Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall staying closed due to pandemic - at least for now

A major tourist attraction in Dawson City is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the association that runs Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall is optimistic it will be able to open in some capacity this summer. 

"We're hopeful that we'll be able to welcome people in at some point," said Paul Robitaille, marketing and events manager of the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA). 

Gerties has a bar and a casino, and in peak season offers three nightly cancan shows. 

In March, bars were ordered closed by the territory's chief medical officer of health. On Friday, the KVA announced Gerties would remain closed until further notice.

It was supposed to reopen on May 8, when more tourists usually start visiting the community.

The association is considering new safety precautions for the venue, but Robitaille acknowledged that Gerties could not open right now because it's a bar.

Wayne Potoroka, mayor of Dawson, said the pandemic has shown how important every business is to the community.   

"All of the nighttime entertainment establishments, not having them open, you know, is going to make life look a little bit different for folks in Dawson City. We are a good time in town, but not right now."

Depending on the year, Gerties employs about 75 people, mostly year-round residents, and it has capacity for 400 people, Robitaille said.

The performers are booked through a local company, and they often come from outside of Yukon but he said they've decided that if performances are held this year, they won't bring in people from outside of the territory.

Robitaille said the not-for-profit organization's main source of revenue is from Gerties.

"If Gerties doesn't open then it really jeopardizes what we can do as an association," he said.