Yellowknife Online

If you read my earlier post you will know that the I Am Better Campaign is laying some ground work and asking for residents of Yellowknife to drop by Dave Brosha’s studio to get their photo taken and tell everyone why they support the house. This evening was the first session, but it will be still happening all day Friday, January 27. More info is on my other post here.

Alexander Legaree, who is spearheading the I Am Betty campaign, gave me a quick run down about what the I Am BETTY Campaign is all about. I apologize for it being blurry.

Those who head down will get a couple of head shots taken, a quick 6-7 second video of them posing and will get to write out “I Am BETTY” in their own writing, for it to be used within the campaign.

The photo above show Alexander prepping his camera, while Tiffany Ayalik waits to have her photo taken.

If you want to know more check out www.IAmBetty.ca which has links to all the right places.

Short introduction, the I Am Betty campaign is a fundraising effort for the BETTY House (Better Environment to Transition in Yellowknife). It will be a shelter for women and children right here in Yellowknife.

I’m a little late on the posting of this – I blame it on moving – but nonetheless I’m here to tell you about it.

Some ground work for the campaign is being laid and for that they need our help with getting some material.

Tonight, January 26, 6pm to 8pm and tomorrow, January 27, from 8am to 6pm organizers are asking community members to come down to Dave Brosha’s studio to have their portrait taken for the profile.

One of the organizers, Alexander Legaree, said “I’ll also have everything you need to create your complete profile including help to write your short quote on why you support BETTY House! It should take you less than the length of a coffee break to play your part!”

Community members and their families are encouraged to come down to the studio, which is located on the 2nd floor of 4913 50th St (above Taste of Saigon), anytime during the above hours to show their support.

For more information about the I Am BETTY campaign check out their Facebook Page, Twitter Account or Website.

This review of Hee’s Garden is a Guest Post by MrHooie, a long time resident of Yellowknife. If you would like to contribute a post to YkOnline.ca please head of to the Contribute Page. 

Hee’s Garden “Authentic Chinese Food” opened on Wednesday, January 18th in Centre Square Mall, Yellowknife. The location formerly housed Robin’s Nest (Asian, Western menu), Broadway on 51st (Casual Dining), Parachute Club (Casual Dining), that I can currently remember. The restaurant is located next to the elevators for the office tower in the lower level of Centre Square Mall and can be accessed from the street entrance on 51st ave across from the liquor store.

We went for lunch on Friday, showing up at 11:45 to make sure had a table. The restaurant quickly filled up, as most businesses do in their first days of business in Yellowknife.

Hee’s features an 8 page menu with Chinese dishes and western dishes

In addition to ordering off the menu, there are combo meals for various numbers of people and the restaurant offers eat in, delivery and pickup.

As is traditional at most Chinese eateries, there was a lunch buffet for a reasonable $13.95 which we both chose.

For those that remember Robin’s Nest, the buffet line no longer exists in its former state. There is a buffet hot table island that features 12 hot dishes and cold salads. On the “mainland” there was a hot plate with 3 types of sauces (gravy, lemon sauce and sweet and sour) , 2 soups (won ton and crab chowder) and desserts. The hot table featured vegetables, fried rice, noodle, ginger chicken, spring rolls, kung pao beef, chicken fingers, deep-fried shrimp, chicken balls, and oddly scallop potatoes and lasagna.

I had one and a half small plates. The food was decent buffet fair, my favorites being the chicken fingers and ginger chicken. There does seem to be a heat lamp on one section not performing as the food was only lukewarm for two items.

The pans at the buffet were shallow. This had pros and cons.Pro -the food was fresh. Con – there were empty trays at times.

My verdict. This place should survive. The food was similar to Red Apple and Mike Marks but different enough for variety. I’ll have to order pick up or delivery to give a true verdict.

I would go back for buffet here again. The windows are nice to sit by.

Admittedly, I was becoming a little disconnected with the #YZF Twitter community, since I left Yellowknife a year and a half ago, but since deciding to move back I’m amazed at what I’m finding.

I’m quite impressed by the amount of users Yellowknife has on Twitter, and many from different walks of life. There are Government employees on the Territorial level and more and more from the municipal level now as well. Many of the journalists, editors and radio hosts are also using Twitter regularly. Plus an abundance of other folks, including a lot of the creatives in Yellowknife.

Most, if not all the New Sources in Yellowknife are also attempting to use Twitter. They are at least piping their news stories into Twitter, props to some of CBC’s reporters that live tweet #NWTpoli. That is always nice to follow.

The one front that is slowly coming along is the businesses. I have seen many of Yellowknife’s business join Twitter, tweet once or twice and then stop. For me that is hard to watch. I want to see them on the platform, because it is such an easy way to communicate with the community.

One of the major issues with Twitter in the north is still whether or not there is value in it for a business. Is it worth the time? Is there an ROI? From my perspective, one of the biggest hang-ups is the fact that Twitter along with other Social Networks are free, but many fail to use them correctly. I spend most of my time figuring out how a person or a business can use these services to their advantage and properly, but again many fail to realize the value in spending the money learning a new medium. Eventually one day, with a bit of encouragement we’ll get there.

Getting away from the deep marketing jibber-jabber, lets talk about tweetups. The social gathering of those on twitter; an excuse to meet in real life (irl). I use to help organize them back in the day, but there has been many since I left YK. Lets change that please. I’m going to get settled, but once I am, I want to host a 2012 #yzftweetup.

There are a lot of people I don’t know on Twitter in Yellowknife now, like I said. I think it would be fun to meet and network. Who is with me?

The NWT Pipe Band is once again putting on Robert Burns Dinner and Dance at the Elks Hall on January 28, 2012.

It will be an evening of celebrating the famous Scot poet and his many pieces of work. Featuring piping and drumming, traditional Burns night programing, dinner and of course HAGGIS!

Highland and Scottish Country Dancing, the Yellowknife Choral Society, followed up by a DJ will also be in attendance during the evening.

There are still more than 60 tickets available, which at $50 each. To get a ticket head down to Office Compliments or call Brad at 920-4733.

More information can be found here: Robert Burns Dinner and Dance