Here Kitty, Kitty - Where's the Wildcat ???
As you may know, there's a piece of the historic Wildcat Cafe on the face of Voyageur (in the stem part of the half maple leaf pick guard). We had kind of a homecoming at the Wildcat when we were in Yellowknife in 2009 and I'd figured on another pilgrimage this trip but when I went to the Wildcat, there it was: gone! (as the saying goes).
Turns out that the 1937 construction of the Wildcat's foundations were much less surefooted than the building's namesake and it had become increasingly unstable in recent years. Now, for the second time in its history, it's getting a reprieve from the wrecking ball. It is currently undergoing a complete and total reconstruction. A team headed by Rick Muyres, an extraordinary craftsman and bridge builder based in Norman Wells NWT, has taken the building apart piece by piece - with every log and slat and beam meticulously marked and recorded. The foundation is being redone and then each piece will be treated and restored and assembled back into their original form and order. If you'd like to follow the process, Yellowknife photographer Fran Hurcomb has an excellent photodocumentary blog of the restoration.
Assuming all goes well, the Wildcat Cafe will re-open in May of 2012. Until then, you can still get a great meal in Yellowknife's Old Town just around the corner at Bullock's Bistro. It's a bit expensive but treat yourself to a great experience and the best fish & chips made from lake-fresh pickerel, trout or arctic char that you've ever tasted.
For all the hospitality in Yellowknife on this trip, thanks to Lynn Feasey, Air Canada, the Association of Canada Lands Surveyors, CKLB, CBC Yellowknife, the Explorer Hotel, the Yellowknife Book Cellar and everyone in town who made Voyageur feel so at home.
Photo by Loren McGinnis.
Posted at 5:47 AM