Yellowknife

The city of Yellowknife is the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories, and is located on the northern shore of the Great Slave Lake, about 512 kilometers (250 miles) south of the Arctic Circle. The city's name is derived from the yellow, copper knives used by the local Chipewyan tribe.

Yellowknife's major industries include government services, tourism, and mining. Gold mining has been important since the community's founding in the 1930s, but the later expansion of the diamond industry gave the city its reputation as the "Diamond Capital of North America." The relatively young city became the territorial capital in 1967.

Landscape

Yellowknife is located on the north shore of the Great Slave Lake, around 402 kilometers (250 miles) south of the Arctic Circle. The lake was named for the Slavey tribe, part of the Athabaskan language group. During the winter, the lake freezes over and forms part of a trucking route. The city measures approximately 105 square kilometers (about 40 square miles).

The city lies on the edge of the Canadian Shield near the tundra, where very little vegetation grows. The territory's largest community, Yellowknife is surrounded by many smaller population centers and villages which can be reached only by airplane. Because of Yellowknife's proximity to the Arctic, and the lack of "big-city" lights, one can enjoy sky-watching with ease. Some of the most popular attractions are the aurora borealis, or "northern lights," and the "midnight sun," the brief summer period when the sun never falls below the horizon.

People

At the official 2016 census Yellowknife had an estimated population of around 19,569 people—many of them belonging to the First Nations. The city accounts for more than 45 percent of the total population of the Northwest Territories.

The city's population is about 15 percent aboriginal, belonging to several native peoples, mostly Dene and Inuit. The Dene is a group of tribes speaking Athabaskan languages. They include the Chipewyan, Dogrib, South Slavey, and North Slavey peoples, whose languages have official status in the Northwest Territories, along with English and French.

This native heritage is reflected in the city's name. The English name, "Yellowknife," refers to the copper knives used by the Chipewyan people. The Dogrib tribe, the first inhabitants, named the city Somba K'e, or "money place."

There are numerous festivals and events held in Yellowknife. The annual Caribou Carnival, held each year on the last weekend of March, celebrates the end of winter. The Canadian Championship Dog Derby, run since 1955, features dogsled racing on the Great Slave Lake. The Arctic Winter Games took place in Yellowknife in 1998 and 2008, bringing several million dollars into the territory's economy both years.

Other annual events include the Midnight Sun Golf Tournament, the Snowking Winter Festival, and Mining Week, in honor of the city's mining heritage.

Official holidays include Aboriginal Day (June 21), in honor of the territories' aboriginal peoples, and Canada Day (July 1), the national holiday.

Economy

Yellowknife's economy is relatively strong in the early twenty-first century, thanks to the growth of tourism, government services, and particularly mining. The most important minerals are diamonds, petroleum, and natural gas. Founded as a gold-mining camp, Yellowknife was home to the historic Con Mine (1938–2003) and Giant Mine (1948–2004), both operated by the Miramar Mining Corporation. The gold sector declined in the 1990s due to the working out of existing mines and the city's last gold mine closed by 2004.

The city is now known as the "Diamond Capital of North America," and the mines in the Northwest Territories produce over 10 percent of the world's total diamond production (by value). Diamonds are responsible for most of the territories' current mineral wealth. There are four diamond mines: Ekati (opened 1998), Diavik (opened 2003), the Snap Lake Project (opened 2008), and the Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine Project (opened in 2016).

Yellowknife is the largest community in the Northwest Territories, with almost 45 percent of the territorial population, and almost half of all retail businesses. Yellowknife has the territories' lowest unemployment rate, and the best-educated labor force.

The 2008 Arctic Winter Games took place in Yellowknife, bringing around $13.2 million into the territory's economy.

Mass media includes several newspapers, including the daily Yellowknifer, published by the Northern News Services Company, and the weekly L'Aquilon (in French). Broadcast media are provided by the CBC North radio service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Landmarks

Yellowknife's residents and visitors are surrounded by landmarks that recall the city's mining heritage as well as its natural beauty. Approximately 65 kilometers (43 miles) east of Yellowknife, the Ingraham Trail offers opportunities for hiking, biking, boating, canoeing, and camping. One can also enjoy the aurora borealis (northern lights), stunning electromagnetic disruptions in the atmosphere which draws thousands of visitors to the area each year.

For those who want to search out Yellowknife's mining history, there is the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre, featuring the Miner's Monument. This memorial was established to honor the miners killed in 1992 during the Giant Mine Strike.

History

Prior to European contact in the seventeenth century, the north shore of the Great Slave Lake was home to various aboriginal tribes, particularly the Chipewyan. "Yellowknife" was the name given to a local band of Chipewyan which used copper knives.

Samuel Hearne, a British explorer who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company, explored the region in the early 1770s. The Franklin Expedition of 1819–22 also passed through the region. Other than traders and explorers, there was limited European presence in the region until the later nineteenth century, when the Dominion of Canada began making treaties with the various tribes.

Non-aboriginal inhabitants arrived in force in the 1930s, with the discovery of gold near the Great Slave Lake. The community of Yellowknife was established in 1937, three years after gold was found there. The Con Mine and the Giant Mine were among the largest discoveries. The city was actually established over many mining tunnels, leading to the expression that Yellowknife was a city where the "gold was paved with streets."

Despite the influx of population, the mining camp grew slowly into a town of log cabins and pioneer tents. Such slow growth was caused in part by the demands of World War II, which put many civilian workers into the military. After the war, Yellowknife began growing again, though the population remained small by southern Canadian standards.

Yellowknife's growing economic importance in the post-war era led to its being named territorial capital in 1967. The economy fluctuated during the 1970s and 1980s, due to changing gold prices. Gold mining declined seriously in the 1990s, due to the depletion of the area's historic mines. The economic problems caused social crises as well, with fierce fights between mine labor and management. The crises came to a head during the 1992 Giant Mine Strike, during which nine workers were killed. The Con Mine closed in 2003, and the Giant Mine closed in 2004.

The discovery of diamonds in the 1990s revitalized Yellowknife, giving it one of the highest rates of economic growth in all of Canada. The city also gained new political importance thanks to the devolution of certain administrative powers from the Canadian federal government, including responsibility over natural resources.

Trivia

• Yellowknife is the namesake city of the Canadian Navy's coastal defense vessel HMCS YELLOWKNIFE, which was commissioned in 1997 for service in the Pacific Fleet.
• In 1998, the city hosted the biennial Arctic Winter Games, attended by over 2,000 athletes, cultural performers, and other participants. Yellowknife hosted the event again in 2008.
• The city's motto is "Multum in parvo," Latin for "Many things in a small place."

Bibliography

"Aurora Viewing Yellowknife, Northwest Territories." Windspeaker, vol. 30, 2012, p. 11. Print.

"Yellowknife." The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 22 June 2021, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/yellowknife-nwt. Accessed 9 Nov. 2021.

City of Yellowknife, 2021, www.yellowknife.ca/en/index.asp#. Accessed 9 Nov. 2021.

Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Education, Culture and Employment, 2018, www.pwnhc.ca/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2021.

Extraordinary Yellowknife, Northern Frontier Visitors Association, 2018, extraordinaryyk.com/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2021.

Williams, Ronald Franklin. "The Seven Identities of Yellowknife." Landscapes/Paysages, vol. 13, no. 3, 2011, pp. 64–66.

"Yellowknife." Census Profile, 2016 Census, Statistics Canada, 24 Apr. 2018, www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm. Accessed 9 Nov. 2021.