Built in 1946 on the waterfront of Old Town, this Yellowknife Heritage Site was the city’s first permanent floatplane base. Many aviation pioneers once worked out of this building, including Stan McMillan and Max Ward. 

The walls saw many small northern airline companies be born, merge or go belly up over the years. It was here that supplies and people would be brought into the North, before heading out further still to exploration camps or smaller remote communities. 

The large hall was also used for social gatherings such as the Fireman’s Ball, hockey banquets and New Year’s Eve parties. For a time in the ’90s it even served as a micro-brewery, and then a private residence. 

The float base’s continued presence illustrates how closely aviation is tied to the history of Yellowknife, standing silently as it does on the waterfront, a testament to the journeys of the past.