Courtesy E. Hawkins/GNWT
Fireweed Studio: City of Yellowknife Heritage Site
Statement of Significance
The Fireweed Studio is a City of Yellowknife Heritage Site. It is a single story log frame building. The quaint little log structure was relocated from Giant Mine in 1973 to 5210-49th Avenue in downtown Yellowknife to serve as the City’s first tourist centre. The building reflects the style of many old mining camps throughout the NWT.
Heritage Value
This building is a fine example of early log construction in Yellowknife, constructed in the early 1930s on Giant Mine property. It originally served as a powder magazine shed (1938-1973), before being relocated to Yellowknife to serve as a tourist information centre (1978-1992). It currently serves as an artist’s studio and retail outlet. An attractive, well-kept, nicely weathered building, it has been a continuous part of life in Yellowknife since the 1930s. Today, in its location on City Hall grounds, it is a familiar landmark and symbol of Yellowknife’s early years.
Character-Defining Elements
The heritage character of the Fireweed Studio is defined by:
- the well-aged and weathered patina of the building’s exterior materials, in particular its wood
- the mass, form and general disposition of the building
- the saddle joint log construction of the exterior walls
- the elements, configuration, layout and textures of the early structure, including but not limited to its one-room layout and simple wood door and frame
Sources
City of Yellowknife By-Law 3925
Yellowknife Historical Building Inventory 2013, City of Yellowknife
