested and full of ideas for the future.

Photos

Before Airbnb Experiences were a thing I thought it would be a great idea for a platform. One where locals and local tour operators could list the experience they wanted to host so that visitors to that destination could experience something local and unique.

Little did I know, Airbnb was way ahead of me.

Airbnb Experiences have been out across the world, starting in larger centers, for some time now, but it wasn’t until recently that they started opening up the listing process to smaller centers, like Yellowknife.

When I learned that there was an opportunity to list one of my tours on Airbnb Experiences I started the process.

It was more rigorous than I expected, considering just about everyone can list a home or room without many barriers. I submitted my experience in October 2018. It was finally accepted in December 2018.

They review, through a third-party company, all experiences to ensure they are safe and legit. My tour involves me driving passengers so they requested that I provide them with proof of drivers license and proof of liability insurance for my guests, which I have because I’m a licensed tour operator/supplier in the Northwest Territories.

After all that, one of my tours is now the first Airbnb Experience in Yellowknife. Have a look at it here.

I’m nervous about the inquiries this might drive. Me not being a full-time tour operator, I have to be very diligent with the scheduling to only open up slots that I absolutely available to provide a tour. There is no request period, once at least one person books the experience I have to provide it.

At this time I’m holding off listing my Aurora Tour on Airbnb for fear of over-popularity but will begin that process so it is ready when I want to turn it on and as Airbnb Experiences gain popularity with other tour operators/suppliers and visitors to Yellowknife.

UPDATE: My Aurora Tour is now on Airbnb for select dates here.

Yellowknife tourism is a passion of mine, that is clear for those who know me, but if you don’t, it is. I like to live and breathe it. I want to support and push it forward in any capacity this community will allow. I want to contribute at an industry level and not just where it benefits me. I want to work on how we can develop a sustainable tourism industry, where everyone benefits. One that also contributes to making Yellowknife the best possible place to live, work and play.

I have long lists of tourism improvements Yellowknife could to look at. Before I throw those ideas into the universe I thought it would be wise to look at Yellowknife tourism as a whole. Look at where Yellowknife tourism is right now and what is being done and by whom.

Here is what I know of:

The Northern Frontier Visitor Centre closed down in July 2017. The Northern Frontier Visitor Association (NFVA) also stopped providing visitor services at the end of September 2017. The NFVA provided visitor services for 25 years. For the last few years, the NFVA received an annual combined contribution of $240,000+/- from the City of Yellowknife and GNWT ITI.

The City of Yellowknife is operating a small visitor centre at City Hall until September 30th, 2018.

As of March 16th, 2018 the City has requested a successful proponent develop a Yellowknife Visitor Center Strategy. This would direct what the City does after September 30th in terms of visitor services.

In 2016/2017, the NFVA also conducted a strategy on what the best option for a Visitor Centre in Yellowknife might look like.

NWT Tourism promotes the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife is the primary destination for tourism in the Territory. NWT Tourism must remain neutral in promoting all of the Northwest Territories.

The City of Yellowknife is lobbying the Government of the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Community Affairs Department to change the Towns and Village Act. The change would allow the City to implement an Accommodation Levy which would help fund City of Yellowknife tourism initiatives. This change in the act should be tabled in the Legislative Assembly in June 2018. If not, lets riot ;). There was some large amount of public consultation done for this.

The City of Yellowknife also contracted a local consultant to develop a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) strategy. This strategy will direct how the City of Yellowknife implements its own tourism marketing. Up until now, they claim it has only been done by NWT Tourism. A visitor guide, phone calls to a visitor centre, and visitor packages are all considered marketing in one form or another. Even a visitor centre itself is technically a marketing tool if people from outside of that destination are utilizing it for information for that destination.

Somewhere in all of this, partly due to the closing of the Northern Frontier Visitor Centre, the City of Yellowknife requested within one of there current contracts with a local contractor that they created the new brand “Extraordinary Yellowknife”. A small amount of consultation was done in very specific markets, but few industry stakeholders seemed to know about the new brand development.

In 2016/2017, Yellowknife had 70,000 visitors come through the city. They contributed at least $90 million dollars to the Yellowknife economy.

Hotels are expanding and opening. Chateau Nova opened in fall of 2016, with their second phase to open soon. The Explore Hotel is in the midst of significant expansion. A new hotel on Franklin Avenue into Old Town is nearing completion. Airbnb continues to expand with the city having very little vacancy in months like February, March, and September.

The City of Yellowknife is only responsible for tourism activities done within the city boundaries. What happens on the Ingraham Trail past the Yellowknife River is the responsibility of the GNWT.

There is no Yellowknife tourism specific organization, association, society, oversight committee or advisory board.

And that is what I know of the Yellowknife Tourism Industry to date. Have I missed anything?

I certainly have opinions on some of these points, but I don’t want them to be perceived in a negative way. I truly believe that the way forward with this industry, because Yellowknife is a relatively small place, is through inclusive, transparent and open decision making. 

I love Yellowknife and I am passionately driven to continuously promote and develop Yellowknife as a desirable place to live and visit. I want to be involved in how we develop it as a destination, even if that is just sitting in a consultation meeting or writing endless articles on the internet. Although, I hope it is much more.

Next, let’s look at some of those improvements we as a community can make to improve Yellowknife as a tourism destination.

When it comes up that an entity is copying the concept, maybe not completely, but the general idea, it hurts. I guess I should be flattered?

I get it. That’s business.

Not going to lie, I’ll spend a couple hours in self-pity mode. Chalking up this hurtle to my lack of business savviness, or lack of connecting with partners, or general openness. I’ll get over it when I remind myself that I’ve organically grown a solid platform without any funding from a government or NGO and that I don’t just host and publish this content for because a client asked me to. I do it because I love it.

But WTF.

Yellowknife has a small consumer base, even when we factor tourists. The constant creation of different iterations of the same thing only hurts everyone. Consumers get confused. Where do they look?

Partnerships go both ways. I know I need to reach out more frequently to the Yellowknife Community, be it individuals or NGOs, to work with and partner on content and technologies to make the information better, fuller and more accessible.

I know I need to do that, but this should also serve as a reminder to all those individuals and NGOs out there that they too can approach me with ideas.

Yellowknife Online is a solid platform as I highlight here.

But hey, maybe I’m the idiot. Maybe creating something entirely from scratch, dumping all sorts of money into building it and the money into advertising it is the way to go.

What Yellowknife Online lacks is a revenue model. In that sense, it isn’t even a business.

It is not a non-profit – I do give away free content about Yellowknife, about other businesses and get nothing in return other than the appreciation from the reader, but I’m not seen as a non-profit because I personally own and manage Yellowknife Online. At the same time, it is not a for-profit business either. It has no business model or not one that would give it neutrality within the community.

I don’t want Yellowknife Online to make a profit. I want it to support itself – hosting, content creation, community involvement.

What have I done recently to create revenue to cover costs:

I briefly mentioned how much it cost to operator Yellowknife Online here. Because I’m not good at selling advertising despite having 20,000+ monthly unique visitors – call me if you’re a sale person interested in some work – I became a licensed tour operator.

Let’s be crystal clear here. I would rather not be a tourism operator. I would rather connect prospective visitors with exciting tourism operators. I would rather run around the world or the internet telling people about Yellowknife, showing them what they can do here while visiting or living here. And talking about actual information, not just the fluffy stuff. I would rather field a million questions about Yellowknife and direct those people to the right places.

I operate tours to cover the costs of Yellowknife Online strictly so I can keep creating content about Yellowknife.

What is the downside to being a tourism operator when you want to maintain a neutral position within the tourism community in Yellowknife? You are immediately seen as competition by other operators

Well shit.

It’s hard to prove that my intentions are good, despite how many times I rewrite and publish the above, it is just the way it.

As always, I’m open to suggestions, ideas, and partnerships.

Every time I travel I try to observe the local tourism economy of other communities to learn from them and bring that knowledge back to Yellowknife. I did this extensively in Iceland when I visited in October 2016, I just didn’t publish what I observed. Or have not yet.

Having these observations fresh in my mind I thought it relevant to share them as Yellowknife works to move tourism forward.

Firstly, I didn’t travel to a resort in a popular tourist area on the coast. I traveled to a lesser know destinations for Canadians. Then journeyed to a popular ex-pat community and finally Mexico City.

Here is what I noticed.

Language

I’ll be the first to say I was the ignorant tourist that didn’t bother to learn much of the local language. In this case Spanish. Heck, I don’t even know French.

What I found though, is even in this lesser traveled area for English speaking travellers, is that the local population at least tried to understand the basics of English. Let’s be clear. They didn’t need to. I believe that it is the travellers responsibility to understand the local language. Yes, I realize English is the most popular language in the world, but I could try too.

How I understood this though, is that because some of the locals rely on the income tourism provides, by way of the traveler spending money, it was in the best interest of their business and livelihood to learn the foreign language.

This benefited me because I was able to enjoy myself a little more knowing that not everything was a confusing game of charades.

The Take-Away: Yellowknife’s tourism industry draws in the majority of travellers from Japan, China, and South Korea. We owe it to these visitors to understand their language and know the basics. These visitors are supporting our businesses and our economy. We should support their interest in our community and make it more enjoyable.

Translations

This observation is tied to the above one but substantial in its own right. Again, we must acknowledge that English is a very popular language so this is not uncommon. What I noticed was that many things – not everything – was translated into English.

The most notable was restaurants. They didn’t just translate their menu onto a piece of looseleaf, their menus were in both Spanish and English from the start. Often on the same page in two columns.

The Take-Away: Translating materials that any visitors might need to read – menus, signs, posters, brochures, websites, etc – shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should be integrated into the development of products, marketing, signage and so on. Yellowknife, as a whole, needs to acknowledge and accept that these visitors, who don’t speak English, or French for that matter, are coming. And to be a successful destination, translations much be an essential part of business, marketing, and everyday life.

Pride in Place – for business

When I was in this particular place in rural Mexico I had to navigate my way through hundreds, if not thousands of small alleyways up and down hills to get from the apartment to the “centro”. I would pass many businesses along the way. Small convenience shops, to artisan stores, to everyday supply businesses. When I would go for a run early in the morning I would pass shopkeeper after shopkeeper out on the walkway in front of their business scrubbing the concrete. Everyday. Cleaning a small patch that probably wasn’t theirs.

Why?

Pride in place. Even though that sidewalk or road wasn’t theirs, if it was clean it showed they cared about their business, about their customers. Be it local or visitor.

The Take-Away: Whether we operate a brick-and-mortar store or use a Territorial Park, Yellowknife, we need to take pride in the area we operate in. Not shrug it off as someone else’s responsibility or the Governments. We might not have the competitiveness of Mexico, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try a little harder to make things look a little nicer, even if that means picking up garbage in a public place.

Pride in Place – for community

Finally, and not unlike my last observation, when I was also on those early morning runs I would see municipal workers out on the streets cleaning up from the night before. Just sweeping up garbage and helping make the place presentable.

No doubt to a Canadian some places in Mexico are not as clean and pristine as we might be used to, but at the same time, the complete opposite was true. Although I was in a much bigger city in Mexico than Yellowknife, there seemed to be more pride of place in all residents, regardless of social status. There seemed to be an overall understanding that their community was a destination and because of that, the community benefited and therefore needed to always be presentable.

The Take-Away – We as a community need to 1. realize that people are coming to our community to experience it and 2. we need to all take part in cleaning it up on a regular basis. Be it just by picking up someone else’s garbage, helping for a business or non-profit that employees people to clean up the streets, or by supporting our municipality in their efforts to keep public areas clean.

Yellowknife is not in a horrible situation. We might not have a solid foundation for the influx of tourism we have seen in the last 5 years, and there might be road blocks along the way, but we need to keep moving forward, opening new doors and learning what is needed and what will work.

Let’s continue this conversation and make some things happen.

I’ve had this long time discussion with myself about whether or not I should be an actual tour operator in Yellowknife.

Truth be told, I don’t especially want to be one, or want to do it long term.

My goals and ambitions for Yellowknife Tourism go beyond those of just operating one-off tours on a daily or nightly basis for a few visitors at a time.

My goals and ambitions are to contribute to the growth and development of tourism and placemaking in Yellowknife.

There are many thoughts that I have about those two things above, and I love talking to other people about it because everyone has a different perspective. It is my view that if we can continue to have those conversations a better roadmap will emerge with key indicators of what we as a community need to do to do to help foster Yellowknife as a high-quality destination.

If anyone is interested in talking about tourism or placemaking in Yellowknife, I’m all ears. I’ll even buy the coffee.

Why then have I become a licensed tour operator offering small group Community Tours during the day and Aurora Tours during the night?

Because it is a quick way to leverage my knowledge and passion of this place, learn first hand about what visitors are expecting, and support me financially while figuring out how to move forward.

Hammering away at developing Yellowknife as a tourism destination is a long-term goal of mine. A shorter term goal might be to shift from being a tour operator to being a promoter of current and new tour operators. Utilize my platforms as a digital marketing tool for many of the local tour operators who don’t have the time to focus on their own marketing.

It is also my hope that I continue to publish more of these thoughts and ideas with the goal of connecting with more like-minded community members.

Something that has been on my mind lately. It is talking about what we do. For some reason, we keep what we do within our own little circle. We refrain from telling the world for fear they might take it away from us.

This is wrong.

I have reasons about why this is wrong, but this post isn’t about that.

This post is about what is happening with one of my labours of love: Yellowknife Online (ykonline.ca).

I have invested thousands of hours since 2009. Writing, developing, building and creating Yellowknife Online into what it is today.

Does Yellowknife Online make me money?

Nope.

It is a labour of love.

It is like volunteering for a non-profit organization. The mission is to make information about a community more accessible.

Except the non-profit is an online brand run by one person. In his spare time or when he should actually me working.

Yellowknife Online has never made any profit and very little money.

It currently makes no money.

It has never received government funding.

It actually cost money to keep Yellowknife Online online.

Approximately $5000 is the past 7 years.

It is not seen relevant within the community it supports. It is not taken seriously.

Yellowknife Online is an online resource for information about Yellowknife.

It is for visitors. It is for residents. And it is for newcomers.

Does it have every bit of information each of these groups needs to know about Yellowknife?

No. Not yet.

Not yet.

There is a post idea list a mile long. All information and resources that should be online on Yellowknife Online.

Some of that information already exists in many places. Some of that information is not written and online yet.

The point of Yellowknife Online is to bring information together into one easy to find place. Resources might jump off to another site. Or it might be right on Yellowknife Online.

What is not understood about Yellowknife Online is that is not a “news site. Even though new posts aren’t published every day, doesn’t mean there is no traffic to the website.

Where Yellowknife Online excels is in publishing timeless content. Content that remains relevant with minor updates.

This has built a strong reputation with Google and the like.

Yellowknife Online receives approximately 20,000 visitors a month.

20,000 visitor a month.

Oh, and I have spent $0 on advertising it.

How?

For exactly the reasons mentioned above.

Trusted and relevant content.

Site longevity. Been around since 2009.

Link sharing. Linking to those other resources in posts and pages. This built incredible search engine credibility.

Trend following. Yellowknife Online is where the people often are. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram.

Few residents might know about Yellowknife Online, but visitors and newcomers do.

On a daily basis, Yellowknife Online receives emails from visitors researching Yellowknife. Other emails from people researching moving to Yellowknife.

Just yesterday I helped a young professional understand utility costs. And where to find an apartment. All before even moving to Yellowknife.

The simple act of helping that one person made Yellowknife seem all that more welcoming. And even less isolated.

That person may not have felt as comfortable finding a place with the help of Yellowknife Online. All because it appeared as a trusted resource.

Without any consistent publishing, Yellowknife Online will continue to be an online resource. All because people will continue to search for the information it hosts.

Posts will stay relevant.

Podcast episodes will remain relevant.

And I’ll always answer emails and comments.

What is next for Yellowknife Online?

There lies the grand question. Here are some general ideas.

New content follows a regular publishing schedule. That post idea list is long.

Become a Yellowknife tour listing directory and booking engine.

The How To Be a Yellowknifer podcast follows a regular publishing schedule. Always featuring different Yellowknifers

The How To Be a Yellowknifer podcast picks up a sponsor.

Yellowknife Online partners with other local non-profit organizations to help distribute their resources.

Other contributors come on board to help fill information gaps that I don’t know enough about. Sports. Parenting. Houseboat Living. Music Scene. And so on.

Yellowknife Online becomes a non-profit organization. With the mission of helping visitors, residents, and newcomers thrive.

What is the financial model for Yellowknife Online?

There currently isn’t one.

There has never been one.

I can not sell advertising. I try and fail time and time again.

It will always be free to access the information without question.

To grow it needs some sort of financial model.

It doesn’t have to be a business.

It could be a business if advertising or sponsored content was a viable option.

It could be a non-profit organization. It could tap into different funding programs. Programs through different governments and other non-profit organizations.

It sounds like I’m bragging about Yellowknife Online’s success because I am. I’m proud of the brand that it is. I get excited each time I get to help someone learn more about Yellowknife. Or when I hear that someone has used the site.

But Yellowknife Online, as much as my ego wants to believe, is not about me. It is about making this community a great place to live, work, play and visit.

One of my own downfalls has been bringing like-minded people together to build this brand. Yellowknifers have so much to offer each other.

I recognize I can’t do it on my own.

But other than a byline I’ve never been sure what I can offer anyone. See above where I mention it makes no money.

Am I open to working with others on Yellowknife Online?

You bet!

I’d love if there were others who shared this vision and were willing to take a chance with me on it.

Maybe you are reading this? Contact me.

That, my friends. Is where Yellowknife Online is today.

Education and training are important attributes to have. Especially when it comes to achieving goals but passion should not be disregarded.

Passion is infectious. When I talk with passion and conviction about what I do, people listen. <insert tooting of own horn>

It works in reverse as well though. When I hear someone talking about what they love doing with a deep passion I’m instantly drawn in. I want to immediately know more about their work, buy their product or invest in them.

Passion builds community. When I talk about baking bread you can hear the passion gushing out of me. Not because I want you to buy my product but because before it is a business it is something I love.

I’m so passionate about baking bread that I will admit I’m not the best at it.

I’m not a trained baker.

I’m passionate about it and I’ll show you that good or not.

I will talk about trying new products. I will talk about the failures. I will talk about how I do it all. And when I do this I end up with an engaged community of people who support me.

Talking with passion doesn’t mean you have to be the loudest one in a room. It means when you talk about what you love or believe in people actually listen. They listen and hang off of every word. Most of the time that loud person is overcompensating for something anyway.

Letting your passion drive you is a profound notion and one I like to live by. Passion doesn’t always pay the bills though. Which is why I often let reality be the navigator.

If you look at the dynamics of a driver/navigator relationship you’ll see a symbiotic partnership. If the driver were to just drive with no direction they might end up going in the wrong direction or going too far. But if they have a trusted navigator to help direct their passion, they’re going to be able to change and adjust as you go.

The point being, letting passion drive us is key to having a successful practice and building a community of supporters. But without the direction of reality, it can sometimes misguide us.

So be the optimist who lets passion take them to new and exciting places. But remember to stop and consult with reality regularly about the truths of what you’re doing.

As a take away to this post, I encourage you to think about what you are passionate about. Then think about how much that plays into what you do. Can you take that passion and talk about it more? Can you show your community why you are passionate about what you do?

This is all part of letting the universe know what you want. Be bold.

This post is post is part of a bigger series called Let The Universe Know What You Want. See the other posts below:

• Seek Out Subject Matter Experts
• Let Your Passion Drive You

This is a very simple step that many of us overlook for various reasons. We might fear that it is inappropriate. Or think that person is competition. Or feel it is a sign of weakness. Yet I have found this action of seeking out people who are experts or knowledgeable in the subjects I want to know more about to be a huge asset for many reasons.

It is not inappropriate. People love talking about themselves. I know I do. If someone wants to meet with me I definitely take the opportunity. If the person you are asking is smart enough, they will also recognize it as an opportunity to learn something themselves. It is human nature to want to help. Even in the smallest of ways.

So go and ask that person for a coffee and see where it takes you.

Since the day I started my own business I’ve thrown the notion of competition out the window. I don’t have time for that pettiness and neither should you. Those other people or businesses that have similar goals should be allies. You should be able to lean on each other with the end goal in mind. Period.

And never think you are showing weakness. Wanting to further your knowledge is not shameful. By wanting to meet others in your industry you are displaying a higher level of investment in it. No one will ever know everything and we can all learn something from one another. Even if the other person has a giant ego. You can still learn from them.

Overall you should strive to meet as many people as possible in whatever field or industry you want to be in. Most people are happy to talk but the worst they’ll say is no. Connecting with your competition can lead to bigger things. And seeking out established industry people will show your willingness to continue to learn. It will show you are willing to grow.

These simple actions will benefit you by way of straight knowledge. They will also put you in front of thought leaders and subject matter experts. It will plant a seed in their minds for future opportunity. It might not happen right away but you’ll be there in their subconscious. When the moment is right your name will come up in conversation. In the planning of a new product, as a person to collaborate with or in a recommendation to someone else.

Thus, the universe will present you with an opportunity.

Now, go. Get out there. Meet someone new.

This post is post is part of a bigger series called Let The Universe Know What You Want. See the other posts below:

• Seek Out Subject Matter Experts
• Let Your Passion Drive You