June 20 - Departure from Old Crow

Normally when I leave a community I have some sense of either letdown or relief.

Today, as we head out towards Inuvik from Old Crow I’m not sure what I feel. Is it perhaps a twinge of disappointment at once again running out of time to get everything done that I’d wanted to? It’s always “I need one more day” and that’s the story of my life lately, I guess. The goal is always to leave a store in better shape than when I found it so it’s “Mission Accomplished” once again… but there was so much more that could and should be done at this location.

So, I’m not sure what I’m feeling upon this departure. Maybe the closest I can come actually is relief. Relief that I’ve survived another one and relief that if all goes well then this sojourn completes my 35 year career with first The Hudson’s Bay Company and now The North West Company. Since heading out in August 1973 to my first posting in Mistassini I’ve worked in (or at least visited) 76 stores and travelled from coast to coast to coast many times. The scenery on this trip has been some of the most spectacular from the Niagara Escarpment to the Prairies to the Rockies to the Mackenzie Delta and the Arctic Ocean.

How lucky can a guy get to see all that and have someone else pay the tab? Lots of openings with TNWC these days in all areas of the country and stores so if you are interested in a great life with lots of perks just let me know and I’ll help get you started with talking to the right people. See 'ya later!

Old Crow Walking Tour

Well I completed my walking tour introduction to Old Crow this morning. My initial impressions that this is a great little community have been reinforced. It’s neat and tidy, the people are friendly and the countryside appeals to my nature. I’ve posted a number of photos on my Flickr and Facebook sites so the ones here are just teasers for you.

Now, I do have one big disappointment however and even if the powers that be in our head office read this and choose to “disagree” with me I still have to say it. My problem is that we do not have the facilities to service this town properly. I understand that our store, warehouse and staff house are leased from the local Band Council but these buildings are woefully inadequate and since we are the one and only store in town it genuinely bothers me. We have space to carry only the very basics in groceries, no retail display unless it’s piled high above the grocery shelves and while the produce department is looking pretty good, three of our freezers are broken and can’t be repaired so there isn’t even room to display much of anything. We do however have 4 chest freezers full of ice cream and frozen novelties. Hmmm… think I’ll shift priorities this coming week.

To tell you the truth I personally find it a little embarrassing that I’m not able to provide better customer service here. There are just too many things required that I either haven’t done in years or ever done at all. (Does anyone out there know how to complete a Post Office accounting week-end and month-end?) In the meantime I’ll keep plugging away and try to get things cleaned up enough so we can do a proper inventory and determine a solid starting point to get things rolling from. The new District Manager is coming up the first week in June so we’ll see what he feels can be done to improve the situation. Time for a joint venture to upgrade a few things?

The town has a great web site where you can get all kinds of information and you MUST read the “Caribou Coordination” page as it explains the importance of this location in relation to the 150,000+ strong herd. All parts of the animals are used from the meat to the antlers, hoofs, hide, head and hair. Nothing is ever wasted in a First Nations community as they understand and appreciate how the lives of themselves and the wildlife must co-exist in harmony with each other.

Again, it’s a great place and I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to visit here. The town is in the process of building a fancy new visitors center so that, combined with a couple Bed & Breakfasts that I saw this morning means that the community of Old Crow is ready, willing, able and eager to welcome you to the shores of the Porcupine River. I highly recommend it for tourists and let me know if there is any information I can get for you and I’ll meet you at the airport!

Where to next?

OK, it’s now official that the next trip is to Old Crow, Yukon. I’m looking forward to it as it’s one of the places I’ve always wanted to visit and it’s our only store in the Yukon Territory. Old Crow is located on the banks of the Porcupine River, is part of the Vuntut Gwitchin (People of the Lakes) First Nation and has a population of about 300. It is named after a chief named Deetru’ K’avihdik (Crow May I Walk) who died in 1870. The town is accessible only by aircraft and is the most northern community in the territory.

Travel route will be Sudbury – Toronto – Vancouver – Whitehorse – Dawson – Inuvik – Old Crow with an overnight in Whitehorse. I’m also hoping to spend a day or so in Dawson on my way out to visit this old gold rush town and some of the historical sites such as Jack London’s cabin, the Robert Service cabin and the Berton House. I’d also like to check out some of the Paddlewheeler’s and hopefully there is still at least one running that I can take a tour on. If not I know I’ll still have a great day walking around the community and maybe I’ll even have a drink or two in one of the local establishments… maybe even the world famous “Sourtoe Cocktail” at the Downtown Hotel.

I’ll keep you all posted!