'Yellowknife' (
IPA: /
jɛl.oʊ.naɪf/) (
2006 population 18,700
[1] ) is the capital of
Canada's
Northwest Territories. It is located on the north shore of
Great Slave Lake, approximately 400 km. (250 miles) south of the
Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the
Yellowknife River. Yellowknife and its surrounding waterbodies were named after the local
Yellowknives Dene First Nation, who made tools from regional
copper deposits. The current population is ethnically mixed. Of the eleven official languages of the Northwest Territories, five are spoken in significant numbers in Yellowknife:
Dene Suline,
Dogrib,
South and North Slavey,
English, and
French.
In the
Dogrib language, the city is known as ''Somba K'e'' ("where the money is").
[2]
History
Traditionally,
First Nations people had occupied this region; by the 1800s they had a settlement on a point of land on the east side of Yellowknife Bay, a community now known as
Dettah. The current municipal area of Yellowknife was occupied by prospectors who ventured into the region in the mid-1930s.
Gold was first reported in the area of Yellowknife Bay in the late 19th century when a
Klondike-bound prospector named E. A. Blakeney found some gold samples. The discovery was viewed as unimportant in those days because of the
Klondike Gold Rush and because Great Slave Lake was too far away to attract attention.
[3]
In the late 1920s, aircraft were being used to explore Canada's
arctic regions. Samples of
radium and
silver were uncovered at
Great Bear Lake in the early 1930s, and prospectors began fanning out to find additional metals. In 1933 two prospectors, Herb Dixon and Johnny Baker, canoed down the
Yellowknife River from Great Bear Lake to survey for possible mineral deposits. In that season they found gold samples at Quyta Lake, about 30 km (19 mi) up the Yellowknife River, and some additional samples at Homer Lake.
The following year, Johnny Baker returned as part of a larger crew to develop the previous gold finds and search for more. Gold was found on the east side of Yellowknife Bay in 1934 and the short-lived
Burwash Mine was developed. When government geologists uncovered gold in more favourable geology on the west side of Yellowknife Bay in the fall of 1935, a small staking rush occurred. The
Con Mine was the most impressive gold deposit and its development created the excitement that led to the first settlement of Yellowknife in 1936-1937. The Con Mine entered production on
September 5,
1938.
The population of Yellowknife grew quickly to 1,000 by 1940, and by 1942, five gold mines were in production in the Yellowknife region. By 1944 gold production had ceased as workers were needed in
the war effort.
By 1944, an exploration program at the
Giant Mine property on the north end of town had suggested a sizable gold deposit. This new find resulted in a massive post-war staking rush to Yellowknife. It also resulted in new discoveries at the Con Mine, greatly extending the life of the mine. The Yellowknife townsite expanded from the Old Town waterfront, and the new townsite was established during 1945-1946.
From 1950 to 1969, the
Discovery Mine, with its own townsite, operated 81 km (50 mi) to the north-northeast.
Between 1939 and 1953, Yellowknife was controlled by the Northern Affairs department of the
Government of Canada. A small council, partially elected and partially appointed, made decisions. By 1953, Yellowknife had grown so much that it was made a municipality, with its own council and town hall. The first mayor of Yellowknife was
"Jock" McNiven.
In September 1967, Yellowknife officially became the capital of the Northwest Territories. This important new status provided what has been coined as the third boom in Yellowknife, as housing went up in new subdivisions of town to accommodate an influx of government workers.
In 1978 The Soviet Nuclear powered satellite
Cosmos 954 crashed to earth near Yellowknife. There were no known casualties although a small quantity of radioactive nuclear fuel was released into the environment and
Operation Morning Light -an attempt to retrieve it- was only partially successful.
In 1991 a new mining rush and fourth building boom for Yellowknife began with the discovery of
diamonds 300 km (190 mi) north of the city.
The last of the gold mines closed in Yellowknife in 2004. Today Yellowknife is primarily a government town and a service centre for the diamond mines. On
April 1,
1999, its purview as capital of the NWT was reduced when the territory of
Nunavut was split off from the NWT. As a result, jurisdiction for that region of Canada was transferred to the new capital city of
Iqaluit. Consequently, Yellowknife lost its standing as the Canadian capital city with the lowest population.
Law and Government
Yellowknife has a
municipal government system consisting of an elected
Mayor and eight
Councillors. The Government of the Northwest Territories delegates powers to the municipality through legislative acts and regulations. Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall on the second and fourth Monday of each month, and are open to the public. Municipal elections are held every three years.
[4] The current mayor of Yellowknife is
Gordon van Tighem.
Yellowknife is represented in the territorial government by 7 of the 19 Members of the
Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories (MLAs). These MLAs are elected every four years and sit in the
Northwest Territories Legislative Building, located in Yellowknife. The MLAs elect the Speaker of the House as well as six
Cabinet Ministers and the
Premier, which comprises the
Cabinet. In addition, a
Commissioner is appointed by the Federal Government to fulfill a similar role to that of the
Lieutenant Governor. The Northwest Territories is one of only two federal, provincial or territorial jurisdictions in Canada that operates under a
consensus system of government.
The Northwest Territories is in the federal electoral riding of the
Western Arctic and has one
Member of Parliament and one
Senator, currently
Dennis Bevington and
Nick Sibbeston, respectively.
Electoral districts in Yellowknife
Yellowknife is home to seven of the 19 electoral districts in the Northwest Territories, the
Frame Lake,
Great Slave,
Kam Lake,
Range Lake,
Weledeh,
Yellowknife Centre and
Yellowknife South ridings.
Economy
Yellowknife's economy is rooted around the fact that it is the territorial centre for mining, industry, transportation, communications, education, health, tourism, commerce and government. Historically, Yellowknife's economic growth was centred around gold mining and government. However, due to the split of the Northwest Territories in 1999, and falling gold prices, the government workforce was downsized, and the final gold mine closed in 2004.
In recent years, Yellowknife's economy has recovered, largely because of the diamond boom. The
Ekati Diamond Mine opened in 1998. A second mine,
Diavik Diamond Mine, began production in 2003. Production from the two operating mines in 2004 was 12,618,000 carats (2,523kg) valued at over
C$2.1 billion. This ranked Canada third in world diamond production by value, and sixth by weight. A third mine,
De Beers'
Snap Lake Diamond Mine Project, received final approval and funding in 2005, with plans for production in 2007. De Beers also applied in 2005 for a permit to open the
Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine Project on the property formerly known as Kennedy Lake. Upon receipt of approval, construction is expected to start in 2010 and the mine will reach full production by 2012. As well, growth and expansion in natural gas development and exploration sectors has contributed to this growth. Economic growth in the Northwest Territories was 10.6% in 2003.
[5]
The major employers in Yellowknife include: the Government of the Northwest Territories, the
Government of Canada,
Diavik Diamond Mines Incorporated,
BHP Billiton,
First Air,
NorthwesTel, RTL Robinson Trucking, and the City of Yellowknife. Government employment accounts for 7,644 jobs, a large percentage of those in Yellowknife.
[6]
Aurora tourism is big in the NWT
Tourism is the largest sector of renewable-based industries in the NWT, and the majority of visitors to the territory touch down in Yellowknife. Many of these tourists are
Japanese, and come to experience the Northern climate and traditional lifestyle, as well as to see the
Northern Lights. In 2004-05, visitors to the territory spent C$100.5 million.
The City of Yellowknife raises 50% of its operating revenue through
property taxation. Yellowknife School Districts also raise a portion of their operating revenue through property taxation. Property taxes in Yellowknife are calculated through property assessment and the municipal and education mill rates. Mill rates in 2005 were 13.84 (residential) and 19.87 (commercial).
Regional Mines
Yellowknife was originally established as a supply center for numerous gold mines operating in the region in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The following is a list of the major mines, all of which are now closed. There were also tungsten, tantalum, and uranium mines in the vicinity.
Demographics
As of the 2005 city survey, there were 19,429 people and 5,795
households in the city.
[7] The population density was 142.86 people/km² (369.85 people/sq. mi). The racial makeup of the city was 77.6% Non-aboriginal and 22.3%
Aboriginal.
In Yellowknife, the population is slightly disproportionate; as of the 2005 survey, 15.2% of residents were 9 or under, 7.8% were from 10 to 14 years old, 16.1% were from 15 to 24, 36.3% were from 25 to 44, 19.5% were from 45 to 59, and 5.1% were 60 or older. From 1996 to 2005, the average annual
growth rate was 0.7% for the total population; broken down by age, it was -0.4% for < 15 years, and 7.1% for 60 years and older.
In 2003, two-person households in Yellowknife were the most common household size at 28.8%. Overall, almost half of all households had only one or two occupants. The average
income in the city was C$52,061, and the average income for a family was C$111,665.
Minimum wage is C$8.25 in Yellowknife, the second highest in Canada.
[8] Average household expenditures were C$90,139.
In 2004,
unemployment rates were at 5.0%, an all-time low; the employment rate for males was 83.8%, for females it was 75.5%.
The
crime rate in Yellowknife is 42.9 (per 1,000 persons) for
violent crimes, and 50.3 (per 1,000 persons) for property crimes. There were 265 births and 60 deaths in 2004.
Climate and Physical Geography
Yellowknife has a
semi-arid subarctic climate and averages less than 300 millimetres (12
in) of precipitation annually, as the city lies in the
rain shadow of mountain ranges to the west. Thanks to its location on Great Slave Lake, Yellowknife has a frost-free
growing season that averages slightly over 100 days. Most of the limited precipitation falls between June and October, with April being the driest month of the year. Snow that falls in winter accumulates on the ground until the spring thaw.
Yellowknife is located on the
Canadian Shield, which was scoured down to rock during the last ice age. The surrounding landscape is very rocky and slightly rolling, with many small lakes in addition to the larger Great Slave Lake. Trees such as pine and birch are abundant in the area, as are smaller bushes, but there are also many areas of relatively bare rock with lichen.
Culture
Yellowknife, like other frontier mining towns, has a colourful culture and society.
Events
Folk on the Rocks, a local music festival that has been an annual occurrence since 1980, and the
Midnight Sun Golf Tournament, with games played through the well-lit summer nights in Yellowknife, are significant cultural events in Yellowknife. In previous years, there was a annual summer festival known as
Raven Mad Daze, a street festival celebrated as part of the Solstice Festival. The festival was not celebrated in 2007 because an organizer was not found for the event
[NFVA Event Details. The Northern Frontier Visitors Association (2006). Retrieved on June 20, 2007.]. During the winter, there is the
Snowking Winter Festival, featuring a snow castle on Great Slave Lake, and
Caribou Carnival, which is held every March on Frame Lake and has
ice sculpting competitions,
dogsled races, and a
fireworks display. In 2008, Yellowknife will be hosting the
Arctic Winter Games.
[9]
Places
Some of the more notable places to visit in Yellowknife include the
Wildcat Cafe, which first opened in 1937; it still operates in the same building during the summer, as the building was saved from demolition in the late 1950s when a small group of Yellowknifers fought to have it protected. It was renovated in the mid 1970s and reopened as a functional restaurant in 1979. Other attractions include the
Gold Range Bar, and the
Northern Arts and Cultural Centre, which is located in Sir John Franklin High School and is the city's largest indoor stage for theatre and musical presentations. As well, there is also the
Ingraham Trail, local fishing lodges, aviation culture, and Old Town architecture, which all represent the city's heritage, and how it has grown over the years.
Ice Road Truckers, a
History Channel series, is based on and takes place around Yellowknife.
Media
The ''
Yellowknifer'', published by Northern News Services Ltd., is the major newspaper serving Yellowknife, published twice weekly on Wednesday and Friday. Northern News Services also publishes ''
News/North'' every Monday, which serves the entire NWT. As well, there is ''
L'Aquilon'', a French-language newspaper published weekly.
The major radio stations based in Yellowknife are:
CFYK 1340, which broadcasts the programming of the
CBC Radio One network; VF2146 95.3, which broadcasts the programming of the
CBC Radio 2 network;
CJCD 100.1, which plays largely
adult contemporary music;
CKLB 101.9, a
community radio station; and
CIVR 103.5, the
French community radio station.
The major locally broadcast television stations include:
CFYK channel 8, which broadcasts the
northern feed of CBC Television; CHTY channel 11, is the
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network;
CH4127 channel 13, is the French feed of CBC,
Télévision de Radio-Canada.
Two magazines are based out of Yellowknife: ''
Above & Beyond - Canada's Arctic Journal'' and ''
Up Here Magazine'', both offering northern-related news and lifestyle articles.
Notable people
Notable people who are from Yellowknife include:
Bill Braden ,
Joe Handley,
Margot Kidder,
Shane Koyczan,
Tobias Mehler,
Dustin Milligan,
David Searle,
Michel Sikyea,
John Sissons,
Lynda Sorenson, and
Tony Whitford.
See also
★
History of Northwest Territories capital cities
★
Yellowknife Airport
★
Yellowknife Water Aerodrome
★
Yellowknife (Regional Hospital) Heliport
References
1. 2006 Census
2. Yellowknife Visitors Guide
3. Price, Ray. ''Yellowknife'', Peter Martin Associates, Toronto, 1967. Page 22.
4. Yellowknife Community Profile 2006
5. 2006 NWT Socio-Economic Scan
6. Public Sector Employment
7. Yellowknife Statistical Profile
8. Income Statistics
9. Arctic Winter Games 2008. Retrieved on August 5, 2007.
External links
★
Yellowknife live web-cam
★
Northern News Services Ltd.
★
Yellowknife Education District No. 1
★
Yellowknife Catholic School District
★
Entry about Yellowknife Airport on the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association's ''Places to Fly'' Airport Directory
★
Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife profile
★
Prince of Wales Northen Heritage Centre - Official Names
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