Yellowknife's iconic Robertson headframe lives on as a Christmas ornament - Action News
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Yellowknife's iconic Robertson headframe lives on as a Christmas ornament

Two months ago, hundreds watched Yellowknife's iconic Robertson headframe come down. Now, 12-year-old Katie Genge is making headframe Christmas ornaments, a keepsake, she says, for anyone who wants to remember it.

'Every year, we can remember it and when it came down,' says 12-year-old Katie Genge

Yellowknife's Katie Genge, 12, says she's made about 150 of these small, wooden ornaments, hand-painted by herself, representing the Robertson headframe, which was demolished two months ago. (Alyssa Mosher/CBC)

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 bendslow 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, theRobertson headframe.

Two months ago, the headframewas toppledas part of the remediation plan for the old Con Mine site. Hundreds gathered around the site's perimeterto watch and hundreds more watched at home on their computer screens.

At about 5 p.m. MT on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, the Robertson headframe at the old Con Mine site was blasted to the ground. (courtesy of Marino Casebeer)

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 landduring its 39 years onYellowknife's skyline.

Katie's ornamentsare about 10 cm long and about 4 cm wide, each one cut by her dad, MelvinGenge, from recycled wood and then hand-painted by Katie.

Twelve-year-old Katie Genge says she loves to paint, so making ornaments for the community has been fun. (submitted by Jennifer Genge)

"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, JenniferGenge, Katie's mother who's pitched the ornaments on buy-and-sellFacebookpages says Katie has sold more than150 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.