City guide · Yellowknife

Yellowknife

A gold-mining town on Great Slave Lake: Dene land and the northern lights

Photo: TravelingOtter · CC BY-SA 2.0

Yellowknife lies on the north shore of Great Slave Lake in Canada's Northwest Territories, and is the territory's capital and only city. In winter, visitors come to see the aurora and experience northern life; log cabins in the Old Town, the floatplane docks and Dene culture are sights beyond the northern lights.

History

How the city came to be

The Yellowknife area has long been home to the Yellowknives Dene, after whom the city and nearby lake are named. Gold was found nearby in 1934 and a settlement grew up; from 1936 trade began along today's lakeshore. Yellowknife soon became the economic centre of the Northwest Territories, and in 1967 its capital. As gold output declined in the 1980s, the city gradually changed from a mining town into a government service centre.

1934Gold was discovered and a settlement founded
1936Trade began along the lakeshore
1967Became capital of the Northwest Territories
1980sChanged from a mining town into a government service centre

Stories

Stories of the city

History · Yellowknife

A capital born from a gold mine

In 1934 gold was discovered on the north shore of Great Slave Lake, where the Yellowknives Dene had lived for generations; prospectors followed and a settlement grew up. Yellowknife soon became the economic centre of the Northwest Territories and became its capital in 1967. Gold production declined in the 1980s and the city turned into a government service centre; today aurora tourism has become its new calling card.

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