List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories

Location of the Northwest Territories in Canada

Distribution of the Northwest Territories' 24 municipalities by type

Skyline of downtown Yellowknife

Hay River, the territory's largest town and second-largest community

Inuvik, the third-largest municipality in the Northwest Territories

Behchoko, the territory's largest Tlicho community

Northwest Territories is the most populous of Canada's three territories with 41,462 residents as of 2011 and is the second-largest territory in land area at approximately 1,144,000 km² (442,000 sq mi).^[1] The Northwest Territories' 24 municipalities cover only 0.2% of the territory's land mass but are home to 96.8% of its population.^[1][2][3]

According to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act (CTVA), the Hamlets Act and the Charter Communities Act (CCA), all of which were enacted in 2003, a municipality is an area within a city, town, village, hamlet or charter community that was established or continued by a legislative order.^[4][5][6] The Tlicho Community Government Act (TCGA), enacted in 2004, also considers community governments as municipal corporations alongside charter communities, cities, hamlets, towns and villages.^[7]

Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories and its only city, while Fort Simpson is its only village. Of the remaining 22 municipalities, three of them are charter communities, four are community governments of the Tlicho people, eleven are hamlets and four are towns.^[3] The CTVA, the Hamlets Act, the CCA and the TCGA stipulate governance of these municipalities.^[4][5][6][7]

Nearly half of the population of the Northwest Territories (46.4%) resides in Yellowknife, the largest municipality in the territory at 19,234 residents.^[2] The smallest municipality by population is Enterprise with 99 residents.^[2][8] The largest municipality by area is Fort Resolution at 455.22 km² (175.76 sq mi), while the smallest is Gamèti at 9.19 km² (3.55 sq mi).^[2]

Cities

An application can be submitted to incorporate a community as a city under the Cities, Town and Villages Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, if the proposed city has a minimum assessed land value of $200 million or if an exception is made by the Minister.^[4] The only city in the Northwest Territories is Yellowknife.^[3] It had a population of 19,234 residents and a land area of 105.22 km² (40.63 sq mi) in the 2011 Census.^[2]

Towns

Like cities, an application to incorporate as a town can be submitted under the Cities, Town and Villages Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.^[4] In the case of a town however, the proposed town's minimum assessed land value must be $50 million unless an exception is made by the Minister.^[4] The Northwest Territories has four communities incorporated as towns.^[3] Hay River is the territory's largest town by population and land area with 3,606 residents and 133.15 km² (51.41 sq mi) respectively.^[2] Norman Wells is the smallest town by population at 727 residents while Inuvik is the smallest by land area at 62.48 km² (24.12 sq mi).^[2]

Villages

The Cities, Town and Villages Act enables an application to incorporate as a village at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.^[4] The proposed village's minimum assessed land value must be $10 million unless an exception is made by the Minister.^[4] The only village in the Northwest Territories is Fort Simpson.^[3] It had a population of 1,238 residents and a land area of 78.32 km² (30.24 sq mi).^[2]

Hamlets

At the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, an application can be submitted to incorporate a community as a hamlet under the Hamlets Act.^[5] Unlike cities, towns and villages, the incorporation of hamlets are not conditioned by a prescribed minimum assessed land value. Tuktoyaktuk is the territory's largest hamlet by population with 834 residents yet is its smallest by land area at 13.90 km² (5.37 sq mi).^[2] Enterprise is the smallest hamlet by population at 99 residents while Fort Resolution is the largest by land area at 455.22 km² (175.76 sq mi).^[2][8]

Charter communities

An application to incorporate as a community charter can be submitted under the Charter Communities Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.^[6] After consultation with community residents and groups, the application can be approved if 60% of the eligible electors vote to approve the incorporation.^[6] The Northwest Territories has three charter communities.^[3] Fort Good Hope is the territory's largest charter community by population with 515 residents yet the smallest by land area at 47.14 km² (18.20 sq mi).^[2] Tsiigehtchic is the smallest charter community by population at 143 residents while Deline is the largest by land area at 79.44 km² (30.67 sq mi).^[2]

Community governments

Four community governments were established through the enactment of the Tlicho Community Government Act.^[7] Behchoko is the territory's largest community government by population and land area at 1,926 residents and 75.17 km² (29.02 sq mi) respectively.^[2] Wekweeti is the smallest community government by population at 141 residents while Gamèti is the smallest by land area at 9.19 km² (3.55 sq mi).^[2]

List of municipalities

Name	Status[3]	Incorporation date[9]	Population (2011)[2]	Population (2006)[2]	Change[2]	Land area (km²)[2]	Population density [2]
Aklavik	Hamlet	January 1, 1974	633	594	+6.6%	14.47	43.7/km^2
Behchoko	Community government (Tlicho)	August 4, 2005[7]	1,926	1,894	+1.7%	75.17	25.6/km^2
Deline	Charter community	April 1, 1993	472	525	−10.1%	79.44	5.9/km^2
Enterprise	Hamlet	October 29, 2007	99[8]	97	+2.1%	286.89	0.3/km^2
Fort Good Hope	Charter community	April 1, 1995	515	557	−7.5%	47.14	10.9/km^2
Fort Liard	Hamlet	April 1, 1987	536	583	−8.1%	68.38	7.8/km^2
Fort McPherson	Hamlet	November 1, 1986	792	776	+2.1%	53.39	14.8/km^2
Fort Providence	Hamlet	January 1, 1987	734	727	+1.0%	255.05	2.9/km^2
Fort Resolution	Hamlet	January 5, 2011	474	484	−2.1%	455.22	1.0/km^2
Fort Simpson	Village	January 1, 1973	1,238	1,216	+1.8%	78.32	15.8/km^2
Fort Smith	Town	October 1, 1966[10]	2,496[8]	2,364	+5.6%	92.79	26.9/km^2
Gamèti	Community government (Tlicho)	August 4, 2005	253	283	−10.6%	9.19	27.5/km^2
Hay River	Town	June 27, 1963	3,606	3,648	−1.2%	133.15	27.1/km^2
Inuvik	Town	January 1, 1979	3,463	3,484	−0.6%	62.48	55.4/km^2
Norman Wells	Town	April 12, 1992	727	761	−4.5%	82.84	8.8/km^2
Paulatuk	Hamlet	April 1, 1987	313	294	+6.5%	66.86	4.7/km^2
Sachs Harbour	Hamlet	April 1, 1986	112	122	−8.2%	290.94	0.4/km^2
Tsiigehtchic	Charter community	June 21, 1993	143	175	−18.3%	48.98	2.9/km^2
Tuktoyaktuk	Hamlet	April 1, 1970	854	870	−1.8%	13.90	61.4/km^2
Tulita	Hamlet	April 1, 1984	478	505	−5.3%	52.12	9.2/km^2
Ulukhaktok	Hamlet	April 1, 1984[11]	402	398	+1.0%	124.45	3.2/km^2
Wekweeti	Community government (Tlicho)	August 4, 2005	141	137	+2.9%	14.67	9.6/km^2
Whatì	Community government (Tlicho)	August 4, 2005	492	460	+7.0%	59.95	8.2/km^2
Yellowknife	City	January 1, 1970[12][lower-alpha 1]	19,234	18,700	+2.9%	105.22	182.8/km^2
Total	—	—	40,133	39,654	+1.2%	2,571.26	15.6/km^2

See also

• List of communities in the Northwest Territories
• List of population centres in the Northwest Territories

Notes

1. Yellowknife incorporated as a municipal district in 1953 prior to incorporating as a city in 1970.^[12]

References

1. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2011 and 2006 censuses". Statistics Canada. January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
2. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. January 30, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
3. "List of municipalities – Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. September 6, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
4. "Cities, Towns and Villages Act, S.N.W.T. 2003, c.22" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. October 1, 2013. pp. 2–3 and 6. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
5. "Hamlets Act, S.N.W.T. 2003, c.22" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. October 1, 2013. pp. 16 and 18–19. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
6. "Charter Communities Act, S.N.W.T. 2003, c.22" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. April 1, 2004. p. 15 and 17–18. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
7. "Tlicho Community Government Act, S.N.W.T. 2004, c.7" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. August 4, 2005. pp. 16–17 and 20. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
8. "Corrections and updates: Population and dwelling count amendments, 2011 Census". Statistics Canada. August 13, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
9. "NWT Communities - List". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
10. "Town of Fort Smith News (Volume 22)" (PDF) (PDF). Town of Fort Smith. September 2011. p. 2. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
11. "Olokhaktomiut Community Conservation Plan" (PDF) (PDF). The Community of Ulukhaktok, The Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT), and the Joint Secretariat. July 2008. p. 17. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
12. "Community Profile" (PDF). City of Yellowknife. p. 30. Retrieved January 12, 2014.

External links

• Northwest Territories Municipal and Community Affairs