Northwest Territories map with roads, cities, towns

Northwest Territories

The Slavey Dene First Nation call the area around Great Slave  Lake and the Mackenzie River Deh Cho, or "Big River," and "big" is the  only way to describe the Northwest Territories. After the establishment  of Nunavut in 1999, the Territories shrank in size, yet this "Land of  the Midnight Sun" (the sun shines for 20 hours a day in summer) still  covers a staggering 1.17 million square kilometers of pristine arctic  wilderness. Seasoned canoeists and river rafters will relish the  challenge of Nahanni National Park Reserve, with its dramatic canyons  and turbulent rivers. Prospectors are once again putting down stakes  here, now the diamond capital of North America. Attractions and  accommodations outside of Yellowknife can be decidedly spartan, but the  locals are warm and welcoming. One Inuktitut word for "tourism" means  "taking tea with a visitor," and having tea and bannock with a trapper, a  carver, or a moose hair tufter may be the best way to experience  Canada's North.

Fort Providence [D5]

Once a busy Roman Catholic Mission during the 1850s, Fort  Providence is now known for its unique crafts, such as moose hair  tufting and porcupine quill embroidery. The Snowshoe Inn arts and crafts  shop is a must-see stop. You may also spot some wood bison-right in  town.

Fort Simpson [C3]

Situated at the confluence of the Liard and Mackenzie rivers,  this old fur-trading post is known as "The Garden of the Mackenzie," a  title that has roots both in the farming done long ago by the Roman  Catholic Mission to supply their hospital, school, and mission, and more  recently in the federal government's experimental farm to develop  suitable northern varieties of vegetables, crops, and flowers. Locals  still pride themselves on their gardens. From town, visitors can charter  floatplanes to fly into Nahanni National Park Reserve.

Hay River [D6] Like many northern communities, this busy town  began as a Hudson's Bay Company outpost. Its location at the end of  Great Slave Lake made Hay River an important transportation and  communications hub. (Hay River's daily newspaper is called The Hub.)  Unusual attractions include Diamond Jenness, a purple school whose color  was selected by the students, and Perron's Funny Farm, one of the few  livestock producers in the north, and the Hay River Dene Reserve, worth  visiting to see its colorful church, fish-drying racks and the Dene  Cultural Kayaks on the Slave River Centre. The latter offers a history  of the Slavey Dene First Nation.

Yellowknife [B7] On the shores of Great Slave Lake,  Yellowknife is the gateway to the Arctic. The capital of the Territories  began life in the 1930s as a cluster of tents and shacks after the  discovery of gold. While gold has lost much of its luster here, a new  mining boom has hit town-diamonds were discovered in 1991. Yellowknife  is a fascinating mix of old and new-elegant skyscrapers and  architecturally innovative houses provide a contrast to prospectors'  shacks and Quonset huts. The Ndilo Cultural Village offers an  eye-opening view of traditional Dene activities such as tanning hides,  while a stroll through Old Town offers a chance to see floatplanes  taking off to fishing lakes and diamond mines.

The unique Frame Lake Trail downtown meanders through  subarctic trees and crosses some of the oldest rocks in the world,  passing by fancy new buildings such as the Legislative Assembly, the  Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (a repository of Inuit, Dene,  and Metis artifacts), and the iceberglike Explorer Hotel.

CITY GUIDE

YELLOWKNIFE ATTRACTIONS

Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre Northern Arts and Cultural Centre Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly

Building Visitor Information Centre Explorer Hotel Bush  Pilot's Monument Ndilo Cultural Village Old Town Tours Frame Lake Trail  Ingraham Lake Trail Niven Lake Trail Prelude Lake Wildlife Trail Wildcat  Cafe

AIRPORT INFORMATION

(867) 873-2840

RADIO STATIONS

CJCD 1240 AM CBC North Radio Two 95.3 FM

ROAD CONDITIONS

1-800-661-0751 (Hwy 1 and 7) 1-800-661-0752 (Hwy 8)

TOURISM OFFICE

Visitor Information Centre, #2, 4807 49th St. (867) 873-3131 or 1-877-881-4262

TOURISM WEB SITE

http :// city. yellowknife. nt. ca