It’s no secret that the chocolate industry can be shady business. Before Cabin Snacks and Chocolate became foraged wild food chocolate bars, Sarah Van Stiphout originally sought to make baked goods with forest harvests and use chocolate as an additional ingredient. When she saw how difficult it would be to find ethical, sustainably sourced chocolate …
BACK TO BUSINESS: Do you know where your chocolate comes from? Read More »
For seven months, not a creature has stirred anywhere near Barren Ground Coffee’s modest 51 Avenue storefront. But the roast must go on and behind the scenes, the beans have been moving like hotcakes. The roasters started in Old Town in 2017 and move to the core in late 2019. The pandemic forced their shutdown less …
BACK TO BUSINESS: Online sales shift was roaster’s recipe for success Read More »
Dinku Tadesse becomes misty eyed when he talks about the support Yellowknife has shown his restaurant. He and his wife Eline Baye opened Zehabesha Traditional Ethiopian Food restaurant six years ago and he wants the community to know, thanks to their loyalty, the restaurant is “not going anywhere.” When they first closed their doors in …
BACK TO BUSINESS: Zehabesha Ethiopian Food owners touched by community support Read More »
Some businesses have found themselves adapting to the circumstances of the pandemic just to survive, but some, like Jackpine Paddle have found a way to thrive. Like other tourism operators, the canoe adventure company’s traditional reliance on international tourists was halted when Covid arrived in the NWT in March and the border was closed. Jackpine …
BACK TO BUSINESS: New focus guides Jackpine Paddle to calm waters Read More »
Owning a business is not something that Vicki Tompkins grew up dreaming of, but in her now decades of entrepreneurship she said she “loves every aspect of it.” Tompkins has run the For Men Only (FMO) and For Women Only (FWO) downtown clothing boutiques since they opened in 1999 and 2001 respectively. “It’s not perfect …
BACK TO BUSINESS: Two stores, two decades, one pandemic survived for downtown retailer Read More »
The Covid pandemic has exerted push and pull effects on most businesses, and Tamarack Computers has experienced both. The Yk Centre Mall-based company offers hardware sales, training and services for clients across the NWT and Nunavut. When its downtown shop closed in mid-March, its in-person software, networking and security training courses were suspended, hampering the …
BACK TO BUSINESS: Tamarack Computers achieves ‘level of comfort’ after turbulent months Read More »
With borders closed for the busiest tourism months of the year, North Star Adventures is pivoting to staycationers to share the gems of the NWT. Joe Bailey launched North Star in 2007 to share his love of the land and “showcase all that beauty we have in the territory to the world.” Originally touting themselves …
Experiencing a pandemic during his 10th year in business might seem like an awkward milestone, but James McGaughey is still working and glad to see his customers. The co-owner of Ragged Ass Barbers has been with the YK Centre Mall barber shop since he helped open it in 2010, and its 10th year has been …
The Covid pandemic stacked the odds against Blachford Lake Lodge over the summer, yet the decades-old fly-in resort defied them. Like many tourism operators and hospitality outlets in Yellowknife, Blachford has come to rely on international and out-of-territory Canadian guests for most of its customer base during the year. While Covid halted the flow of …
Roy’s Audio Video Unlimited stands out as one of few small Yellowknife businesses that not only stayed open throughout the pandemic, but experienced a rise in sales. From March until October, sales increased by more than 20 per cent compared to the same period for last year, said owner Roy Williams, who has been running …