By Kelly McLaughlin
On Feb. 20, during his visit to Yellowknife, CBA National President RenĂ© Basque, Q.C., and his wife Donna joined members of the Northwest Territories Branch Executive – Nick Leeson, Chris Buchanan and Tricia Ralph – and Council – me – for a beautiful sunny afternoon on the ice. The adventure got off to a bit of a rocky start when one of the vehicles got stuck in the snow. RenĂ© took the wheel and others got out and pushed, and the group soon got back on track.
With René driving shotgun, Great Slave Lake Tours took the group out on Yellowknife Bay of Great Slave Lake in a 1956 Bombardier. On the lake they were shown how commercial fishers set nets under the ice. Commercial fishers supply restaurants and residents with fresh local fish all year round.
The group checked one net which yielded the evening’s supper: two northern pike and two lake whitefish. One of the whitefish was prepared sashimi-style fresh out of the water. Afterward, the group took a short walk over the ice to a small island where they learned about the trees and plants of the area. Donna picked leaves from a Labrador tea plant which, as the name suggests, makes an excellent tea.
After everyone took a turn whipping down a sliding hill, it was time to warm up and have supper – the day’s catch perfectly fried, accompanied by a tea made from spruce tips and chaga mushrooms. The group also sampled other local fish: inconnu and ling cod.
Reflecting on the afternoon, René said that he particularly enjoyed the Bombardier ride, and the fried pike. Most of all, though, he said he enjoyed the chance to make new friends during his visit.