Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories

Fort McPherson Teet'lit Zheh The heart of the Gwich'in
Hamlet
A wooden church in Fort McPherson, NWT
Motto: Take what you need
Fort McPherson
Coordinates: 67°26′07″N 134°52′55″W / 67.43528°N 134.88194°WCoordinates: 67°26′07″N 134°52′55″W / 67.43528°N 134.88194°W
Country	Canada
Territory	Northwest Territories
Region	Inuvik Region
Constituency	Mackenzie Delta
Census division	Region 1
Hamlet	1 November 1986
Government
• Chief	William R Koe
• MLA	Fredrick (Sonny) Blake
Area[1]
• Land	53.39 km^2 (20.61 sq mi)
Elevation	43 m (141 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	792
• Density	14.8/km^2 (38/sq mi)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC−7)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC−6)
Canadian Postal code	X0E 0J0
Area code(s)	867
Telephone exchange	952
- Living cost	157.5^A
- Food price index	165.7^B
Website	www.fortmcpherson.ca
Sources: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,[2] Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[3] Canada Flight Supplement[4] ^A 209 figure based on Edmonton = 100[5] ^B 2012 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[5]
National Historic Site of Canada
Official name	Fort McPherson National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	1969

Fort McPherson (Gwich’in language: Teet'lit Zheh at the head of the waters) is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on the east bank of the Peel River and is 121 km (75 mi) south of Inuvik on the Dempster Highway.

The two principal languages spoken are Gwich'in and English.

Originally the site of a Hudson's Bay Company post the community was named for "Murdoch McPherson".

The Gwich’in people of Fort McPherson are very welcoming of strangers and go out of their way to make them welcome. Most people have vehicles and regularly make trips to either Inuvik, or Whitehorse.

History

Nova Scotian Francis Joseph Fitzgerald, leader of "The Lost Patrol"

Fort McPherson was the starting point of Francis Joseph Fitzgerald's famous tragic journey of "The Lost Patrol". All four men on the Patrol, including Fitzgerald, were buried at Fort McPherson on 28 March 1911. In 1938, the graves were cemented over into one large tomb (to the right of the flag pole in above image), with cement posts at the four corners connected by a chain. In the centre is a memorial to the Royal Northwest Mounted Police Patrol of 1910.

National Historic Site

In 1969, the area comprising the boundaries of the community of Fort McPherson, as it was mapped in 1898, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, in recognition of the fact that the site had served as the principal Hudson's Bay Company trading post in the MacKenzie Delta region for over 50 years, and had been the first North-West Mounted Police post in the Western Arctic.^[6]

Transportation

Fort McPherson is accessible by road all year from Dawson City and Whitehorse, Yukon, with the exception of spring break-up and fall freeze-up on the Peel River. The community also has access to Inuvik via the Dempster Highway and crosses the Mackenzie River at Tsiigehtchic.

There is also a small airport at Fort McPherson, Fort McPherson Airport, that has seasonal flights to Inuvik (Mike Zubko) Airport on Aklak Air when the road across the Peel is closed.^[7] The former Fort McPherson Water Aerodrome was listed as closed in the 15 March 2007 Canada Flight Supplement.^[4]

Demographics

Population is 792 according to the 2011 Census,^[1] a 2.1% increase over the 2006 Census count of 776. In 2012 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 808 with an average yearly growth rate of -0.2% from 2001.^[5] In the 2006 Census 715 people identified as aboriginal, 650 as North American Indian, 30 as Métis, 30 as Inuit or Inuvialuit, 10 giving multiple or other aboriginal responses and 55 Non-Aboriginal.^[8]

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% 1996 915 —     1997 887 −3.1% 1998 861 −2.9% 1999 861 +0.0% 2000 828 −3.8% 2001 831 +0.4% 2002 807 −2.9% 2003 816 +1.1% 2004 808 −1.0%	Year Pop. ±% 2005 812 +0.5% 2006 807 −0.6% 2007 805 −0.2% 2008 810 +0.6% 2009 807 −0.4% 2010 804 −0.4% 2011 816 +1.5% 2012 808 −1.0%
Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics (2001-2012)[5]

Climate

Fort McPherson experiences a subarctic climate. The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort McPherson was 33.3 °C (92 °F) on 7 August 1919 and 20 July 2001.^[9][10] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −55.6 °C (−68 °F) on 14 January 1894.^[11]

Climate data for Fort McPherson Airport, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1892–present[lower-alpha 1]
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	8.9 (48)	10.0 (50)	10.6 (51.1)	16.7 (62.1)	29.5 (85.1)	32.0 (89.6)	33.3 (91.9)	33.3 (91.9)	27.2 (81)	24.1 (75.4)	10.0 (50)	9.0 (48.2)	33.3 (91.9)
Average high °C (°F)	−23.8 (−10.8)	−20.8 (−5.4)	−14.9 (5.2)	−4.0 (24.8)	6.9 (44.4)	18.5 (65.3)	20.2 (68.4)	16.4 (61.5)	8.4 (47.1)	−4.0 (24.8)	−17.2 (1)	−20.8 (−5.4)	−2.9 (26.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−27.5 (−17.5)	−24.9 (−12.8)	−20.3 (−4.5)	−9.9 (14.2)	2.1 (35.8)	13.0 (55.4)	15.2 (59.4)	11.8 (53.2)	4.6 (40.3)	−7.0 (19.4)	−20.5 (−4.9)	−24.4 (−11.9)	−7.3 (18.9)
Average low °C (°F)	−31.1 (−24)	−29.0 (−20.2)	−25.7 (−14.3)	−15.7 (3.7)	−2.7 (27.1)	7.5 (45.5)	10.2 (50.4)	7.2 (45)	0.8 (33.4)	−9.9 (14.2)	−23.8 (−10.8)	−28.1 (−18.6)	−11.7 (10.9)
Record low °C (°F)	−55.6 (−68.1)	−55.0 (−67)	−48.9 (−56)	−44.4 (−47.9)	−25.6 (−14.1)	−6.7 (19.9)	−1.1 (30)	−6.7 (19.9)	−19.5 (−3.1)	−37.5 (−35.5)	−46.7 (−52.1)	−50.6 (−59.1)	−55.6 (−68.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	14.9 (0.587)	14.8 (0.583)	12.7 (0.5)	10.9 (0.429)	17.2 (0.677)	25.5 (1.004)	46.4 (1.827)	39.4 (1.551)	33.1 (1.303)	37.0 (1.457)	29.0 (1.142)	17.0 (0.669)	297.7 (11.72)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	0.0 (0)	0.0 (0)	0.0 (0)	0.3 (0.012)	8.2 (0.323)	25.1 (0.988)	46.4 (1.827)	39.1 (1.539)	25.7 (1.012)	1.2 (0.047)	0.0 (0)	0.0 (0)	145.9 (5.744)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	14.9 (5.87)	14.8 (5.83)	12.7 (5)	10.6 (4.17)	9.0 (3.54)	0.4 (0.16)	0.0 (0)	0.3 (0.12)	7.4 (2.91)	36.4 (14.33)	29.0 (11.42)	17.0 (6.69)	152.5 (60.04)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	6.4	5.1	6.0	4.1	5.2	7.0	9.9	11.3	11.0	11.8	9.9	6.8	94.3
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	2.5	6.9	9.9	11.3	8.8	0.8	0.0	0.1	40.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)	6.4	5.1	6.0	4.0	2.9	0.2	0.0	0.2	2.6	11.2	9.9	6.7	55.1
Source: Environment Canada[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][9][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

See also

• List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories

References

1. Fort McPherson, HAM Northwest Territories (Census subdivision)
2. "NWT Communities - Fort McPherson". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
3. "Northwest Territories Official Community Names and Pronunciation Guide". Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Yellowknife: Education, Culture and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
4. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 15 September 2016 to 0901Z 10 November 2016
5. Fort McPherson - Statistical Profile at the GNWT
6. Fort McPherson National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
7. Flight Schedule
8. Fort McPherson Aboriginal profile
9. "Daily Data Report for August 1919". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
10. "Fort McPherson A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201601. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
11. "Daily Data Report for January 1894". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
12. "Daily Data Report for March 1897". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
13. "Daily Data Report for April 1899". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
14. "Daily Data Report for February 1911". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
15. "Daily Data Report for January 1916". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
16. "Daily Data Report for June 1918". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
17. "Daily Data Report for February 1918". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
18. "Daily Data Report for March 1926". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
19. "Daily Data Report for November 1927". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
20. "Daily Data Report for August 1928". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
21. "Daily Data Report for May 1935". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
22. "Daily Data Report for December 1937". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
23. "Daily Data Report for September 1940". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
24. "Daily Data Report for April 1960". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
25. "Daily Data Report for February 1968". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
26. "Daily Data Report for May 2010". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201601. Retrieved 1 July 2016.

1. Climate data was recorded at Fort McPherson from October 1892 to June 1977 and at Fort McPherson Airport from August 1981 to present.

Further reading

• Carefoot, E. I., and N. A. Lawrence. Utility Study Settlement of Ft. McPherson for Department of Public Works, Government of the Northwest Territories. Edmonton: Associated Engineering Services, 1972.
• Gallupe, Scott. Husky Lake, Fort McPherson Area Historic Hydrocarbon Exploration Investigation June 29, 1992. Inuvik, NT: Northern Affairs Program, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1992.
• Kakfwi, Stephen. Literacy Program Funding, Fort McPherson. Yellowknife?, N.W.T.: Northwest Territories, Executive Council, 1991.
• Manitoba Free Press. Pemmican Made at Fort McPherson, a Hudson's Bay Company's Post Sixty-Five Miles Within the Arctic Circle and Two Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy-Eight Miles Northwest of Winnipeg A Christmas Present from the Manitoba Free Press. Winnipeg: [s.n.], 1902. ISBN 0-665-78324-8
• Northern Engineering Services Company, and Canadian Arctic Gas Study Limited. Report on All-Weather Road from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Fort McPherson, N.W.T. [Canada?]: Northern Engineering Services, 1972.
• Northwest Territories, and Jane Gilmartin Gilchrist Collection (Newberry Library). Gwich'in Alphabet Posters Fort McPherson Dialect. [Fort McPherson]: Northwest Territories, Dept. of Education, Programs and Evaluation Branch, 1981.
• Ripley, Klohn & Leonoff International Limited. Community Granular Materials Inventory Fort McPherson, N.W.T. [s.l.]: Dept. of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, 1972.

External links

• Fort McPherson Hamlet website