TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL | Top 10,000 Places to Visit in Canada
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| Photo by Alan Sim, Wikimedia Commons
Yellowknife was named after the Yellowknives, a Dene band who lived on the islands of Great Slave Lake. They travelled as far north as the Arctic coast to obtain copper for knives and other implements.
Photo: The Canadian Encyclopedia
They, in turn, acquired their name from the copper-bladed knives they carried.
The Wildcat Café is one of the earliest permanent buildings in the City of Yellowknife.
Built in 1937-1938 by prominent pioneers Willie Wiley and Smokey Stout, the Wildcat is a reminder of pioneering days for Yellowknifers. A replica of the Wildcat Café is on permanent display at the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s Canada Hall.
Burgers, steaks, seafood & brunch fare served seasonally in a circa-1937 mining-camp log cabin.
Photo: WinterCity296, Wikimedia Commons
Yellowknife’s houseboat community began in the 1980s when one or two families built houseboats on old river barges on Great Slave Lake.
The community has grown over the years, and the colourful and energy-efficient housing in Yellowknife Bay is a one-of-a-kind attraction for the city.
You can try Mo’s Houseboat B&B how to live on the houseboat.
“…anytime from September to mid-April, have a front-row seat to the incredible Aurora dancing right over your head with no city light pollution…”
The Snowcastle becomes a month-long celebration of community spirit. A winter wonderland is created on Yellowknife Bay where the Snowking and his talented, hardy northern helpers brave to build a huge castle made entirely of snow and ice.
On any given day, the Snowcastle might host a children’s play, followed by an art exhibit or a rock band, a film festival and finish the night off by transforming into a dance club.
The Festival celebrates from the end of the 1990s.
Photo: snowking.ca
This is a popular lookout rise above Old Town, providing a stupendous view over Great Slave Lake and Back Bay.
Bush Pilots Monument is a monument honouring the bush pilots who helped open up the north to the rest of Canada. For a long time, there was no road into Yellowknife. Bush planes became a vital source for the transportation of people, food, supplies and vehicles.
Photo: WinterCity296, Wikimedia Commons
Nootka totem pole stands in front of City Hall. It was carved at Nitinhat BC by carver Frank Knighton. In 1971 the totem was donated by the People of British Columbia.
Photo: CambridgeBayWeather, Wikimedia Commons
The mosaiculture horticultural living sculpture of muskox is exhibited in front of City Hall.
The muskox sculpture is a “mosaiculture artwork” — a sculpture made from living ingredients. Its fuzzy surface is covered with sprouted plants that will make the sculpture look shaggier over time.
The sculpture was named after Tesla CEO in 2018. Elon Muskox beat out hundreds of suggestions from local residents.
The Bank of Toronto Building is one of Yellowknife’s oldest surviving buildings. Typical of a number of Yellowknife’s early buildings, this log structure reflects typical boom and bust cycles of construction. Originally a private residence, the Bank of Toronto bought the building in 1944.
Photo: Jeffery J. Nichols (User:Arctic.gnome), Wikimedia Commons
Old Town is the beating heart of Yellowknife. Gold seekers approximately 80 years ago pioneered what was to become the North’s greatest settlement.
It is easy to walk down the Franklin Ave hill into Old Town. The area is an intriguing mash-up of log cabins, mansions, houseboats, floatplanes. You can visit the many galleries, walk Ragged Ass Road and eat at Bullock’s Bistro or The Wildcat Cafe.
Guides to Old Town’s historic sites are available from the Northern Frontier Visitor Center.
The Soviet nuclear-powered satellite has become a well-known piece of Yellowknife history.
In 1978, Kosmos 954 crashes near Great Slave Lake, scattering radioactive waste across a 124,000 square kilometre swath of the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
At first, the USSR claimed that the satellite had been completely destroyed. But searches showed debris from the satellite had been deposited on Canadian territory.
Photo: Kosmos 954 Debris, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa
The effort to recover radioactive material from the satellite was dubbed Operation Morning Light. The incident took eight months to clean up and nearly $14 million.
Yellowknife painter Nick MacIntosh has created works of art Kosmos 954 featuring the satellite and well-known local landmarks. It displays at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
Hidden Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes to the east of Yellowknife. On a sunny day, the lake appears aquamarine in colour. You can spot the fish swimming in its crystal clear water.
Hidden Lake is an undeveloped, water-based park.
Cameron Falls Trail is located within Hidden Lake Territorial Park, on the Ingraham Trail. It is approximately 47 km east of Yellowknife.
Photos: TravelingOtter, Wikimedia Commons
We offer world-class aurora-viewing and outdoor recreation. The Aurora Village is a gathering of Teepees and hilltop viewpoints surrounding a pristine private lake – we built a magical place to experience north and the best light show on earth.
Photo: auroravillage.com
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre presents the cultures and history of the Northwest Territories.
Although the centre is widely known as the territorial museum, it is also home to the NWT Archives.
Photo: WinterCity296, Wikimedia Commons
The Legislature Assembly building was opened in 1993. It is one of the most unique legislatures in Canada, highlighting NWT’s consensus style of government and the traditional values of the people of NWT. The design of the building was created by Pin/Taylor Architects company from Yellowknife.
We warmly invite you to visit our beautiful building.
Built in 1938 by Alphonse Cyr as a rooming house, the building earned its name for the wild parties and card games it hosted in the 1940s.
It has also been a barbershop and a private residence, but it has not been used in many decades.
Photo: Google Street View
