To paraphrase an episode of Seinfeld, ‘no hotel for you’.
With the aurora season here, most, if not all, hotel, motel, b&b, and airb&b rooms in the city are booked. This has left people without a place to stay when visiting the city, with some left having to sleep in their car.
Hotel Manager for Coast Fraser Tower, Jenni Bruce, says it’s hard to hear, even if business is booming.
“I think for me, personally, it’s the stories of people having to stay in their cars and stuff that make it hard,” says Bruce. “You work in the hospitality business, you want to help people in any way you can.”
It’s a common occurrence this time of year. Hotels across the City of Yellowknife have tried to prepare for these types of situations by adding expansions to their businesses. Bruce says that hotels will continue to make additions.
“I know the past few years, hotels have expanded to take into account these people who have nowhere to stay. They’re staying in tents and cars so we’re trying to help as best as we can. They’ll be more expansions in the future.”
Bruce says the aurora season boom will drop off in early October, though it will return again sometime in late November; a time where the conditions are far harsher.
