Canada From Coast to Coast – The Northwest Territories

Well we’ve moved on from the prairies, or should I say UP to Northern Canada. If you though British Columbia was wild, I think this takes it to another level. Living up here is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for city girls like myself who prefer major European cities. Northern Canada is like its own country, and I think it’s fair to say that very few of us ever get there. Not because there isn’t a part of us that doesn’t think about it, but well like I said, it’s not like going to Paris.

The Northwest Territories is home to six national parks. The rivers run crystal-clear, the peaks reach for the heavens, waterfalls plummet and the wildlife is bucket-list worthy – muskoxen, caribou, grizzlies, bison, north american wildlife you’ve only seen on the Nature channel, they’ve got it.

The question is always, what would we do? Well you can explore the cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples, take a road trip, fly into the middle of nowhere to get away from it all, camp (winter or summer), hike, paddle, canoe, snowshoe, cross-country ski, snowmobiling, go fishing for some of the biggest fresh water fish in crystal clear lakes, go hunting, take guided tours, go on a photo expedition, or try Dog sledding. And all things being equal, the Diavik Diamond mine is planning to offer tours. You get the picture! Oh and I have to mention the Snow Buddy Winter King garden if you’re there in March, it’s pretty cool, pardon the pun.

With thousands of miles of arctic tundra as far as the eyes can see, this is where you take a guide! The ice road below is a real thing, it’s how stuff gets from town to town during all those long winter months.

So when should you go? Well it all depends on what you’re planning on doing, all the seasons offer different options. But to my surprise their summers can be killer hot! So you have almost endless daylight and long warm days. June to August the average is 32°C (89°F) with an all-time high of 39.4° C (103 °F). And winter is what you’d expect with an average of -18°C (0°F), though it can get much colder than that.

Something else to seriously make note of that much of the NWT is very remote, so not all NWT towns are built the same. In Yellowknife and larger communities like Fort Smith, Hay River and Inuvik, you can expect to find most – if not all – of the every-day amenities you would in the lower provincial cities. Once you arrive in smaller communities though, you may not have access to a 24-hour-a-day grocery store or gas station, for example.  And the prices increase exponentially. So plan accordingly.

Yellowknife – about 400 km south of the Arctic Circle, and the capital of the NWT but also the only city, with a population of about 22,000. When to go, well again it depends on what you want to do and see. If you’re going for the Aurora, you’ve got about 240 nights of the year to chose from, and when there’s no Aurora, it means it’s time to stay out all night under the midnight sun. Festivals range from a music fest night on a sandy lakeshore to square dancing at an event in a frozen snow castle.

As with all the other provinces, I’ve used the very helpful tourism website for the NWT along with other sources. And while there are half a dozen regions I’m not going to get as carried away as I usually do! So here goes, a snapshot of each region.

Dehcho Region – Decho means “big river” – referring to the great Mackenzie, 1,600 kilometres long and as much as five kilometres wide, flowing unceasingly toward the Arctic sea. For Alaska Highway roadtrippers, it’s a convenient, rustic side-trip. The region is also accessible by air and road from Yellowknife.

North Slave Lake Region – Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world, so when it’s described as vast, they aren’t joking. The lake and the rock-ribbed shield, boreal forests and the wide-open Barrenlands make for magnificent diversity. This is also where you find Yellowknife.

Sahtu Region – is the home of a grand inland sea, Great Bear – nearly 500 metres deep (1,640 feet), this is where you’ll meet the mighty Mackenzie at six kilometres wide (3.7 miles) pressing northward. This is where trout fishing takes catching the big one to another level; where barges and canoeists sail. Here too is the Mackenzie Mountains, pierced by only one path, the famous Canol Heritage Trail, and filled with wild game. And here on the edge of the Arctic Circle you’ll find five vibrant villages, thriving – no roads in or out, their hearty residents insulated from the chaos of the outside world.

Western Arctic Region – The Western Arctic is pretty much as remote as it gets. They say that getting there is half the fun: The Dempster Highway unfurls over the mountains from Dawson City, Yukon, making it the northernmost drive in Canada. I guess this qualifies as the ultimate northern road trip! If you get to Inuvik, it’s known as the town at the top of the world, was built in the 1950s like a space-base in the Far North. See two national parks: Aulavik and Tuktut Nogait. And visit a medley of idyllic villages, from friendly Fort McPherson to Ulukhaktok, site of the farthest-north golf tournament on Earth.

South Slave Lake Region – It’s a place of big waters, including the southern end of gleaming Great Slave Lake, home to Canada’s northernmost freshwater fishery, and the gushing Slave River, where top-ranked paddlers compete among waves. The bustling port community of Hay River (terminus of Canada’s most remote railway), the charming town of Fort Smith, and welcoming Indigenous communities, including beautiful Kakisa, the Métis stronghold of Fort Resolution, and Fort Providence, where bison stroll the streets.

And that’s the Northwest Territories, beautiful, wild and remote. I kinda think that if I were into the whole outdoors, sleeping in a tent thing, I’d want to canoe the MacKenzie and camp as we went along, assuming it’s not polar bear season!!

And so, while I’m still talking about Canada, I feel like I’ve touched on a different country. I hope you’re discovering how distinct our Territories are; and they are nothing like the rest of the nation.

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Thanks – Maria

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