A delight in the Northwest Territories

It was a year ago today that I ventured out into the Northwest Territories for a story on Hunting and Diamonds. When I left Toronto I had no idea what to expect but when I returned I couldn’t stop thinking of my experiences.

Nothing can prepare someone from seeing the vast and barren lands of the north when visiting the hunting outpost. To realize that you are quite literally on top of the world, and any mistake could lead to death, is quite a humbling feeling. Medical help is an hour flight away. Should you be lucky to have a plane at your disposal.

The first day at the outpost, myself and a few of the other hunters decided to sight in my brand new Savage .308 rifle. While walking to the target range I caught a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye and saw what looked like a wolf looking at us. I showed the other hunters and we all agreed it looked like a wolf, but none of us could 100% without a doubt agree that it was. So nobody took a shot at it. Later it turned out that it was the camp’s husky, that nobody had cared to tell us about, it was roaming the land to keep the bears away. That was a little bit of responsible hunting on all our part.

The city of Yellowknife in itself is amazing as well. All the amenities of a modern city are available, there are pubs, restaurants and even a Wal-Mart. The population seems cheerful, and as one person told me: “Everyone that lives here chooses to live here, you aren’t just stuck here in Yellowknife.” And it seems apparent; people seem to be happier in Yellowknife, each with a healthy sense of humour and grand sense of camaraderie.

I’ve been craving some of the great food that can be found only from family owned restaurants. I’ve yet to see menu items such as “Arctic Char Chowder” and “Muskabou Burgers” a combination of Caribou and Muskox on any menu here in Ontario.

It’s been a year, but I believe the Northwest Territories to be one of the coolest places on earth and definitely a place I’ve been meaning to re-visit from the moment I left.

You can read the entire story published in the RICH GUY Holiday 2006 issue by clicking on the following link:
The Last Frontier – A Diamond in the North