Text 23986, 48 rader
Skriven 2007-12-10 23:20:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: A lament
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My fish lady died! The one who's husband owned a commercial trawler
and who sold fillets on a bed of ice from her pickup truck, against
all the city bylaws and food regulations. Cause of death as yet
unknown; she collapsed at work. She will be sorely missed by
Yellowknifers. She was one of the most cheerful, happiest people
I've ever met and an artist with a filleting knife. Also a major
tourist attraction.

She came to town 29 years ago, a 17 year old stoney broke hippie and
took a job at the fish plant as it paid well, needed no special
skills and they were always shorthanded. Within a week or two she
hooked up with a fisherman 27 years older than her and despite their
age and cultural differences built a lasting relationship. She
learned the Slavey language and became an integral part of the
Akaitcho community. They lived in an apartment built right on the
same floating barge where his fish processing plant is. She was 46
and he is 73 but still active fishing in all kinds of weather. They
have a 20 year old daughter in university, studying nursing.

A story.... she was parked in front of KFC right beside my office
one summer day selling a mix of trout, pike, walleye and ling cod.
An elderly Dogrib lady who didn't speak Slavey or English was trying
to buy a large $2 lake trout head for $1, gibbering away and waving
a loony. So Nancy eventually accepted it. The next guy in line, an
obviously well to do tourist was calling his hotel on his cell to
see if the chef would cook a fish if he bought one. He chose a small
lake trout fillet for himself and asked how much. He was told $6. He
thought that was a great deal. I smiled as I knew the going rate was
$5. But somebody had to subsidize that old lady's purchase. Sure
enough, I was next, asked for two fillets and was charged the normal
$10. Practical socialism in action!

Another.... He can't read or write but invented a pneumatic jig that
inches along under the ice and can move a net from one hole in the ice
to another hundreds of feet away, so he can string out large nets
all winter when the boat is out of action. It is not patented but
freely shared and widely copied throughout the north.



Cheers

YK Jim


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