Yellowknife NWT - a Northern City Near the Arctic Circle

 

Photo Tawna Brown

For a long time, there was no road into Yellowknife.  Bush Pilots would make the trip into a vast land, searching for adventure.  Once Yellowknife did start to grow, bush planes became a vital source for the transportation of people, food, supplies, and vehicles. 

Photo Doris Daily

The Bush Pilot monument on a hill around the corner gives visitors a great 360-degree outlook over parts of the Great Slave Lake and its many floating homes and float planes and towards the city.  It also offers views of the various buildings of historical significance such as log cabins from the days of the gold rush.  This monument is honoring the bush pilots of today and yesterday, who helped open up the north to the rest of Canada. 

Photo Doris Daily

Not far from this monument, a small Dene community is located on the edge of Yellowknife on the tip of Latham Island. In 1959, the first ten permanent houses for Dene families were built.  They were colorful homes and so people began referring to the community as 'Rainbow Valley'. In the 1970s there were 200 residents living in 20 houses, now there are almost double the amount of houses.  

Photo Doris Daily

The name was officially changed to Ndilǫ in 1991, which means "end of the island" in the local Dene dialect.  Some of the stop signs in Yellowknife are bi-lingual in their dialect and in English.
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Photo Tawna Brown

Great Adventures

Yellowknife is a gateway for the great adventure tourism activities of the nearby region, including the spectacular nature and the stunning views of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) from September to March.  One of the best ways to experience nature around Yellowknife is through a dog sled tour, on snow shoes, cross-country skiing, or in summer by floatplane or boat. 

Photo Tawna Brown

An estimated 20,000 moose live throughout the NWT within and beyond the tree line.  They can be found in the Yellowknife area during the late winter months.  The Northwest Territories are a sport hunter's Shangri La, served by a network of seasoned outfitters and blessed with robust, sustainable populations of some of the most prized species on Earth.  A whole range of hunting experiences is available. 

Photo Tawna Brown

 

In the Mackenzie mountains, Dall's sheep, alpine caribou, and huge moose wander the highlands. In the boreal forests and Barrenlands, hunters pursue bison, grizzlies, black bears, wolves, wolverines, and more. The Mackenzie Mountains may be the greatest virgin hunting ground left on Earth.  

Each summer and fall, lucky sports hunters get to experience it.  Some even hunt with pack horses.  Hunts start from a scenic alpine base camp, accessible only by floatplane.

Photo Doris Daily

Read more:

https://www.tawnabrown.com/yellowknife-four-seasons-lakes/

https://www.tawnabrown.com/yellowknife-winter-adventures/

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Photo Doris Daily

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Aurora Borealis - Northern Lights

Northern Lights - Northern Lights - Northern Lights

Several cultures have their own folklore surrounding the lights. An Algonquin Indian myth held the lights were the souls of ancestors dancing around a fire.

Northern lights (Aurora Borealis) are present year-round, especially between August and March. Longer nights and earlier nightfall contribute to their sightings. Active solar winds are common during this period, which gives the sky a wonderful glow.

This magical phenomenon begins at nightfall. Often green, sometimes purple or red, the lights start dancing on a starlit backdrop. Witness the greatness of the universe. At times, it will seem as if the rays touch the ground and you could almost catch its beauty.

In mid-August, a shower of shooting stars joins in the dance along with the northern lights. Up north is very little light pollution, therefore it is easier to find an excellent place to gaze at the sky.

Many tourist destinations in Canada's north, such as

• Churchill, Manitoba
• Iqualuit, Nunavut
• Whitehorse, Yukon
• Yellowknife, NWT

are offering special tours and there is even more than one Aurora forecast website. 

Google Images counts more than 600,000 photographs of these fascinating northern lights.
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The Japanese fascination with the lights also has its own myth:
Conceiving a child beneath the lights will bring good luck. No wonder: more than 20,000 Japanese visitors travel every winter to Yellowknife.

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