Old Town……the book

“In just 80 years, Yellowknife’s Old Town has undergone huge changes. What started as the centre of a 1930s gold-mining frontier town has become the relaxed, though often-controversial, historic neighbourhood of today’s modern capital city of the Northwest Territories. Despite the changes, Old Town has maintained a lot of its original character.

Author and photographer Fran Hurcomb moved to Old Town in 1975. In this book, she traces its evolution using more than 200 photos, most of them her own. Images of dog teams, shacks, Old Timers, float planes, houseboats and assorted characters illustrate a text covering everything from Old Town’s ongoing battles with City Hall, to how to build a houseboat, to the history of intriguing neighbourhoods such as the Woodyard and Jolliffe Island. This sometimes personal account looks at how Old Town itself has changed, as well as how this vibrant community has changed lives.”

“Old Town” will be available in November at the Book Cellar and Down To Earth Gallery in Yellowknife. If you are out of town, you can order the book by contacting me at  franhurcomb@gmail.com The cost is $26.95 plus $4.00 shipping and handling in Canada, plus $1.55 GST. Total cost is $32.50.

Here are a few of the over 200 photos ranging from the 1930s to 2012.

View of the Rock, 1946

Water delivery 1940s. Tom Doornbos.

Peace River Flats 1954. N-1979-052-4517 – Henry Busse

At the causeway, early 1960s. Mike Piro photo

Bootlegger’s shack, Woodyard, 1976

My shack in the Woodyard. 1977

Slugger and Porkchop, Woodyard 1980

Commercial fisherman, Johnny Nault. 1980

My team on Campbell Lake, 1980

First houseboat 1982

Fixing the DeHavilland Beaver on the ice. 1986

Sander’s cabin Jolliffe Island 1985

All dressed up in the Woodyard. 1987

Crossing rotten spring ice. 1988

Ice fishing from the houseboat. 1994

Snow King’s Festival. 1998

Sluggers old shack. 2006

View from the yacht club docks. 2008

Stan “The Man” Laroque. 2012

 

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