Fireweed Studio facts for kids
The Fireweed Studio is a cool old log cabin in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. You can find it in Somba K'e Park, right near the City Hall. This cabin was built way back in the late 1930s. It was first used to store explosives for what later became the Giant Mine. Later, it was moved to where it stands today.
In 1996, the Fireweed Studio was added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical building in Canada. Two years later, the city of Yellowknife named it a Heritage Building. This was because it's a really well-preserved example of the city's early days.
After it was built, the cabin stored explosives for about a year. Then, newer and safer places were built for explosives. So, during the 1940s, the cabin was used to store other mining supplies. In 1973, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce bought the cabin. They fixed it up to use as a place for tourists to get information. More recently, after some updates, it became a gift shop. The Yellowknife Guild of Arts and Crafts runs the shop during the summer months.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The Fireweed Studio is on the west side of 49th Avenue. It's between 52nd and 53rd streets, at the edge of Somba K'e Park. Yellowknife's modern brick City Hall is just north of the park. To the west, there's a grassy area that slopes down to a walkway near Frame Lake. South of the cabin, you'll find a curved parking lot and some trees. Across the street are houses and more parking areas.
The building itself is a one-storey log cabin. It's a bit rectangular. There are a few small trees, mostly white spruce, around its sides and back. The cabin sits on a concrete foundation. It has a roof that slopes down from the front, with a small chimney in the middle. The logs are stained brown. They fit together with special saddle joints at the corners.
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On the front of the building, there's a wooden door in the middle. It has old metal hinges. A wooden screen door is behind it. This is the only way to get inside. Above the door, a sign says "Fireweed Studio." To the south of the door, there's a special plaque that tells you about the building's history.
Both sides of the cabin have windows. These windows are covered by wooden shutters when the building is closed. The back of the building has no windows at all. There's an electric meter attached near the southern corner. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles.
History of the Fireweed Studio
The cabin was built in 1939 at Giant Mine, which is north of Yellowknife today. Some people mistakenly say it was a blacksmith's shop. But actually, it was used to store dynamite. This dynamite was used to dig deep shafts to find gold. In the 1940s, safer storage bunkers were built closer to the mine. So, the cabin then became a storage place for other mining supplies.
The mining company used it until 1973. Then, they sold it to the local Chamber of Commerce for just one dollar! The Chamber of Commerce moved it very close to its current spot.
At first, the Chamber wanted to make it a tourist information center. They started working on it in 1974. Yellowknife's City Hall was also being built nearby. The construction company was allowed to store materials in the cabin. In return, they promised to fix up the cabin after City Hall was done. However, they kept storing things for a year after City Hall was finished. Finally, the Chamber opened the building to the public in 1976.
The cabin was a tourist information center throughout the 1980s. In 1988, some work was done to replace the inside walls and floor. Four years later, Yellowknife got a new, bigger tourist center. That's when the crafts guild, which is one of Canada's oldest, moved into the cabin.
After the tourist center moved out in 1992, the craft guild took over. They opened the cabin to sell art made by their members. They were open on Saturdays and holidays during the summer. In 1998, the city officially named it a Heritage Building. It was added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2004. The Register describes it as "an attractive, well-kept, nicely weathered building." It has been a part of Yellowknife life since the 1930s. Today, it's a familiar landmark and a symbol of Yellowknife's early days.
In 2009, during some park landscaping, the cabin was moved slightly to its exact current spot. It was placed on a new concrete foundation. In 2013, the guild started opening the store on Tuesday nights. This was to attract people visiting the city's nearby farmer's market. Sales went up so much that the guild decided to stay open on Tuesdays through the end of September.
Images for kids
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North side
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Rear
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South side
