Seeing photos of the ugly federal government buildings in the city center of Yellowknife, I was not really convinced that it will be an enjoyable and interesting stay. But as soon as I landed at the airport and saw the large number of eclectic airplanes parked there, my adventurousness kicked in, and I made plans for what to see and do in Yellowknife.
Yellowknife is the ‘Diamond Capital of North America’ and the largest city of Canada's Northwest Territories. Mainly it is a popular gateway for those who want to explore Canada's vast Arctic region. It sits on the Canadian Shield, on the north shore of Great Slave Lake, at 62°45’ North and about 400 km South of the Arctic Circle.
When the first gold mine began operations in 1938, the sleepy area around Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories was transformed overnight into a bustling center for fortune seekers. Meanwhile, diamonds are mined in addition to gold mining. The airport makes a large part of its revenue by providing logistics for several enterprises. In addition, there are a large number of cargo flights to remote settlements in the Arctic, but also amazingly a lot of tourism. Anglers, hunters, nature lovers, and most of all, Aurora Borealis spectators from all over the world.
photo Tawna Brown
These visitors almost all come to Yellowknife by air. The traffic mix at the Capital Airport, therefore, is unique. Yellowknife is not a customs airport, flights from abroad and overseas are handled via flights from Calgary, Vancouver, or Toronto. Canadian Pacific Airlines built the first airport in Yellowknife in 1944. ICAO abbreviation is CYZF, IATA calls it YZF. In addition to the existing runway, the airport received two more runways in 1946. In 1963 the airport received a new terminal, and in 1972 a tower. The drive from the airport to the city center takes only five minutes.
I booked a (free) 'Hangar Tour’ at Buffalo Airways, the largest air freight company in the Northwest Territories, and its amazing variety of heritage and modern airplanes. See the article about Buffalo Airways which delivers all the necessary goods to towns, settlements, and diamond mines in the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut in almost all weather conditions.
photo Doris Daily
The Northwest Territories in Canada are famous for their diamonds, the gold rush, and for being very, very, cold - which I can attest to when I was there once in November. But, Yellowknife is also famous for its local food such as freshly caught fish or reindeer meat, outdoor celebrations, and of course, being one of the best places in the world to see the magnificent Northern Lights! There are also a number of Aurora lodges set up outside of the city. These Aurora hotels are organized specifically for treating yourself to some of the best northern lights viewing that the world has to offer.
If the cold weather persists, the ice becomes sufficiently thick that even huge 18-wheelers that truck materials to the remote mines can drive on it! The Ice Roads in the Northwest Territories are crucial to the operation of many of these remote regions. Yellowknife became famous for its Ice Roads with the popularity of television shows such as Ice Road Truckers. The ice road across the Great Slave Lake is 25 meters wide, seven kilometers long, and over ice, at least 40 centimeters thick, it leads from Yellowknife to Dettah on the other side of the bay. I learned that the lowest point in the whole of Canada is the Great Slave Lake bottom, Northwest Territories 61°40′N 114°00′W — the lowest freshwater point of North America at −458 m (−1,503 feet).
photo Doris Daily
Busy Airport
Visitors almost all come to Yellowknife by air. The traffic mix at the Capital Airport, therefore, is unique. Yellowknife is not a customs airport, flights from abroad and overseas are handled via flights from Calgary, Vancouver, or Toronto. Canadian Pacific Airlines built the first airport in Yellowknife in 1944. ICAO abbreviation is CYZF, IATA calls it YZF. In addition to the existing runway, the airport received two more runways in 1946. In 1963 the airport received a new terminal, and in 1972 a tower. The drive from the airport to the city center takes only five minutes. Seaplane bases are spread around town.
photo Doris Daily
Getting Around
Quite a few visitors from other Canadian provinces and even from the U.S. are driving to Yellowknife in summer. Others visitors rent a car from Budget, Hertz, National, etc. when arriving at the airport. For all of them, the city of Yellowknife offers a FREE 3-day parking pass. It can be picked up at the City Hall or the Visitor Center. Last but not least, there are three taxi companies in town who will bring you to places in and out of town. There is also a city bus offering three routes: From downtown to Borden, from Frame Lake to Northlands, and from Old Town to Niven.
Hotels of all sizes, cozy bed & breakfasts, cabins with full kitchens, camping sites, and private rooms offer accommodation to visitors. Cafes, pubs, restaurants, and fine dining are not only offering northern fare, including catch-fresh fish, but also international dishes.
The Yellowknife Visitor Centre is being temporarily housed at Yellowknife City Hall. The second-floor wildlife exhibit room also has stamps that you can use to stamp your passport. Make it your first stop when arriving in Yellowknife to receive lots of information - and even a free parking pass for three days - here.
photo Tawna Brown
Indigenous Tourism
With nearly 24% of the population belonging to either First Nations, Metis, or Inuit populations, Yellowknife is a hotbed of Indigenous tourism. Within Yellowknife’s boundary is the aboriginal town of D’Nilo. D’Nilo is located on the edge of Yellowknife just past Old Town on Latham Island. Indigenous peoples such as Inuit, Dene, or Metis share the city with long-time pioneers, southern transplants, and immigrants from all over the world.
Denendeh is the Land of the People
The Dene have existed in the area for over 30,000 years, with one language and many dialects: Gwich’in; Sahtu; Deh Cho; Tlicho; and, Akaitcho. The Dene have always been sustained by the land. Also known as the Athapaskan peoples, the Dene Nation is a political organization in Denendeh, meaning “The Land of the People”, located in Northwest Territories, Canada. The Dene Nation covers a large geographical area — from present-day Alaska to the southernmost tip of North America.
What to See and Do
Yellowknife's Old Town is beautifully located on Yellowknife’s Great Slave Lake waterfront. Yellowknife started its life as a gold mining town and while there are still some reminders of its early pioneering days, today it is largely a modern city with several administrative offices downtown. Old Town, Woodyard, and Ragged Ass Rd Walking Tour are way more interesting. Download the self-guided Old Town Heritage Walking tour brochure on the City of Yellowknife website.
This first neighborhood started in the city of Yellowknife in 1934. By the late ‘40s, about 2,500 souls were living in Old Town. Prospectors, miners, teachers, housewives, trappers, and storekeepers mixed together in a unique cocktail. Dog teams are tied between tents and log cabins, canoes next to float planes. There were no lot lines and few services.
Muddy little streets with names like “Privy Row” or “Glamour Alley” wound their way between shacks, outhouses, and tents. Cafes, inns, and pubs were busy spots. One of the hotels operated a 24-hour bar, providing travelers with accommodation. In the early ’50s, General Stores, lumber yards, hardware stores, a laundry service, a bank, a bakery, barber shops, a movie theater - all were striving in the now bustling town.
photo Tawna Brown
Houseboats / Floating Homes
In the late 1970s, a few Old Town owners, tired of being labeled squatters and wanting to have their own homes, came up with a unique solution: houseboats. These were floating homes that could be moored and lived on year-round, canoeing to the mainland in summer and walking over the ice once it is safe, starting around the end of November at the latest. The same safe moorages that attracted early pilots and mariners to Yellowknife Bay now seemed very attractive to the few hardy souls who considered building their own houseboats.
photo Doris Daily
More to follow… stay tuned.
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