Information about Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Downtown Yellowknife Downtown Yellowknife
Flag Seal
Motto: Multum In Parvo (Much In Little)
Coordinates:
Country	Canada
Territory	Northwest Territories
Region	North Slave Region
Established	1936/1937
Government
- City Mayor	Gordon Van Tighem
- Governing Body	Yellowknife City Council
- MPs	List of MPs Dennis Bevington
- MLAs	List of MLAs Wendy Bisaro Glen Abernethy Dave Ramsay Sandy Lee Robert Hawkins Bob Bromley Bob McLeod
Area
- City	136 km  (84.5 sq mi)
Elevation	206 m (675 ft)
Population (2006)[]
- City	18,700
- Density	157.2/km (407.1/sq mi)
- 2005 city est.	19,429
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Postal Code	X1A
Website: City of Yellowknife

Yellowknife (IPA: /jɛl.oʊ.naɪf/) (2006 population 18,700 ^[0] ) 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]



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.^[4]

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).^[4]

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.

Mine	Years of Operation	Minerals Mined
Con Mine (includes Rycon)	1938-2003	gold
Giant Mine	1948-2004	gold
Ptarmigan and Tom Mine	1941-1942, 1985-1997	gold
Negus Mine	1939-1952	gold
Burwash Mine	1935	gold
Thompson-Lundmark Mine	1941-1943, 1947-1949	gold
Discovery Mine	1950-1969	gold
Camlaren Mine	1962-1963, 1980-1981	gold
Beaulieu Mine	1947-1948	gold
Outpost Island Mine	1941-1942, 1951-1952	gold, copper, tungsten
Ruth Mine	1942, 1959	gold
Rayrock Mine	1957-1959	uranium

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.^[7]

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.^[4] 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%.^[7]

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.

Weather averages for Yellowknife
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high C
Average low C
Precipitation mm
Average high F
Average low F
Precipitation inch
Source: Environment Canada[9] Jan 2007

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 an 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^[10]. 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.^[11]

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 were born in or associated with Yellowknife include: Bill Braden, Joe Handley, Margot Kidder, Shane Koyczan, Tobias Mehler, Dustin Milligan, David Searle, Michel Sikyea, John Sissons, Lynda Sorenson, Max Ward and Tony Whitford.

See also

• History of Northwest Territories capital cities
• Yellowknife Airport
• Yellowknife Water Aerodrome
• Yellowknife (Regional Hospital) Heliport

References

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

•  • [ e] Subdivisions of Northwest Territories
Census divisions	Fort Smith Inuvik
Regions	Dehcho Inuvik North Slave Sahtu South Slave
Communities	Behchoko Inuvik Fort Simpson Fort Smith Hay River Norman Wells Yellowknife
Parks	Aulavik Nahanni Pingo Tuktut Nogait Wood Buffalo

•  • [ e] Provincial and territorial capitals of Canada
Victoria, BC  Edmonton, AB  Regina, SK  Winnipeg, MB  Toronto, ON  Quebec City, QC  Fredericton, NB  Halifax, NS  Charlottetown, PE  St. John's, NL  Whitehorse, YT  Yellowknife, NT  Iqaluit, NU

Coordinates: