Yellowknife's iconic Robertson headframe lives on as a Christmas ornament
'Every year, we can remember it and when it came down,' says 12-year-old Katie Genge
In a house dressed in Christmas, with dark wooden floors as glistening as Santa's rosy cheeks, sits 12-year-old Katie Genge in her own little workshop.
Blue plastic crates are stacked on her desk, each filled with designated supplies. Katie bends low over her work, paintbrush in hand. And filed neatly in front of her are three distinct colours — white, black and red, the hues of a former Yellowknife landmark, the Robertson headframe.
Two months ago, the headframe was toppled as part of the remediation plan for the old Con Mine site. Hundreds gathered around the site's perimeter to watch — and hundreds more watched at home on their computer screens.
It was around that time when Katie started making her Robertson headframe Christmas ornaments, a keepsake, she says, for anyone who wants to remember what was N.W.T.'s tallest structure.
"I really wanted to have something to remember the Robertson headframe," Katie said.
"And it's like, Christmas is coming up, why not make an ornament so then every year, we can remember it and when it came down."
'This is so cool'
At 76 metres tall, it was a beacon for the city, often used as a landmark by people who ventured onto the land during its 39 years on Yellowknife's skyline.
Katie's ornaments are about 10 cm long and about 4 cm wide, each one cut by her dad, Melvin Genge, from recycled wood and then hand-painted by Katie.
"When [people] order them they are so happy and say, 'This is so cool,'" Katie said. "For me, that's a confidence booster."
So far, Jennifer Genge, Katie's mother — who's pitched the ornaments on buy-and-sell Facebook pages — says Katie has sold more than 150 ornaments, amounting to about $1,250.
Jennifer and Melvin say they've asked Katie if she wants to buy anything with her money. She tells them she's saving it for university.