The Beer Barge Fundraiser is gearing up to once again deliver a taste of Yellowknife history, stepping back about a century in time, when having a “cold one” was a rare luxury that even money could not buy.
“Usually the first barge into Yellowknife was the second week, third week, depending on the breakup of the ice. And by that time, Yellowknife had basically run out of beer probably two or three months before that,” Helmut Epp, told True North FM.
Epp, president of the Yellowknife Historical Society, together with Steph Yuill, an organizer and volunteer and Dryden Choban, the museum’s manager, reflected on the Beer Barge’s history in the region and its significance for Yellowknifers.
If there was “so much as a rumour” that the barge was arriving, people would not show up to work and just casually tell their boss “sorry I gotta go help unload the barge,” said Epp, who is the president of the Yellowknife Historical Society.
“So people would go down, which is now government dock basically and usually the at least half of the barge was beer, fresh beer,” explained Epp.
Celebrating beer barge as a community is about “a way of gratitude for what we’ve got,” explained Yuill.
“I think one of the things for me for beer barge is if you think back even 60 years ago, we are so fortunate right now that if I want some strawberries, I’m going to go to the grocery store in December (to get them).”
“Because that was not always the case, people would have to wait for months to get a beer. They would have to wait months to get pampers or diapers or food stuff so it’s really going back in time and appreciating what we have now,” reflected Yuill.
The even also promises to be a sight to behold.
“It’s pretty incredible to see these wide brand hats and these 30s and 40s and 50s dresses and the women strutting their stuff,” added Yuill.
The event is a good way to sit and chat with people you haven’t seen for awhile and also to meet new friends.
“It’s a great place, you get a lot of ‘Old Timers’ coming out because this is part of their history, but you get a lot of people new to Yellowknife wanting to see what the city is all about and what the Museum’s all about,” said Yuill.
“So it’s a really amazing mix of people and that’s one of the things I love the most is, is the people the sunshine, the beer and the costumes we’ve had,” exclaimed Yuill.
“There’s a photo booth so you can put yourself into some old timey clothes and get a black and white or coloured picture of yourself looking very 1920s or 1930s,” added Yuill.
Choban added that the Beer Barge fundraiser will feature live local bands, including the Pipe Band, Bad Dayz Lucille and headlined by the Straydogs! And the event will feature local beer, added Choban. This year Territorial Beverage, who created a special logo for the beer cans commemorating the event, explained Choban.
“There is a barbecue, we’ll have hamburgers and hot dogs and some salads to be served. So it’s, it’s just a good time. You can sit in your chair in the sun, listening to some great music looking at great costumes,” exclaimed Yuill.
A silent auction is also planned for the evening, said Choban with paintings, china and other historical items up for grabs. And an award will be given for the “ best costume.”
This year the event is taking place a bit later that usual, explained Epp and Choban. The celebration usually would be taking place (historically) during the second week in June, which is usually the traditional breakup of the ice and the first barge is able to come in or did come in, especially in the 30s and 40s and 50s.
Like the museum itself, the event offers a “beautiful public space” for people to come out, Yuill pointed out
Choban emphasized that it’s all for a good cause, with all the funds for the Beer Barge will go towards museum operations and other projects of the Yellowknife Historical Society.
Dryden said tickets are free for volunteers and otherwise are available at the museum, on the organization’s website, or at Quality Furniture.
The event is open to adults 19 years of age and up. There will be a bus shuttling people back from the museum back to downtown Yellowknife
The organizers are looking for volunteers to help with the event which takes place Saturday June 28 from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Historical Museum 510 Yellowknife Access Drive Road near Giant Mine Road.
Epp explained that for anyone who would like to rent a costume, costume rentals are available on site.
