Yellowknife

Yellowknife, Canada

Wooden cabins and boat docks in Old Town Yellowknife reflected on Great Slave Lake during golden hour.

Go for the far-north feel of a small city on a big lake, with real winter darkness, bush-pilot history and a summer that barely gets dark.

The place

Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories and the only city the territory has. It sits on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, on the western side of Yellowknife Bay, where the Yellowknife River runs out into the water. With about 20,000 people, it is the biggest community in the territory by a wide margin, yet it still feels like a town where everyone knows a pilot or a prospector. The city lies south of the Arctic Circle, which means the seasons swing hard. Midwinter days are short and the sun stays low, while in midsummer the sky hardly darkens at night. The ground rises gently to about 190 metres above sea level, and the town spreads over rock outcrops, lakeside cabins and newer streets built a little further inland. Old Town, on the water, is the place most visitors head for first. It has a handful of historic buildings, a marina and wooden houses that look out over the bay. The newer part of the city, with its shops and offices, lies a short drive away. Most things you will want are within walking distance of the centre, although a car makes the lake shore and outlying lookouts much easier to reach. Expect a city that feels calm, practical and quite proud of its northern identity.

Its story

Long before the first houses went up, the land around Yellowknife belonged to the Yellowknives Dene. Their people fished, travelled and traded here for generations, and the community of Dettah, on a point across the bay, was the first formal settlement in the area. Its name means Burnt Point, a reference to a fishing camp the Dene used for centuries. The modern city grew out of a later wave of arrivals. Prospectors were drawn north in the years after the Klondike Gold Rush, and the first real gold find in Yellowknife Bay came in 1898 from a man named E.A. Blakeney, who was on his way to the Klondike. At the time the find seemed minor, partly because the Klondike was drawing every eye and partly because Great Slave Lake was a long way from anywhere useful. Interest picked up in the 1930s. Aircraft were beginning to map Canada's north, and samples of uranium and silver turned up around Great Bear Lake. In 1933 two prospectors, Herb Dixon and Johnny Baker, paddled down the Yellowknife River from Great Bear Lake to look for minerals. Their route helped make the area better known. Settlement followed soon after, and the town is generally dated to 1934, although the waterfront business district only began to take shape from 1936. The gold rush years gave the city its character, and when the territory's capital moved here in 1967, Yellowknife became the seat of government as well as a mining and service centre.

What to see

Culture

Yellowknife is a small city with a strong Indigenous presence, and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation remains part of its life. Its people live in the city and in the nearby communities of Ndilǫ and Dettah, and the territory recognises several official languages. In the Dogrib language the city is called Sǫǫ̀mbak’è, a name that many residents still use. Community life is outdoorsy and sociable. Folk on the Rocks, a music festival that has run every year since 1980, brings a wide mix of acts to town and is a good way to meet people. The Midnight Sun Golf Tournament is played through the city's bright summer nights, a reminder of how little darkness there is in June. In winter the Snowking Winter Festival builds a snow castle on the frozen lake, with a month of cultural events around it. Visitors are usually welcomed warmly, and the easiest way to show respect is to treat people's homes and workplaces as you would anywhere else. Ask before photographing people at cultural events or in small communities, and treat any Dene or Inuit gathering as a private family occasion rather than a show.

What to wear

Yellowknife's traditional dress comes from the Dene and other northern Indigenous peoples, whose clothing was built around the cold. Garments were traditionally made from moose and caribou hide, often smoked or softened, and decorated with beadwork, quillwork and fur trim. Beadwork in floral and geometric patterns, sewn onto moccasins, mittens, jackets and bags, is still made and worn for ceremonies and special occasions. Hide is the material to look for in the craft shops and galleries, though genuine work is usually priced accordingly. Day to day, people in Yellowknife dress for the weather rather than for fashion. Winter means insulated parkas, layered fleece, warm hats, heavy gloves and boots with good grip, since the ice on the lake and the paths is treacherous. Summer is cooler than many visitors expect, and a light waterproof and a fleece cover most evenings. For a visitor, the sensible approach is a warm, windproof outer layer, base layers that wick sweat, waterproof boots with grip for winter and sturdy walking shoes for summer. Dress modestly for church services and cultural events, and ask before entering any ceremonial space. For aurora viewing, bring more layers than you think you need, as standing still in the cold is far harder than walking.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. February and March suit most visitors: the nights are long and dark enough for aurora viewing, and the snow and lake ice make winter activities possible. Late winter also brings steadily longer days. June to August gives the midnight sun, with light through the night and the long-evening golf and festivals, although it can be mosquito-heavy in the wilds. Autumn is quiet and cold, with a chance of early snow.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Yellowknife Airport is the main way in, with scheduled flights from southern Canadian hubs and seasonal services in some months. The nearest passenger rail is in Edmonton, Alberta, a long way south, and no railway reaches Yellowknife. Driving is possible via the Mackenzie Highway from Alberta, but the roads are long and remote, and the final stretch is the Yellowknife Highway. Check the airport's and airlines' official sites for current schedules.

Budget. high

Tips

Etiquette

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