Yukon Chatter Bug

If, like me, you’ve had to renew or apply for a new passport recently, you probably know that the regulations about who can sign as your guarantor have changed. It makes so much more sense now.

In the past, you guarantor had to be a professional that met certain qualifications. I’m curious if my old doctor in Toronto would have been able to recognize me outside of the context of her office. Considering the process Canadians need to undergo in order to obtain a passport, short of getting an anal probe, it simply makes sense to allow someone holding a valid passport to verify your identity.

Also, if you need to get a passport photo done, go to a “professional” photo finisher, like Photovision on Main St (I couldn’t find a link). While waiting to submit my application at the federal building, a woman sitting next to me mentioned that it was her third time in, because her photo kept being rejected. The clerk confirmed to me that Photovision in Whitehorse have a lower rejection rate than places in town like Wally World and Shopper’s. They probably charge a higher rate ($20), but it’s worth not having to return because your photograph doesn’t meet the passport office’s specifications.

Oh, and you can’t smile on your photo anymore. So expect to see a mugshot, no matter how hard to you try to look normal.

Whatever you do, don’t mail it in. Go to Human Resources in the federal building and they’ll check everything first, take payment, and send it off for you.

My biggest challenge was trying to get to the office before they close at the ridiculous early hour of 4pm.

Enjoy!

In Arizona, a 13-year-old boy was suspended for for drawing — on paper — a gun on his homework. In 2000, four kindergarten boys were playing cops and robbers at recess using their fingers as “guns”; they were subsequently suspended for three days. These and other stories have led me to wonder whether things are any different in the Yukon. So, I decided to pay a visit to a local school to see for myself.

Upon entering the school, I was immediately threatened by a black-masked figure with a flowing cape, brandishing a long rapier. He wasn’t packing heat, but I’ll bet he’ll be suspended.

Trying to find someone with authority to mete out the suspension, I barely escaped a beheading by a Knight Templar in the principal’s office.

Grateful that I had escaped with my life twice, I decided to stay away from the office and make my way down to the gym, where a flurry of activity got my attention.

Instead of being in class, students filled the gymnasium. In one corner, a crowd egged on two students going at each other with pillows. A bystander was recording the whole incident on his cell phone.

A few feet further, suction-cup guns were being aimed at a boy moving about in a cage-like enclosure. The target was the skull-shaped mask being worn by the kid.

In yet another area, students were wielding hunting rifles, trying for a “kill.” Farm animals were scattered about on a flat board and the ammunition was a coin rolling down a slot on a carved wooden hunting rifle. Thankfully there was a sheriff sitting nearby. Surely he had the authority to take care of these gun-toting kids. But wait! He was the one encouraging the whole thing. Isn’t there anyone in this school that sees this behaviour for what it is?

I’d had enough of this and made my way to the nearest exit, which meant going through the girls’ change room and out the other side. As I hurried through the door, I suddenly heard muffled screams. A grizzly discovery awaited me: the change room was a scene reminiscent of a chainsaw massacre. I found myself in the dark, where flashes of light illuminated walls, ceiling, and floors splattered with blood. Trying to paw my way out of there, something (or someone) jumped out at me from a dark corner. I finally managed to find the exit where I needed a moment to regain my composure. We’re way past suspensions now, expulsion is in order!

By the end of day, the school would have been emptied had suspensions been given out. Instead, everyone had a great time. Kids had been talking about this event from the beginning of school in August and couldn’t wait for this day of Hallowe’en festivities. I’m guessing they’ll be talking about it for a couple of months to come.

Funny thing, I didn’t see any kids fighting at recess, nor any punches thrown. What I did see was a group of kids working the whole day before to set up the gym, and working through recess and lunch the day after to clean up. They were scrubbing walls using lots of elbow grease, while chatting about the day before. Could it be that there is a healthy way of letting kids just be themselves and have a bit of fun? No one condones violence, but could it be that because of news headlines, we have pushed the pendulum to the extreme?

Since the general public has learned that the famous Discovery Bar (or Taku Arms) is closing its doors, things within the pub have started disappearing. The owner, Ed Isaak, had all kinds of antique memorabilia – musical instruments, bottles, artwork, and even an old tricycle – plastered all over the ceiling and walls, and a few weeks ago, staff started noticing items going missing. I think the last straw was the disappearance of a couple of bar stools. Yew…I wouldn’t want to see those under blue lights during a crime scene investigation.

These disappearing acts prompted the owner to start taking things home early. So, in the last couple of weeks, if you were to walk inside, you’d notice bare walls and ceiling. Even the bell was taken down, as it appeared that someone was contemplating walking out with it. What a shame. The brass foot rail surrounding the bar was also taken off, so imagine how funny it must look from the bartender’s perspective seeing people almost lose their balance when expecting the rail to be there.

Anyway, last night was the the last opportunity for Yukoners to say their goodbyes to the place. I wasn’t there, but I’m sure it was bursting at the seams. I’m looking forward to hearing stories of how things went, and I wonder if, just if, people managed to find anything worth stealing. It’ll be interesting to see where all these items will reappear. Yes, what a shame.

Have you heard about customer service in Whitehorse? Most comments I’ve heard aren’t very positive, but apparently, there’s a drastic shortage of service workers in town. That surely doesn’t help our customer service situation.

With the start of the school year, I needed to get several school supplies which brought me into our local “big” office supply store. For those of you unfamiliar with it, their counters are an upside-down U-shape with a cash register in each corner of the U. I spotted a cashier behind one of the counters (all others were empty), so I made my way to her counter.

I put my goods down and stood there for a moment, waiting to be acknowledged: no luck.

I made noise with my keys: still, no luck.

I cleared my throat (loud enough to be heard): still, no luck.

I said: “Hello-o!” Finally! She looks up, and without moving, simply says, “that cash is closed, you’ll have to come to the other side, then continued with whatever she was doing.
Now keep in mind that the two cash registers are behind the same counter, and it’s just a matter of her taking an extra step or two toward me. But the problem here wasn’t that I had to move my stuff to the other side of the “U”, that wasn’t such a big deal. Afterall, that particular counter was closed. The problem was the feeling of being ignored. So, once I picked up all my stuff to bring to the other side only to be served by the same cashier, I just couldn’t hold my tongue.

I said: “So, do you normally just ignore people who don’t happen to be standing at the right counter?”

“I didn’t ignore you,” she responded.

“I have to say, that’s what it felt like.”

“I thought you were one of our staff,” was her reply.

Now, I don’t know about you, but the last time I checked, staff usually wear bright red polo shirts. I didn’t have a speck of red on me, except maybe my nail polish. She obviously didn’t even look.

I know I may be sounding a bit negative here, but if it was a one time deal, it happens. I could deal with a store that has decent service and the odd bad day. But it wasn’t the first time I’d had this kind of service.

I guess in a way I was partly to blame. I hate box stores and I still found myself going there for the sake of convenience. I stand guilty. I think it’ll be Whitehorse Business Machines for me from now on. Afterall, No One Makes You Shop at Wal-Mart.

You want a more positive story?

During my first year in Whitehorse, I found myself working as a bank teller, which meant being on my feet all day. Since I liked to dress business-like, I needed a good pair of comfortable flat dress shoes. During my lunch break, I took a walk down the block to Shoes “R” Us, where I got an excellent, albeit expensive, pair of flat dress shoes.

Women’s shoe manufacturers tend to like to skip size 9½, which happens to be my size. After size 9, you can rarely find half sizes. As a result, I often end up with ill-fitting shoes. Anyway, to make a long story short, I buy a pair of shoes, and a couple of months later, one shoe is coming apart on one side. I take them in to the store only expecting to have them shipped for repair (because at the time there were no shoe repair stores in Whitehorse). The store owner took one look at the shoes, went to the back to get another pair (one size larger), and brought them back. These weren’t cheap shoes; as a matter of fact, I had never paid so much before for a pair of shoes. However, five years later, I still wear them, and they still look like new.

So, is all customer service bad in Whitehorse? Obviously not. I’ve had excellent service in many businesses: Coffee Tea & Spice, Whitehorse Business Machines, Shoes “R” Us, and The Java Connection to name a few. Unfortunately, the bad experiences tend to stay with us, I think, because they evoke stronger emotion. I’ve heard of studies indicating that when a business deals with a customer service problem quickly and efficiently, the customer in question ends up with a higher level of satisfaction and loyalty than if nothing had ever happened. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s certainly good practice.

How I wish the world was filled with airline service that compares to that of Air North‘s. Whether you’re in the air, at the ticket counter, or on the telephone, the service provided by Air North is always outstanding. If you have a problem, a question, or a concern, it’s just a matter of picking up the phone and voilà! Whatever needs fixin’ gets fixed.

Before I go on, let me assure you that I have no affiliation with them or any of their employees.

Yesterday, I spent a good part of the afternoon trying to arrange travel to attend my brother’s wedding in northern Ontario. After trying to book the “other” airline’s portion of the flight online a couple of times and getting a message that, “Your request cannot be processed at this time. Please try again,” I decided to call their reservations centre. They would not (or in their words, could not) match the price I had on my screen, despite the fact that the online system wasn’t letting me book the darn thing. They even admitted that, yes, the online system at their end was down. The lower online price was due to my opting to travel without checked-in luggage.

While on the phone, their online system came up again, but of course, the price of the selected flights was now higher. I was in a catch-22 situation. If I booked through the web, I pay much more than my initial quote; if I stay on the phone and let them book it, they can’t give me the initial discount. Regardless of my choice, I was still paying more. GGggrrrr!!! In the end, I decided to book a different day altogether to avoid paying the higher cost.

Coming back to Air North’s service, according to the reservations page on their site, they will do their best to match other prices, and they came through for me. I could go on and on about many instances where they came through, but I think what sums it up is that they have common sense! The people who work there have common sense! How’s that for a first in customer service? If you have a request or a concern, ask yourself if it’s reasonable or if the issue is a matter of common sense. If the answer to either question is yes, then it’s a matter of making one phone call and, voilà, everything’s taken care of.

Please feel free to post your comments about your positive experiences with Air North, because as far as I’m concerned, they deserve it!

If there’s one thing that I find annoying during the summer in Whitehorse, it’s the fact that the Yukon Visitor Information Centre down on Second Avenue has parking spaces specifically marked for out-of-town visitors only. I know we should make the downtown welcoming for visitors, but at the same time, if I’m inside the visitors’ building looking through pamphlets to help plan a visit from an out-of-town friend or relative, why can’t I use those parking spaces?

The person/people coming to visit me are spending dollars flying here, shopping here, and visiting here, and we use my vehicle to get around. Because of the Yukon license plate, however, I’m subject to receiving a parking ticket if I use those darn parking spaces. (In the by-law officers’ defense – or whoever issues these tickets – I only got a warning on my windshield last summer, not a ticket.) Rather than limit the users, why not limit the parking time only?

What brought forth this rant so early in the season is the fact that a friend of mine is planning a visit in late June. I’m very excited and looking forward to this. Thinking about planning for her stay, I thought I should go down and have a look at some of the pamphlets at the Visitors’ Centre. This brought back the memory of the warning in my windshield last summer. Ouch!

First, it was Joe’s Free Pour.* That was the one place that any Cheechako* had to be initiated to upon arrival in Whitehorse.

“It’s the first time I’ve been served a see-through Ceasar!” I exclaimed when my aunt and uncle took me there for the first time.

I don’t drink beer or hard liquor, and the place didn’t sell wine. It was an old-fashioned bar with good old-fashioned service, no frills attached. Walking into that place was like stepping back in time, both in decor and in atmosphere. The live entertainment consisted of good conversation with old Yukoners, friends, and, of course, Joe, who is a friend of my uncle’s.

If a good blues’ band is what you were after, it was a matter of walking a few blocks south, down to what the locals still call “The Taku” (the current name being The Discovery Bar). Another landmark in Whitehorse, apparently they’re closing their doors in a year’s time. There’s talk that the whole place is being purchased by a well-known group (who already own half of Main Street) and the building will be converted into offices, and who knows what will be on the first floor, but it definitely won’t be the pub.

These last couple of years, however, my visits to The Taku tended to be at the hour of the after-work crowd. The only entertainment was either chatting with some of the regulars, people-watching, and meeting people during the terrorist tourist season. I love the small pub feel of the place; it’s the only bar in town like it.

That leaves the downtown core with four bars that I can think of. One is a “joint” that, though busy, has, shall we say, a reputation. The other two are half the size of a football field each; no small pub atmosphere there. And that leaves the Gold Rush. Yup, fairly small, but that building, too, has been recently purchased by yet another local corporation. Will they keep it going? Probably. Will it be the same? Who knows! Oh, I almost forgot about the Roadhouse. Boy, has that place changed and for the better! (Nice outdoor patio, good food!) Hhmm… I wonder where the Taku regulars will end up going.

It’s funny how things change; in the case of local bars, most of the changes have been positive. My aunt and uncle talk about the old days when people could literally (and legally) walk from one bar to the next, drink in hand, then stumble into their car and drive home at the end of the night. Thank goodness we don’t see that anymore. But seeing more little spots that are congregating points for old (and new) Yukoners closing their doors one after the other is another thing. Because of archaic laws, no small business person can open a little pub because you have to have x number of rooms attached to the place. That leaves the door open to huge chains of hotels to set up shop. I’m not against free enterprise, but it wouldn’t surprise me of one or two of these eventually replaces the small individually owned places, making Whitehorse look more and more like any other city. We’re already seeing this in other sectors – just look to your right next time you drive up Two Mile Hill. Now, that I have a problem with!

(*Note: Hyperlinks added April 3rd, 2007)

Okay, I know I’ve made my opinion clear about the CWG hiring of outside musicians, but after a conversation about this with an acquaintance, I realized there was an aspect that I hadn’t considered. First, let me say that after seeing the entertainment during the games at the ATCO tent and the First Nations tent, there was no shortage of local talent. My hats off to organizers!

Second, the final concert was for the volunteers, and most of these volunteers are locals. So, it only makes sense to bring a Canadian band from outside the Yukon. Why? Because most people in town have already seen all the local talent. Not that local musicians aren’t good enough; local groups really are a treat. However, it seems to make more sense to bring in someone new, a group that we normally wouldn’t have the privilege of seeing in the Yukon. Most bands that do come up are 80s bands that are “has beens,” as a friend of mine put it. That said, the choice of bringing in Great Big Sea was an excellent one.

Yes, I was there, and it was a blast! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people assembled in one place in Whitehorse. I do think that there should be a universal rule, though, where tall people must stand at the back (sorry guys)! I had a perfect view until a couple of tall fellows weasled their way in front of me. Still, it didn’t ruin the fun. I had a great time.

Another nice aspect of the concert was that it was dry, which allowed younger ones to take part in the event. One air cadet that I know of, Braiden, put in more hours than most volunteers. He did an outstanding job at medal presentations, and it would’ve been a shame had he not been able to attend his very first concert as part of a thanks to him and other volunteers.

Now that Whitehorse has hosted an event on such a scale (the Games and the concert), I wonder what will come next.

We finally got our favourite sporting event in: short-track speed skating relay race. We got there about 45 minutes early, were told at the information kiosk that they still hadn’t finished the previous races, and then there would be a 15-minute break before the relay would start on time at 4:50. We went upstairs to find a seat and realized that the relay races were just getting underway. Well, at least we did get to see them; thank goodness we were early.

Quebec took the gold, Ontario the silver, and New Brunswick the bronze for both male and female races.

After these races, I went down to see the performers in the tents on Second Avenue, and it was all free! The smaller tent held performances from First Nations people all over the north for the Gathering of Northern Nations. A real treat were the Deh Cho Drummers from NWT. In fact, they were so good that I returned later in the evening to see them perform again in the Atco tent. There were also throat singers and our very own Tlingit dancers from Teslin. Between performances, I enjoyed browsing the tables filled with beautiful moccasins, beadwork, and tools made by First Nations elders and others.

Another treat in the evening at the Atco tent was a performance by Serena Ryder. What a powerful voice this woman has. I truly felt that the events and displays in the two tents were the hightlights of the Games, and they appeared to be well organized to boot! Here are some pictures:

Okay, so I bit the bullet and purchased two passes for the first week of the Canada Winter Games. Both my partner and I wanted to see the speed skating short-track relay race and maybe catch another event or two. As soon as we arrived in town after our house-sitting stint on Tuesday, we checked the on-line schedules to find that we could see some of the races on Wednesday evening at 7:30pm. We got there at 7:00pm only to discover that it was all over. Apparently they started early, finished early, and didn’t bother to let anyone know through their website. I was soooo disappointed. I’m hoping that today’s events will start on time. Since I can’t rely on the Games’ website for scheduling changes (except for hockey), I’ll have to try to get through by telephone and speak to a live person.