Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/253786
24 Hours 12 g o i n g p l a c e s | s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 paddy mcgee Yellowknife Fishing and feasting in the land of the midnight sun by Paddy McGee Surrounded by lakeS and boreal forests, the city's tall buildings appear to sprout from Canadian shield rock. in the land of the midnight sun, Yellowknife's urban-arctic environment stands as nature's city of light, where a full 24 hours can be spent under late spring and summer's glowing sun. on a tour around town, stop for a latte at Javaroma (javaroma.ca) or a pint at the famed gold Range Hotel – the "strange range, " as locals like to call it. Hungry? A truly multicultural city, attracting mining profession- als from as far off as Australia and south Africa, Yellowknife boasts a wide array of cuisine ranging from sushi and Vietnamese to tapas. on the edge of Frame Lake, where the water and sky com- pete to see which is more blue, the prince of Wales northern Heritage centre (pwnhc.ca) primes newcomers to the north with its culture and history collec- tions. Contrasting with the pre- cambrian rock it sits on, the museum's contemporary design delivers a cool sheen to the exhib- its' rugged subjects. take a Short walk from the museum and swing by the northern Frontier Visitors cen- tre (visityellowknife.com) to buy local crafts or birch syrup. Then pick up a fishing licence before hopping on a free bike rental to scoot down Franklin Ave. (named after doomed 19th-century Arctic explorer sir John Franklin) to Old Town. With quirky street names such as Lois Lane and ragged Ass road and an eclectic mixture of contemporary and shanty archi- tecture, the frontier heart of the city beats rather loudly here. From the dockS of Old Town, set out with a local guide such as greg robertson of Bluefish services (bluefishservices.ca). With 40 years' experience in the north, robertson has made the trip out of Yellowknife – through bays, around colourful houseboats and into the mouth of great slave Lake – countless times. northern pike, aggressive but easy to catch, are abundant in these waters. release the big lunkers, keep the better-eating smaller fish and get ready to enjoy one of the world's best dining establish- ments: the edge of great slave Lake for a shore lunch. it doesn't hurt that Yellowknife's best-kept secret is the culinary skill of its fishing guides. carry on to one of Old Town's float bases and jump in a Cessna float plane – the cabs of the north – for a 20-minute flight to Blachford lake lodge (blachfordlakelodge.com). Enjoy a dinner of such northern fare as bison roast, and then walk it off on a guided interpretive hike. After learning how to tell the difference between ptarmigan and wolf drop- pings, take a boat ride to the recently named royal island – prince William and princess Kate spent a private afternoon here as part of their royal tour of Canada in 2011. End the day in the lodge's outdoor hot tub with a cold drink and watch the sunlight dance along the post-midnight horizon. GP A fish-fry dinner on Great Slave Lake; (top left) view of Yellowknife from Pilot's Point Monument; (below) unloading a float plane at Blachford Lake Lodge. p12-13_24Hours.indd 12 14-01-24 10:50 AM