Welcome to all our new members and welcome back to all of our renewing members. Glad to have you onboard. We have another very busy year ahead of us. Our main objective remains to create a vibrant museum and interpretative centre at the old Giant Mine Site. Individual Membership: Joy Watt, one of our many dedicated members, is undertaking the task of contacting each member from 2002 – 2007 who has not renewed their 2008 membership. Thank you Joy!
Corporate Membership: This year we are soliciting corporate members ($500/annual fee). We would like to acknowledge and thank our very first corporate member:
Sub-Arctic Surveys (http://www.sub-arctic.ca) SAS is a northern owned and operated company. Since its inception in 1992, SAS has prepared approx. 33% of the Plans of Survey registered in the NWT and Nunavut. SAS has been involved in the exploration phase and the construction phase of every diamond mine in the NWT and Nunavut.
Fundraising
Currently we are awaiting funding application results from the following groups:
- Heritage Canada - $200K for fire and security systems and general construction
- Heritage Canada Local Arts and Heritage Festivals - $15K for festival and slide show
- Mineral and Petroleum Resources Directorate, NT Region - $55K for architectural drawings
- YK 2008 Special Grant Application - $9.5K building supplies and printing of historical postcards
- Yellowknife Community Association - $20K construction and renovations
The Yellowknife Community Foundation has agreed to open a ‘NWT Mining Heritage Trust Fund’ and a ‘Walter Gibbins Memorial Trust Fund’. Monetary interest from both funds will be provided to our Society on an annual basis. This is a good news story for the Society as these funds provide potential donors with additional donation methods such as:
- a bequest in their Will
- the transfer of an existing fund
- the offering of real estate or other property for conversion into the investment fund.
Displays and Merchandise
The Walter Gibbins mineral display has been moved to the lobby of the federal Greenstone building in Yellowknife where it can remain until Nov/09. We are currently displaying George Hunter’s beautiful black and white prints at the Gourmet Cup in Yellowknife. The Gourmet Cup has also agreed to sell the prints along with selling and displaying the ‘Not Only Gold’ book. The display will remain until Feb. 23 (the end of Heritage Week). Both Boreal Books (Inuvik) and the Norman Wells Historical Centre are now selling our two books, ‘Not Only Gold’ and ‘Con Mine, A Pictorial History’.
Special Events . . please come join us!
Sun, March 9 – Sat, March 15. We are planning to have a booth at the Arctic Winter Games Athlete’s Centre. Specific dates and times are being considered and will be posted in the February newsletter.
Sat. March 22 & Sun, March 23 1 – 5 p.m. At this year’s Snowking XII we are hosting ‘Stones in Motion’ on the outside rink. For a small donation, the public can try their hand at curling. The Yellowknife Curling Club is lending us ‘junior’ rocks and we will need to supply some old brooms. All donations will be split between the Yellowknife Curling Club and our Society. As well, we will be displaying old curling photos in the Snow Castle. A few volunteers and some old brooms are needed for this event. If you would like to participate and have some fun for an hour or two, please call Cathy at 873-6078.
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