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Yellowknife

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City of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Downtown Yellowknife
Downtown Yellowknife
Flag of City of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Flag
Official seal of City of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Seal
Motto: 
Multum In Parvo (Much In Little)
CountryCanada
TerritoryNorthwest Territories
RegionNorth Slave Region
Established1936/1937
Government
 • City MayorGordon Van Tighem
 • Governing BodyConsensus government
 • LegislatureList of Yellowknife MPs and MLAs
Elevation
206 m (675 ft)
Population
 (2006)[1]
 • Total18,700
 • 2005 city est.
19,429
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
Postal Code
X1A
WebsiteCity of Yellowknife

Yellowknife is the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories, with a population of 18,700 as of 2006.[1] Located on the north shore of Great Slave Lake 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 tribe, who made tools from regional copper deposits. The current population is ethnically mixed. Of the eight official languages of the Northwest Territories, five are spoken in significant numbers in Yellowknife: Chipewyan, Tli Cho, South and North Slavey, English, and French.

In the Dogrib language, the city is called Somba K'e ("where the money is").

History

Traditionally, First Nations people had occupied this region and 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 as a result of work 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 stampede and because Great Slave Lake was too far away to attract attention. [2]

In the late 1920s, aircraft were being used to explore Canada's arctic regions. Interesting showings of radium and silver were being 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 an interesting gold showing at Quyta Lake, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) up the Yellowknife River, and another gold find at Homer Lake.

An aerial view of Con Mine

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 1000 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.

Giant Mine

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, extending the life of the mine greatly. 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 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. But by 1953, Yellowknife had grown so much 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  kilometres (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.

Law and Government

Yellowknife has a municipal government system consisting of an elected Mayor and Council. The Government of the Northwest Territories delegates powers to the municipality through legislative acts and regulations. The City of Yellowknife’s Council is comprised of the Mayor and eight Councillors. 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. [3]

Yellowknife is represented in the Northwest Territories government by 7 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). These MLAs are elected every four years. The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories is located in Yellowknife, and is comprised of 19 MLAs. 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, repectively.

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 centered around gold mining and government. However, due to the split of the Northwest Territories in 1999, and falling gold prices, the government workforce has 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 (2,500 kg) 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" 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 Kué Diamond Mine on the property formerly known as Kennedy Lake, open 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.[4]

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.[5]

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 $100.5 million.[3]

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).[3]

Demographics

User:YK Times/Yellowknife pop box

As of the 2005 city survey, there were 19,429 people and 5,795 households in the city.[6] The population density was 142.86 people per square kilometre. The racial makeup of the city was 77.6% Non-aboriginal and 22.3% Aboriginal.

In Yellowknife, the population is slightly disproportionate; 15.2% were 9 or under, 7.8% from 10 to 14, 16.1% from 15 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 59, and 5.1% were 60 or older. From 1996-2005, 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.[6]

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 $52,061, and the average income for a family was $111,665. Minimum wage is $8.25 in Yellowknife, the second highest in Canada. [7] Average household expenditures were $90,139.[3] In 2004, unemployment rates were at 5.0, an all-time low; the employment rates for males was 83.8, for females it was 75.5.[6]

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 millimeters (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.

Climate data for Yellowknife
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: Environment Canada[8]

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 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.

Media

Radio

Television

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.

References

  1. ^ a b "2006 Census". Government of Canada.
  2. ^ Price, Ray. Yellowknife, Peter Martin Associates, Toronto, 1967. Page 22.
  3. ^ a b c d "Yellowknife Community Profile 2006" (PDF). City of Yellowknife. 2006-17-08. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "2006 NWT Socio-Economic Scan" (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  5. ^ "Public Sector Employment". Government of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  6. ^ a b c "Yellowknife Statistical Profile" (PDF). NWT Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  7. ^ "Income Statistics" (XLS). NWT Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  8. ^ Canadian climate normals for 1971 to 2000, Environment Canada (2004). Retrieved on January 1, 2007.

See also

62°26′32″N 114°23′51″W / 62.44222°N 114.39750°W / 62.44222; -114.39750

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