Taoist Tai Chi Society of Canada
Western Region
Weekend workshop
Yellowknife, April 4-6, 2008
Each year the Yellowknife club hosts two or three regional level workshops. There's usually an
afternoon workshop for seniors on Friday accompanied by an open house in the evening for the public.
Yellowknife has a population of 20,000 (2006). Now that the last of the gold mines have closed down,
its main industries are the diamond mine North of town and the government. In this photo you can
see an icon of the gold mine era, the red-topped Robertson Shaft of the Con Mine, which can be seen
across town and from the ice roads. Those roads are are actually just plowed routes over the
lakes and rivers on this Canadian Sheild landscape. As smooth as a skating rinks, cars can only travel
30-40 km/hour on the ice roads and once the spring melt comes there are many communities that can
only be reached by plane (as well as the diamond mines).
Taist Tai Chi Society® classes are held at the Baker Community Centre, a warm and inviting
location. There's a little kitchen which makes it easy for preparing tea for classes. Twice a year
the club members cook lunch for around 100 seniors that come out for the Friday noon hour
Lunch with a Bunch program.
Our workshop was held at the Baker Community centre on Friday and Saturday. Here members
practice the whip to one side movement. Besides discussions during breaks and review of the foundation
exercises, we mostly worked on the movements in the last part of the set over the weekend.
The rumour was that the Yellowknife club potlucks are fantastic!
This proved to be true—after careful testing.
Our last day of the workshop was held in the Ecole J.H. Sisson's School gym.
A mural adorns the entrance.
Members practice the brush knee movement.
This is a painting in the lobby of the Explorer Hotel where we had brunch on Sunday.
There is a place out in the country
that had propane heated seats and drink holders for
hot-chocolate. Outside Yellowknife by a few kilometers it quickly dissolves into
wilderness. Local companies provide bus tours that take tourists away from the city
lights for aurora viewing.
This is a church in Dettah, an aboriginal community across the ice road from Yellowknife.
The Yellowknife club is very hospitable and have a lovely sense of community. This photo is
in a
pleasant coffee shop downtown, Javaroma. It is also a place to see young artist's
work and a healthy environment for the local youth to spend time. They have live bands
and poetry evenings.
Greg, a local continuing instructor, was performing in a choir on Saturday night. Here he is,
in the middle with the white shirt. They are doing a humorous skit about different jobs people dream
of doing. Greg's character wanted to grow-up to be a fitness instructor!
Those brightly coloured houses are not tied to any dry land. They are houseboats. Along winter
roads, by foot, skidoo, canoe and boat they keep connected to the mainland. Except for the
break-up period, people live there year-round and love it because they do not have to pay property
taxes. They get by without running water. Some are built from scraps scavenged in the dumps and
some are much more elaborate. One little shack was heated year-round only from the heat
output of a small propane fridge, which is amazing because temperatures regularly reach minus
40-50C in the winter! It's a unique and vibrant alternative community sheltered in the bay of
the Great Slave Lake.
A near by sign reads: “Houseboat Bay Community Rink All Welcome (Please Shovel)”
It was made for the 13th annual Snowking festival in mid-March. See the website for more
photos of the castle. Now fading in glory, the castle will soon be dismantled. It looks remarkably
like the adobe churches of Africa. In fact, much of the arctic brought back memories of the vast
spaces of the desert. Some clear ice was inset to make windows that were lit by candle in the
evening.
