by Kirsten Fenn

快盈v3 News Services

Ulukhaktok artist Maggie Alanak was in good spirits when she came knocking on the 快盈v3 Frontier Visitors Centre door Wednesday morning.

She planned to sell her handcrafted ookpiks, mittens and slippers to the centre like she鈥檚 done every month for the last two years since moving to Yellowknife.

But when staff told her they鈥檒l no longer be able to sell her goods at the centre because it shuttered earlier this month, Alanak began packing up her things, wiping away tears as she contemplated what to do next.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so heartbreaking,鈥� she said, adding she sells many of her crafts at the centre and relies on the money she makes there to put food on her table and pay her bills.

鈥淯s Inuit people sew a lot and if more places like this shut down, where are we going to sell our crafts?鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is where the tourists go, number one, to ask for directions and stuff. I think this is really important that they keep this building going.鈥�

Alanak is not the only local artist taking a financial hit with the centre鈥檚 closure May 15 due to structural issues.

More than 60 artists, 20 retailers and several musicians, authors and photographers sell their work at the visitors centre in Yellowknife, according to executive director Tracy Therrien.

In 2016, the not-for-profit that owns and operates the centre purchased $537,000 worth of local products ranging from small $20 items to $200 sculptures, she said.

With the centre moving to a temporary location in the foyer of the Prince of Whales 快盈v3 Heritage Centre, the 快盈v3 Frontier Visitors Association will no longer have room to sell merchandise.

Craig Scott is also affected by the change.

For six years he鈥檚 been selling his Arctic Harvest birch syrup at the visitors centre, where he said he makes 50 per cent of his revenue.

鈥淭his is our big market,鈥� he said, adding it鈥檚 the go-to place for many 快盈v3ers selling niche products.

He doesn鈥檛 know what he鈥檚 going to do next but said the government needs to find a proper space for the visitors centre.

鈥淭ourism is a very important part of our economy,鈥� said Scott, adding he doesn鈥檛 think a 鈥渟keleton staff鈥� at the museum 鈥渋s going to cut it.鈥�

Another man who stopped by the centre Wednesday morning to talk with staff worries the centre鈥檚 closure will have a trickle-down effect on businesses in the city.

Henry Zhang, manager at the NWT Diamond Centre, said the visitors centre directs many tourists to his business.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not good news to us,鈥� he said, adding he believes the visitors centre needs its own building downtown as tourism is on the rise in Yellowknife.

According to data provided by Therrien, the number of visitors passing through the centre鈥檚 doors doubled between 2014 and 2016, from about 25,000 to 50,000 people.

Although the current building is closing due to structural issues, the decision to shrink the visitors centre has a lot of people confused.

鈥淧laces close down when business is down. Places do not close down when things are the best they鈥檝e ever been,鈥� said Tyler Dempsey, assistant manager at the centre. 鈥淭his thing has reached a level that it鈥檚 never reached before 鈥� yet now is the time to abruptly shut it down?鈥�

快盈v3 Frontier Visitors Centre Association board members have said they've been seeking increased government support for years.

According to the association鈥檚 2016 financial statement, merchandise sales accounted for nearly 66 per cent of the centre鈥檚 revenue.

The GNWT contributed about 10 per cent of the centre鈥檚 operations revenue while the city contributed 5.5 per cent.

In a news release issued Wednesday, Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Wally Schumann announced visitor information services will continue at the museum in the short term while a longer-term solution is sought.

His department has agreed to cover the costs of the association鈥檚 move to the museum and 鈥渢he interim storage of its assets.鈥�

鈥�Our immediate focus has been on finding a place and way for the (association) to deliver the visitor information services on which their association and funding is founded,鈥� Schumann stated in an e-mail to Yellowknifer when asked whether he is concerned about the impact on local artists and retailers.

鈥�In the interim, there are a number of outstanding stores and outlets in Yellowknife that buy and sell local arts and crafts,鈥� he said.

The city has also pitched in an extra $17,000 to help the visitors centre this year.

But Therrien said there were 鈥渘umerous鈥� spaces downtown the visitors centre could have relocated to with most of its exhibits, retail items and staff. She said the GNWT and city told the centre there was no funding.

Therrien said the centre has liquidated $50,000 in inventory and will be selling off the rest of its assets.

Its retail space at the Yellowknife airport will remain open, said Therrien. She explained it carries a smaller selection of items than the visitors centre.

Cleaning out the now-desolate visitors centre, where only empty shelves and stray items awaiting packing remain, has been 鈥渉ell鈥� for Therrien.

鈥淚t has destroyed us emotionally, mentally,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he impression we鈥檙e getting is we hand out maps and guides. We offer a tremendous amount of services.鈥�