Have you ever felt the rhythm of a song and just wanted to dance, well you could call Zumba exactly that, but much more intense. Back on Canada Day Tara Newbigging, head instructor of Fit 2 the T Zumba, and her two co-instructors Donna and Heather, were about to go on stage to give a Zumba demonstration when she saw, local hip hop artist, Godson performing some of his songs. Tara said his music was really getting them going and they all thought how awesome would it be to workout to some of Godson’s music. A few weeks later the Fit 2 the T Zumba class has a routine choreographed to Godson’s Yellowknife City song, which they use to cool down after an hour-long class.
Godson, who has become a local sensation has just released a new CD just over a month ago. He has many originals, including Yellowknife City, but also mixes it up a bit by collaborating with guys like Frank Sinatra. His music can be heard on the local radio station or at CD Plus.
Watch the short video to get a full idea of what Zumba is and see the Yellowknife City routine.
So What is Zumba?
In short is a way to have fun while working out. It can best be described as Latin based fitness and dance combined together for a fast paced workout while enjoying it. From what I saw, it looked as those a Zumba class could be closely related to how backup dancers for big music artists train. You move with music, but not as if it is a task, but rather because you want to. Heck, just being in the same room as the music, makes you what to start moving. This is how Zumba is described:
Lets face it, working out can be healthy, rewarding, beneficial… working out can be lots of things, but its never been known to be much fun… UNTIL NOW! Zumba fuses hypnotic musical rhythms and tantalizing moves to create a dynamic workout system designed to be FUN and EASY TO DO! Our goal is simple: We want people to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. By integrating Zumba into everyday life individuals may achieve long term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exhilarating hour of caloric burning, heart racing, muscle pumping, body energizing movements meant to engage and captivate for life… More at Zumba.com
For Everyone!
Although there were no guys at the class I attended, there are a few that do attend other classes. I can see why it would be hard for a guy to attend, heck I would have a hard to bring myself to attend one of these classes, but I can see the benefit. As someone who is out of shape, and finds it hard to workout or do any physical activity, I would definitely have a good time at a Zumba class. That being said, I’m a bit of a closet dancer and get be rather goofy.
Get Involved!
If I have persuaded you to get involved here is some basic information to know. Fit 2 the T offers 7 classes, 6 days a week, so there is always something going on. All classes take place at Breakaway Fitness. To find out when classes are or more information about the classes, either head over to Breakaway Fitness or email Tara at FIT2theT [at] live [dot] com. Class information is also in the video.
Today is the longest day of the year, or better know as the Summer Solstice. Yellowknife gets about 20 hours of sun light, with no real darkness. To many of us this is nothing new, nothing different, nothing out of the ordinary. A lot of the time I forget that the majority of Canada does not experience the same thing and forget that it is such a big change for them when visiting. Last week I went out fishing with two great guys from Ottawa, we were out on Walsh lake at midnight and they could not believe that there was enough light to fish. Often I hear from people visiting how hard it is to fall asleep when it is still light out. By the way the number one solution I have heard for this is tinfoil over the window. I’m more of a thick blanket over the window so I can still remove it quickly.
Last night I went out at midnight and took some pictures of the sky. When I did, I got extremely jealous of Inuvik. Why? Because although Yellowknife is in the land of the midnight sun and we market that, we don’t actually have a midnight sun. It does go below the horizon, ever so slightly. The reason I’m jealous of Inuvik is because they really have a midnight sun – see picture below. Some would say I’m crazy for saying that, but from my perspective, if we are going to claim something, we should at least make sure it is true.
Credit: SnowCoveredHills.com
What comes with the Summer Solstice in Yellowknife is worth noting. It is a time of celebration and fun, not just because we have 24 hours to do so, but because there is also a lot going on. Raven Mad Daze, music out at the Folk on the Rocks site, and Aboriginal Day which is also on June 21, are just some of the things going on. It is a time to come out and celebration the warm and wonders Yellowknife has to offer, because this town in the summer is like no other.
Okay, maybe we weren’t the first ones on the lake, but it is still pretty early. Over the weekend we were able to get further on the lake than we were June 10 of 2009. That goes to show how quickly summer has come to Yellowknife.
There was no shortage of activity on the lake, motorboats, sailboats, float planes, kayaks and canoes all sharing the lake. Even though there are no marked pathways or speed signs, it always seems like there is order out there. Everyone respects everyone else.
The ice had opened up enough for us to get out to the Mink Ranch, a local fishing hole. The popular fish in this hole is obviously Northern Pike or Jackfish because it is so shallow, but occasionally you might catch White Fish or even Inconnu. Surprisingly enough within only a couple of casts both anglers had an Inconnu on the line. They are a nice fish, big and fat and good to eat. They also do not have sharp teeth which makes getting your lure out barbless single hook lure out. Unfortunately, these fish do not handle the stress very well and take a bit of work to snap back to life when releasing them.
After having no more luck fishing, we started to head back towards town. We went along the edge of the ice, just to see what we could see. The ice had not fully crystallized yet, and was still very strong even on the edge. I dangled my feet off the boat on to the ice. Although I didn’t put all my weight on the ice, I would be willing to bet I could stand in that spot. That is not to say the entire pan of ice was that thick, it could have been just that spot. None the less it was a neat experience to once again be boating beside the ice we were snowmobiling on 2 months earlier.
Do you ever enjoy the lakes? How do you do it, by motorboat, sailboat, canoe, kayak or just good old fashion swimming?
Getting out on the lakes around Yellowknife might as well be as popular as snowmobiling. I assume the majority of us who get out boating, canoeing, or kayaking do it because we want to enjoy life and get out from being stuck in front of the TV.
That being said there are precautions that we must all remember while going out on the lakes. Things can go wrong, quickly, and we must be ready for any scenario. Take Saturday for example, we had launched our boat at the Giant Mine Boat Launch for the first time this year and just planning on trolling around the bay. That changed quickly when, on our way into Back Bay, we saw 3 people bobbing in the water and a canoe floating upside down. It was obvious something was wrong as none of them were moving to make any effort to flip the canoe over again. As we approached we found 3 cold looking people and a canoe, which was sitting upright filled to the brim with water. These people had only been bobbing in the water for a couple of minutes and were probably a little “buzzed”. Thankfully they had enough brains to wear lifejackets. As we took them and their canoe back to the dock, I don’t think they quite realized how lucky they were we showed up. Even though they said they were fine, another couple of minutes in the water of Great Slave Lake and they very well could have been hypothermic. This annoyed me, because they just brushed it off and started joking and cursing about how they lost their beer. I can only hope they have learned something from this experience.
A word of caution to all other boaters, make sure to always where a lifejacket. Not just your kids, you as well. You will be no good to your kids when you’re dead in the water. Always tell others where you are going and when you plan to be back. Carry the proper First Air and Survival Kits with you at all times and Stay Warm.
One day while working at my computer, I noticed that pictures of houseboats were going up in my “Yellowknife” stream on Twitter. I was curious about what was going on. Apparently a gentleman by the name of Stephan P. Sweeting was up in Yellowknife visiting his son Nick Sweeting. He had expressed the interest of touring around on the ice getting a closer look at the houseboats, so that is exactly what they did. At the same time they were uploading photos of each house. I, instantly, thought those would make for an interesting post, both for resident and those interested in Yellowknife.
I have always found the houseboats in Yellowknife Bay to be interesting and unique. They are a community like no other, because these houseboats are like no other. Some might think a houseboat should really be a moving, powered, boat looking type of vehicle and they maybe right, but those are nothing like Yellowknife houseboats.
The best way I can describe a Yellowknife houseboat is, a floating house. You could almost just pick these houses up and put them on land. That being said, they would still look unique. You see, each house looks different, each house was build different. The architecture and colour of them is what catches the eyes of passer byres. Beside the point of being unique looking, these houses are also self sustaining. You can’t get much more environmentally friendly than these houses, especially when you don’t have a choice. Solar for power, wood for heat and cooking as well as propane, compostable toilets, no driveways!
To those who live in these wonderful houses, what do you like about them? For those who don’t, could you ever?
Do you smell it in the air? Okay we maybe you don’t smell it, but maybe you can see it.
The sudden rush of college and university students returning home for the summer.
Every year it seem like the city just becomes a little more “hip”, as students return with fashions that are normally only found in big cities, like Vancouver, Edmonton or Calgary.
I’m stereotyping of course, but why can’t I, %90 of what I’m writing is true, is it not. Then again, maybe I’m just more observant than many others, as many of these students are my age. Maybe I feel intimidated, that these students are coming home with new found life experience, and knowledge base. I just can’t help but feel that I missed of out on something.
Then again I could just be crazy. Nonetheless, the return of students is a good sign that summer is on it’s way… I hope… please don’t snow this week. You’ll see them in Government Jobs filing away, mowing lawns for the City of Yellowknife, or filling up the bars on Friday nights.
They are a big part of our community and of course it’s future. So, welcome home Students.
Over the weekend Yellowknife experienced some of the best displays of aurora many photographers have seen in a while. Apparently this year hasn’t been a very good one but nonetheless they were out and many photogs took advantage of that fact. Even those of us who are not photographers appreciate the beauty of the Aurora. For some reason it is something special about that aurora. It is one of those attractions that so many in the south talk about but hardly ever see, so whenever we have the opportunity we’re going to tell you about them.
Anyways back to why I started writing about the aurora in the first place. After last weekend’s light show many photos popped up online. For example both Lee Sacrey and Dave Brosha were out on Vee Lake and managed to capture some unbelievable photos. Jason Simpson was also out on the Ingraham Trail, except was out at Prelude Lake. He managed to capture an awesome video of the aurora dancing in the night sky.
Do you get any good shots of the aurora? Share the link in the comments, we’d love to see them.
I had planned to have a couple posts scheduled to get published today and tomorrow but I just never got around to it.
I am currently up the Ingraham Trail and in on Hidden Lake. The weather have been so great lately and I wasn’t sure how much longer there would be snow so I am taking advantage of it and gone sledding for a couple days.
For those of you who don’t know, the Ingraham Trail is the road the leads west of Yellowknife for about 60kms. Along the road there are many lakes with boat launches and day use areas. It is not unusual for someone to drive up the road for the weekend, whether to camp somewhere along the way or to go to there cabin. Which there are many of. Other than Dettah which is actually a community along the way there are small communities of people who live along the way. Cassidy Point, Prelude East, West and Main all have year round residents. There is also two seasonal campgrounds, Reid Lake Campground and Prelude Lake Campground.
If you have never been up the road just go for a drive on a Sunday afternoon. Don’t forget to take your camera. You never know what you’ll see.
Over and over I seem to be talking about why I love Yellowknife and the North. Well I have once again found another reason. I mentioned that I love the clear, blue skied, days we get here in the winter and alone with those days we seem to see more visitors. Not the visitors like you think though, I was thinking more of the white, fluffy, winged kind or better know as Ptarmigan.
You may not think they are good for anything, or good at anything either, but you are wrong. Well, okay, maybe you’d be slightly right, and I suppose they can’t figure out how to pick through your garbage like their second cousin the Raven. What they can do magnificently well though, is camouflage. Have you ever seen a ptarmigan in the summer? Probably not! That is because they’ll look like just another bush among the trees. It is much the same in the winter; the white balls of fluff plop themselves in the fluffy snow and you’d never know they were there.
That is exactly what happened to me the other day. I walked up my driveway and in the front door and found a cat that was going crazy at the front window. When I peered out the window to see what the commotion was I was shock to see what I had just walked past. No word of a lie there must have been 50 ptarmigan sitting on the lawn. I quickly grabbed my camera and snuck back outside, only scaring away a couple.
A couple weeks ago I took a basic digital photography class put on by Dave Brosha, so as I was prancing around the yard I was trying to remember what he had taught me. I’m sure if I had of practiced what he had taught me the following photos would have turned out better, but here are some ptarmigan for your enjoyment. Tell me what you like the most about Yellowknife Winters?
Normally it is a twice a year occasion, where both the Merv Hardy Ferry and the Mackenzie River Ice Road are out of service. What does this mean for Yellowknife? Well we have no road access and when most of are amenities are trucked in, can be a bit of an issue.
If you are new to Yellowknife, you may be thinking “Oh know what are we going to do, everything is going to be really expensive”. Yes and no. You may notice that Wal-mart starts to collect trailers in their lot, which contains stock to keep them going through freeze-up/break-up season. Most big stores like Wal-Mart along with the Grocery Stores try to make sure they are stocked up before hand, but it is hard to guess when the access will be cut off and for how long. Co-op tries to ease the frustration by flying food and supplies over the river and although this costs more the store itself absorbs the cost. Therefore there is not price change on the customers end.
Gas Stations are another service that try to keep topped up as much as possible during these times. Although don’t we have a huge tank farm out behind the Sand Pits?
Since this has happened for many, many years. More like, the entire time Yellowknife has existed, the City has adapted to it and everyone is use to it and for the most part can continue on with there lives undisturbed. Unless of course you had plans to drive south of the Big River. If by chance you are paranoid and want to play it safe, go out to the store now and buy enough food for two weeks and fill up the car.
Actually I don’t think it will even be two week. What I don’t think many people know is that they have been building the Ice Bridge across the river for a couple weeks now. The Ice Bridge is built a KM or so up river which allows them to start construction on it, while also keep a path clear for the ferry. If you ever get a chance to see the ferry operating this time of year it is quite neat. On occasion they put a back hoe onto the ferry to move ice that may be in the path across the river.
Personal my life isn’t affected, sometimes when I’m not paying attention I will miss the occasion altogether, which isn’t a bad thing. Although I’m not affected doesn’t mean you aren’t. Does this inconvenience you in any way? Do you care? What tips would you suggest to people about Break-up/Freeze-up time?
Have you ever felt the rhythm of a song and just wanted to dance, well you could call Zumba exactly that, but much more intense. Back on Canada Day Tara Newbigging, head instructor of Fit 2 the T Zumba, and her two co-instructors Donna and Heather, were about to go on stage to give a Zumba demonstration when she saw, local hip hop artist, Godson performing some of his songs. Tara said his music was really getting them going and they all thought how awesome would it be to workout to some of Godson’s music. A few weeks later the Fit 2 the T Zumba class has a routine choreographed to Godson’s Yellowknife City song, which they use to cool down after an hour-long class.
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