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The Daily Insight

Does anyone live in the Northwest Territories?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Mar 12, 2026

Living in the Northwest Territories is unlike any other location across Canada. The Northwest Territories is home to 44,000 people. According to meteorologists, Yellowknife – the capital of the NWT, enjoys more summertime than any other city in Canada. The Northwest Territories has 11 official languages.

Can you drive to Northwest Territories?

There is no entry into the Northwest Territories at this border crossing. Highway 7 has been closed since April of 2020 by the Commissioner of Northwest Territories through regulations, except for essential services such as fuel and groceries.

What is special about Northwest Territories?

Many of the regions top attractions are natural features, from the mountains to the mighty rivers and waterfalls. The tree line, cutting right across the Northwest Territories, constitutes a striking feature, where fir, spruce, and birch forests become treeless tundra.

What do you call someone from Northwest Territories?

The federal government also confirmed there’s no official demonym for N.W.T. residents, but its website lists four English names: Northwest Territorian, People of the North, Northwester and Northwesterner.

Is Northwest Territories dangerous?

Almost invariably, the North turned up as the most dangerous part of the country. Nunavut, the N.W.T. and the Yukon took the top three spots respectively in the CSI ranking of Canadian territories and provinces. They also had the highest rates of sexual and aggravated assault.

Is it expensive to live in Yellowknife?

The average cost of living in Yellowknife is $2017, which is in the top 4% of the most expensive cities in the world, ranked 313th out of 9294 in our global list, 3rd out of 153 in Canada, and 1st out of 1 in the Northwest Territories.

Are there cars in Nunavut?

Compared to the rest of Canada, maintaining a vehicle in Nunavut is expensive. About 4,000 vehicles are registered in the territory. Many makes and models of vehicles can be found in the territory, but the most common are heavy-duty four-wheel-drive vehicles such as sport utility, jeeps and full-size vans.

Is the road to Yellowknife paved?

First completed in 1960 as a gravel and dirt road, the highway is now paved and realigned after years of work concluded in 2006. Access to Yellowknife prior to the opening of the Yellowknife Highway was possible only by airplane, winter road, or boat across Great Slave Lake.

Is Northwest Territories open for tourists?

People are encouraged to enjoy travel for many purposes while taking precautions. NWT residents and non-residents with an exemption must follow self-isolation requirements. Make sure to bring appropriate documentation to prove you are a resident of the NWT. You will need this at the border when you return.

What animals live in Northwest Territories?

Some of the more popular species in the Northwest Territories include wildlife like wolves, black bears, polar bears, grizzly bears, foxes, moose, lynx, wolverines, muskox, buffalo, deer, porcupine, beaver, mountain goats and Dall sheep.

What do people from Yukon call themselves?

Yukon
Demonym(s)Yukoner FR: Yukonnais(e)
Official languagesEnglish French (ambiguous status)
GDP
• Rank13th

What is a resident of Nunavut called?

Inuit Culture The Inuktitut word ‘Inuit’ means ‘human beings’ or ‘the people. ‘ This name refers to the indigenous people of Nunavut, as well as those living in Northern Canada, Greenland and Alaska. The traditional lifestyle of the Inuit is remarkably adapted to extreme arctic conditions.

How safe is Yellowknife?

Yellowknife is a small isolated city and as a result it does not share the level of crime associated with larger centres. Violent crime is nearly unheard of here, however petty crime is a minor problem in the downtown core, especially in the Gold Range Hotel area which is frequented by loiterers.

Do people live in Nunavut?

The population of Nunavut as of April 1, 2013, was 34,023 people (Statistics Canada). Of this population, about 84% of the population is Inuit. Nunavut also has a very young population – the median age of a resident of Nunavut on July 1, 2012 was 24.7-years-old, compared to that of the Canadian median of 40-years-old.

What is the average house price in Yellowknife?

Last month, Realtors reported that 24 homes were sold in Yellowknife, with the average price being $408,785. In April 2017, the average price of the 15 homes that were sold was $430,244, explained Mike Lalonde, a real estate agent with Century 21.

Who is the largest employer in Nunavut?

The largest employer in Nunavut is government – federal, territorial, housing, retail stores, various organizations/ local businesses and municipal government.

How much do you get paid to live in Nunavut?

Nunavut Northern Allowance The GN pays a northern allowance to make up the differences in the cost of living between Nunavut communities and larger designated southern centres. The allowance is paid based on the community of employment. Currently, it varies from $15,016 to $34,455 annually.

Can you see polar bears in Yellowknife?

As a city in Canada’s north, Yellowknife is often painted with rumours and stereotypes. And, although there are lots of opportunities to see wildlife, there aren’t any polar bears roaming the city streets.

Can you drive to Nunavut?

Transportation. There are no roads to Nunavut. The 25 separate communities of Nunavut are not connected to each other by highway or by railroad, nor are they connected by road or rail to any other Canadian cities further south.