| Northwest Territories ((in)Northwest Territories (iu) ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅ / nunatsiaq) | |
 | |
| Mountains seen fromDempster Highway | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Regional capital | Yellowknife |
| Area | 1 346 106 km² |
| Population | 41 462 hab. (2011) |
| Density | 0,03 inhab./km² |
| Postal code | X0E, X1A, X0G |
| Spindle | Mountain Time, America / Yellowknife, America / Inuvik |
| Location | |
 66 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ N 119 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Northwest Territories are one of the three territories of Northern canadian. The territory is renowned for the beauty of its wild landscapes and for its outdoor activities.
Understand
The Northwest Territories is one of the only places in the world where wilderness still reigns. The territory is mainly covered with taiga; only the south of the territory includes forests, beyond the tree line to the north, it is the tundra and the arctic climate. They are known for their magnificent landscapes including Great Bear Lake (the largest lake located entirely in Canada), Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River and the canyons of the Nahanni National Park Reserve. The Northwest Territories also includes the western part of thecanadian arctic archipelago including the islands Banks and Prince patrick as well as part of the islands Victoria and Melville.
This territory is historically the oldest, originally grouping all the territories north and west of theOntario, but was reduced by the creation of the provinces of Canadian prairies and the territories of Yukon and Nunavut. It is the most populous territory in Canada with its 41,500 inhabitants, almost half of whom live in the capital, Yellowknife. The majority of the population lives in the south of the territory, that is to say south of the tree line. The population density is very low.
According to Statistics Canada, 36% of the inhabitants of the Northwest Territories are Native Americans. Visiting the Northwest Territories is therefore an ideal opportunity to learn about the cultures of the Dene and Inuvialuit, the original inhabitants of the region.
Weather
Due to the size of the territory, the climate varies a lot from one place to another, especially between the South and the North. Unless you are going there to experience the extreme arctic conditions, it is recommended that you visit the Northwest Territories in summer.
In the South, summers are generally short, but hot, with average temperatures reaching 20 ° C during the day and 10 ° C During the night. The winters there are long and cold with temperatures dropping to −40 ° C overnight and rarely exceeding −20 ° C during the day. In the North, it is not uncommon to see temperatures around −50 ° C Winter. However, it is also possible that the temperature will rise up to −10 ° C during the day in winter. Thunderstorms are rare in the North, but quite frequent in the South.
Holidays and public holidays
In addition to national holidays from Canada, the first Monday in August is a civic holiday in the Northwest Territories.
Regions
|
Western arctic - Includes the Mackenzie Delta, the Beaufort Coast, the Richardson Mountains and is located beyond the Arctic Circle, thus offering the midnight sun or polar night. |  |
Dehcho - Located in the southwest of the territory on the border ofAlberta and some British Columbia. |  |
Nordic border - Includes the area north of Great Slave Lake up to the tree line. |  |
Gates of Great Slave Lake - Includes the area south of Great Slave Lake. |  |
Nahanni region - Includes the Nahanni National Park Reserve. |  |
Yellowknife region — Yellowknife and the surrounding area. |  |
Wood Bison Region - Located on the border ofAlberta and some Saskatchewan, includes part of the Wood Buffalo National Park. |  |
Mackenzie Valley - Central Mackenzie Valley featuring vast expanses of wilderness and the legacy of Dene culture. |  |
Cities
- 1 Behchokǫ̀ – Located north of Great Slave Lake.
- 2 Fort Simpson (Liidlii kue) – The only village located in the region of Dehcho, it is the gateway to the region and to the Nahanni National Park Reserve.
- 3 Fort Smith (Thebacha) – Located in the south of the territory at the border alberta, it is a regional center.
- 4 Hay river (Xátł'odehchee) – Ideal destination for sport fishing including ice fishing, accessible by road. It is a regional center.
- 5 Inuvik (Inuuvik) – Gateway for expeditions in theWestern arctic located north of the Arctic Circle with the midnight sun during 56 days and the polar night during 30 days.
- 6 Tuktoyaktuk (Tuktuyaaqtuuq, Tuk, Port Brabant) – Inuvialuit village located on the Arctic coast in the far north.
- 7 Yellowknife (Sǫ̀mbak'è) – The capital and largest city, comprising almost half of the territory's population.
Other destinations
- 1 Aulavik National Park – Park located onBanks Island in the Thomsen river basin in the northeast of the island.
- Tuktut Nogait National Park
- 2 Wood Buffalo National Park – Refuge of a great diversity of animals: caribou, grizzly bears, wolves, musk oxen and many raptors.
- 3 Nahanni National Park Reserve – Park located at 600 km West of Yellowknife protecting a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region and including the South Nahanni River flanked by four large canyons. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
To go
By plane
The gateway to the Northwest Territories by air is Yellowknife. Indeed, the capital is connected by regular direct flights to Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta. In fact, it is six flights a day that connects Yellowknife to these cities. There are also flights several times a week fromOttawa in Ontario with a stopover at Iqaluit to Nunavut. In winter there are also direct flights from Vancouver in British Columbia. Regional flights are available from Yellowknife to other cities in the territory (see section circulate below).
The airlines connecting Yellowknife to cities in southern Canada are Air Canada Jazz, Air North, Canadian North, First Air and Northwestern Air Lease.
By car
The use of the car offers the advantage of discovering the country and observing the wild landscapes. The Northwest Territories are connected by highways to the Yukon, at theAlberta and at the British Columbia. THE'Dempster Highway (or the Alaska Highway) connects Inuvik to the Klondike Highway near Dawson city in the Yukon. Northbound Alberta Highway 35 connects to Northwest Territories Highway 1 (Mackenzie Highway). Highway 77 in British Columbia joins Highway 7 in the Northwest Territories (the Liard Highway).
It is possible to rent a car or a recreational vehicle at Edmonton in Alberta or Whitehorse in the Yukon and then join the Northwest Territories by highway. Gas stations, rest areas and campgrounds are located along the main roads.
By bus
Regular coach service is offered by Greyhound fromEdmonton in Alberta to the Northwest Territories.
- Greyhound Canada ,
1 (800) 661-8747 – Link between Edmonton and Hay river.
Circulate
By car
The car is the best way to get around and discover the Northwest Territories. The roads of the Northwest Territories have the advantage of having no traffic jams. The highway connecting theAlberta is completely asphalted. Main gravel roads are fairly wide and often offer dust-free passing lanes.
- Northwest Territories Department of Transportation , 1 (800) 661-0750 – To get a road condition report.
By bus
Hay river is the gateway to the Northwest Territories by coach fromEdmonton in Alberta (see section to go above). Coach connections are available from Hay River to other towns in the territory. There are also links between Yellowknife and Behchokǫ̀.
- Frontier Coach Lines , 1 (867) 874-2566 – Connections from Hay river towards Behchokǫ̀, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith and Yellowknife.
- Northern Exposure – Link between Yellowknife and Behchokǫ̀.
By plane
The plane is an efficient means of circulating in the Northwest Territories since there are aerodromes all over the territory. Regular flights to regional airports are offered from Yellowknife. Plane and seaplane are also necessary means to reach certain isolated places of the territory.
By snowmobile
The snowmobile is the primary form of transportation for many residents of the Northwest Territories. They allow you to reach remote areas of the territory and discover the country's wild nature.
To speak
There are eleven official languages in the Northwest Territories:English, the chipewyan, the shout, the'slave of the north, the'southern slave, the dog flank, French, gwich'in, the'inuinnaqtun, the'inuvialuktun and theinuktitut. However, in practice, only English is used by the services offered by governments across the territory, with the exception of the courts where any of the eleven official languages can be used. The majority of the population has English as their mother tongue in a proportion of more than 75%. Other important mother tongues are Dog Flank and Southern Slave.
To see
The Northwest Territories is a great place to view the Northern Lights which are present in the night sky from mid-May to mid-April. Evenings with transport to a secluded location for ideal viewing are organized from Yellowknife. They are also a great place for wildlife viewing. Indeed, there are more than 200 species birds in the Northwest Territories, 124 of which are present only in summer. Thus, the summer season is the best time of year for bird watching. The best time to spot bald eagles is from mid-March to mid-May. The Northwest Territories' vast expanse of wilderness is also ideal for mammal viewing. Only by traveling on the roads, you will observe several animal species including bison, moose, fox, black bear, beaver and muskrat. It is also possible to take a plane or boat to observe more species including caribou, brown bear, muskox, wolf, marten and whale. Trips are organized by the outfitters.
Do
The Northwest Territories is a dream destination for hunters and sport fishermen. World famous hunting trips are organized. For fishing, it is necessary to have a license and respect requires that we release “trophy” fish since large specimens are rare because of the long winters. Fishing packages are available. The Northwest Territories are also ideal for those looking for a change of scenery. You just have to go on a hike and indulge in wild camping without leaving any traces behind. From large communities there are marked day hiking trails. For the more avid hikers, it is necessary to go to the Mackenzie Mountains, on the Canol heritage trail or in one of the national parks. In addition, several places are suitable for climbing including the Circle-of-the-Unclimbables in the Nahanni National Park Reserve which is an ideal destination for experienced climbers where you are dropped off and picked up by plane. You can also discover the wilderness of the Northwest Territories by going on an expedition on one of the territory's many rivers by canoe or kayak. Guided excursions are organized. Several tumultuous rivers of different levels are offered for rafting. Expeditions are organized with experienced guides. The descent of the river in a rubber dinghy allows you to experience thrills while discovering the nature of the country.
Golf enthusiasts are not left out in the Northwest Territories. Golf is played here in the spring, summer and fall. However, snow golf tournaments are also held in the winter. Note that the sunshine of 24 hours allows you to play golf day and night. Yellowknife has the only golf course in 18 holes of the territory, but several 9 holes are offered at Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Gameti, Hay river and Ulukhaktok.
Dog sledding races are a must-see event. Several dog handlers also offer to try out this sport with their teams. The best places to do this are Inuvik, Yellowknife and the Arctic Coast.
Obviously, winter sports are played in the Northwest Territories. There are several cross-country ski clubs in the territory totaling several kilometers of trails maintained each winter, notably in Inuvik, in Norman Wells and Yellowknife. Snowshoe hikes are perfect for trips into nature, especially if you plan to venture off the beaten track. In fact, snowshoe races are organized in the Northwest Territories. Snowmobile tours are popular and allow you to discover isolated corners of the territory. You can bring your own snowmobile or rent one on site. Snowmobile tours also allow stops for camping, ice fishing or nature viewing including caribou, moose and wolves. Enough gasoline should be provided for long journeys, as there are not many gas stations in remote areas of the territory.
To buy
The federal government's 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies on the majority of goods and services purchased in the Northwest Territories. The territory has no additional territorial tax.
Eat
Have a drink / Go out
Housing
To learn
Security
If you venture into isolated places to enjoy outdoor activities, you must be very careful and have the right equipment. Rescue and air ambulances are very expensive. It is also important to learn about the dangers of wildlife and the climate, which can change quickly. You should also be aware that the water temperature remains very cold in the Northwest Territories; It is therefore necessary to provide the necessary equipment in case of hypothermia if one ventures on the water.
