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 Yellowknife is a natural highlight of every northern traveller's itinerary.
The capital city is a great place to relax and play, bursting with colour-
ful personalities,
Northern art, recreational and cultural experiences.
Soak up gold rush history or spend an afternoon at a Dene camp.
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Go golfing on a grassless course.
Here in the traditional lands of the Dogrib and Yellowknives
Dene you'll meet people from all the NWT regions and all Aboriginal groups:
Dene, Metis and Inuvialuit. You'll also meet people from all over the world
who make this small city their home. There's a cosmopolitan flavour here,
to match a 21st century outlook. Shop for art and Canadian Arctic Diamonds,
mined just a few hundred kilometres away. Dine out on catch of the day from
pristine Great Slave Lake, or choose sushi, muskox and Arctic char, buffalo
burgers or Baffin shrimp. This friendly city is one of the best places in the
world for watching the Aurora Borealis, which explains the wide variety of
special nor-
thern lights tours offered in the region. For those who come to the NWT to fish, canoe or take part in a wildlife viewing safari,
Yellow-
knife is the main hub into the wilderness featuring fly-in
lodges and outpost camps departing from the float plane base. 
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Fort Smith (Thebacha, "at the foot of the rapids"). White water churned up by the
Slave River gave birth to this town. Fort Smith sprouted where
canoes and York boats were reloaded after a 25 kilometre portage around the rapids. |
Today's friendly town offers hotels, lodges, B&Bs and restaurants, the Northern
Life Museum and Fort Smith Mission Historic Park. This is a base for exploring the
wonders of Wood Buffalo National Park, kayaking or rafting the Slave or viewing the
most northerly colony of white pelicans nesting on the islands at the rapids. Drive
to Fort Smith via Highway 5, or board a scheduled flight from Yellowknife.
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Fort Simpson (Liidlii Kue, "place where the rivers come together") is the Deh Cho's gateway to the Nahanni-Ram country, a pristine panorama of white water, alpine tundra and jagged peaks.
In town, a trail links historic sites and guided tours are offered. |
Sights include prospector Albert Faille's cabin (seen above),
the Papal Grounds, and Fort Simpson Heritage Park.
The Nahanni National Park Reserve Visitors'
Centre has displays on the history, culture and geography of the region.
(If you're planning to visit the Park, this is where you register.)
Canoe and raft expeditions are available into the Park. There is even
golfing at the local golf course. Hotels, inns and B&Bs offer
accommodations, and excellent crafts are available locally.
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Hay River is the North's largest shipping hub with accommodations, restaurants, shopping and a seaport atmosphere on the shores of Great Slave
Lake. Visit Katl'odeeche Reserve, home to the Dene Cultural Institute and Hay River Mission National Historic Site. |
Sports events and fishing derbies are yearly highlights, and don't miss
the fiddling and jigging contest at the Metis Friendship Centre. Hay River is
accessible via Highway 2; regular air service is available to and from Yellowknife.
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Inuvik ("Place of man"), is the largest Canadian commu-
nity north of
the Arctic Circle, and is at the end of the fam-
ous Dempster Highway. It's set on a
plateau overlooking the Mackenzie Delta, and the Arctic
Ocean is only 97 kilometres farther north. |
In summer, Inuvik buzzes with charter planes taking visitors on excursions
to the Mackenzie Delta. Inuvik offers a full range of accommodations,
restaurants and specialty shops. Visit the Western Arctic Regional
Visitor Centre for information tours and to see the fascinating
interpretive displays. Pick up your certificate, awarded to all
travellers who cross the Arctic Circle.
Our Lady of Victory, the Igloo Church is an Inuvik landmark.
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Tuktoyaktuk (Tuktuuyaqtuumukkabsi, "looks like caribou")
was once an Inuvialuit harvesting site for tuktu (caribou). When the
peo-
ple settled in communities, Tuk was chosen as a harbour for supply
ships because of its natural shelter from winds and waves. Tuk is easily acces- |
sible by scheduled flights from Inuvik, and is a base for exploring the amazing Pingos - the Arctic hills created by permafrost. There's a hotel and restaurant and community store.
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Holman (Ulusaktuuq, "place where one finds material to make ulus")
is now famous for its annual series of prints depicting the Inuvialuit lifestyle.
The community also boasts a nine-hole golf course, and hosts the most northerly
tournament in Canada, the Billy Joss Open. |
Sign up for a naturalist expedition,
or fish for Arctic char and lake trout. There's a hotel and a small general store.
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Fort Liard (Echaot'je Kue, "people of the land of giants place")
is located on a wooded terrace at the junction of the Liard and Petitot Rivers on Highway 7.
Many of the buildings are constructed of sturdy logs cut from tall trees that are nurtured in the
Liard River valley by warm air from the Pacific Ocean. This cli-
mate means warm summers |
and mild winters. It is well known as NWT's tropical paradise with impressive vegetable
gardens and plants common much farther to the south. Fort Liard is
famous for birchbark baskets so beautifully crafted that they're considered works of art.
There's an inn, restaurant, craft shop and motel/general store.
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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES CANADA 
Yellowknife
