Fort Smith, Northwest Territories
Encyclopedia
Fort Smith is a town
in the South Slave Region
of the Northwest Territories
, Canada
. It is located in the southeastern portion of the Northwest Territories, on the Slave River
and adjacent to the NWT/Alberta
border.
route from what is now Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta on the western bank of the Slave River to Fort Smith. This route allowed one to navigate the four sets of impassible rapids (Cassette Rapids, Pelican Rapids, Mountain Rapids and Rapids of the Drowned). The portage trail had been traditionally used by local aboriginal people for centuries.
The aboriginal population of the region shifted as the fortunes of the tribes changed. By 1870, Cree
had occupied the Slave River Valley. The Slavey had moved north by this time and the Chipewyan
had also begun moving into the area.
When the Hudson's Bay Company learned of the area in 1715, it sent William Steward to establish trade with the local populace. He is acknowledged as being the first "white man" in the Mackenzie region.
In 1872, the Hudson's Bay Company built an outpost called Smith's Landing at the most southern set of rapids. In 1874, another outpost was constructed at the most northern set of rapids and called Fort Smith. Both posts were named in honour of Donald Alexander Smith.
In 1876, the Roman Catholic Mission was moved from Salt River to Fort Smith while the community was prospering.
In 1898, the Yukon Gold Rush brought many gold seekers over the portages and through Fort Smith.
In 1911, government was established in Fort Smith when Ottawa sent an Indian Affairs agent, a regional medical doctor and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
opened a detachment. With these developments, Fort Smith became not only the transportation centre for the Western Arctic but the administrative one as well.
The mission sawmill produced lumber for the first hospital, St. Anne's, built in 1914 for the Grey Nuns. The sawmill also supplied the lumber for the first school built in 1915. Also maintained by the Roman Catholic Mission was St. Bruno's Farm that supplied produce, meat and dairy. Until it was closed in the 1920s the farm supplied all the Church's Missions in the Western Arctic maintaining a herd of more than 140 cattle.
With the discovery of oil at Norman Wells, a federal government administration building was constructed to house the new Northwest Territories Branch and the first Court of Justice in the Mackenzie District.
Wood Buffalo National Park
was established in 1922 with its operations and administration headquarters in Fort Smith.
In 1925, Fort Smith received the first Royal Canadian Corps of Signals air radio station in the Northwest Territories. An airport was later built in 1928.
The discovery of gold in Yellowknife in 1938 also represented an economic boost to Fort Smith as many prospectors came passing through. In the same year, an Anglican Mission house was built and a church was added in 1939.
in 1942, Fort Smith played its own small part in the war effort when huge armies raged across the globe in the Second World War. With a population of 250, Fort Smith hosted 2,000 United States Army soldiers who were en route to the Canol Oil Pipeline Project at Norman Wells
. They brought hundreds of barge loads of supplies and in order to move these they built a tractor road to Hay River
and even farther North. This road allowed Fort Smith to receive goods from Edmonton, Alberta during the winter months.
The continued gold fever that fuelled Yellowknife's growth also allowed Fort Smith's population to grow fivefold in the decade following 1945. This was reflected in the increase in government administrative facilities and the growth of its role as a transportation hub for the Mackenzie District.
Fort Smith was incorporated as a village in 1964 and in two short years later, with a population of 2,130, became a town on October 1, 1966. The all-weather road to Hay River was officially completed in 1966 as well, permanently linking Fort Smith to the south.
The completion of a southern rail link to Hay River in 1964 meant that Fort Smith's role as the transportation hub was largely negated and subsequently barge operations on the Slave River ceased in 1968.
When Yellowknife became the official Territorial capital in 1967, Fort Smith still remained the administrative centre of the Government of the NWT's vast region. See History of Northwest Territories capital cities
On Friday August 9, 1968 disaster struck Fort Smith when a landslide some 3300 by broke away from the riverbank causing property damage and killing one person. The riverbank area has since been sloped to stabilize it and now the gentle hillside is known as the Riverbank Park, complete with groomed trails, picnic areas and a viewing platform where one can see the Rapids of the Drowned.
In 1970, an Adult Vocational Training Centre was opened. Its operations were later expanded and in 1981 it became Thebacha College. A few years later, Arctic College was created by the Government of the NWT and the Thebacha Campus was also home to the headquarter offices. In 1995, the college has changed its name to Aurora College
to allow Nunavut the use of the Arctic College name.
Today, Fort Smith is based on an economy of federal, territorial and aboriginal government along with education and tourism. In 2008, there was some interest in re-establishing a portage route to supply the Fort McMurray oilsands operations.
is located in Fort Smith. The headquarters and Thebacha campus of Aurora College
is located in Fort Smith, it is the largest of the three campus locations in the NWT. Fort Smith is located in the South Slave Region (administrative) and the Fort Smith Region
(census division).
Fort Smith is accessible all year long via the Mackenzie Highway
. A winter road operates for several months to connect to Fort Chipewyan
and from there to Fort McMurray
.
, it has a population of 2,364, the majority of which are First Nations
. The main languages are English
, Chipewyan
, Cree
, Michif
. In 2009, the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 2,466 compared to 2,560 in 1996, resulting in an average annual growth rate of -0.3 between 1996 and 2009.
and home of the museum ship Radium King
.
Every year the South Slave Friendship Festival, a music and arts festival, occurs in Fort Smith, usually in August. Musicians and artists from across the Northwest Territories and many other faraway places come to interact with other artists and show off their talents to the public.
Many tourists come to see the world-class Slave River and many kayakers try its rapids.
Fort Smith Mission Park is a popular tourist attraction featuring historic buildings and a grotto from the Oblate
Catholic Mission.
In the summer months, pelican
s can be seen nesting on the various rapids near Fort Smith. Whooping Crane
s, an endangered species, also nest in the area during the summer and can be viewed via air charters as ground access is prohibited.
.
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation is located in Fort Smith. In 1996, a Framework Agreement was signed with the Government of the NWT and the Government of Canada to commence negotiations on land, resources and self-government.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the South Slave Region
South Slave Region
The South Slave Region is one of five administrative regions in the Northwest Territories. The region consists of seven communities with the regional offices situated in Fort Smith and Hay River. With the exception of Enterprise and Hay River the communities are predominately First...
of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located in the southeastern portion of the Northwest Territories, on the Slave River
Slave River
The Slave River is a Canadian river that flows from Lake Athabasca in northeastern Alberta and empties into Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories....
and adjacent to the NWT/Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
border.
History
Fort Smith's history began because of the Slave River and the vital link it provided for water transportation between southern Canada and the Western Arctic. Early fur traders found an established portagePortage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
route from what is now Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta on the western bank of the Slave River to Fort Smith. This route allowed one to navigate the four sets of impassible rapids (Cassette Rapids, Pelican Rapids, Mountain Rapids and Rapids of the Drowned). The portage trail had been traditionally used by local aboriginal people for centuries.
The aboriginal population of the region shifted as the fortunes of the tribes changed. By 1870, Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
had occupied the Slave River Valley. The Slavey had moved north by this time and the Chipewyan
Chipewyan
The Chipewyan are a Dene Aboriginal people in Canada, whose ancestors were the Taltheilei...
had also begun moving into the area.
When the Hudson's Bay Company learned of the area in 1715, it sent William Steward to establish trade with the local populace. He is acknowledged as being the first "white man" in the Mackenzie region.
In 1872, the Hudson's Bay Company built an outpost called Smith's Landing at the most southern set of rapids. In 1874, another outpost was constructed at the most northern set of rapids and called Fort Smith. Both posts were named in honour of Donald Alexander Smith.
In 1876, the Roman Catholic Mission was moved from Salt River to Fort Smith while the community was prospering.
In 1898, the Yukon Gold Rush brought many gold seekers over the portages and through Fort Smith.
In 1911, government was established in Fort Smith when Ottawa sent an Indian Affairs agent, a regional medical doctor and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
opened a detachment. With these developments, Fort Smith became not only the transportation centre for the Western Arctic but the administrative one as well.
The mission sawmill produced lumber for the first hospital, St. Anne's, built in 1914 for the Grey Nuns. The sawmill also supplied the lumber for the first school built in 1915. Also maintained by the Roman Catholic Mission was St. Bruno's Farm that supplied produce, meat and dairy. Until it was closed in the 1920s the farm supplied all the Church's Missions in the Western Arctic maintaining a herd of more than 140 cattle.
With the discovery of oil at Norman Wells, a federal government administration building was constructed to house the new Northwest Territories Branch and the first Court of Justice in the Mackenzie District.
Wood Buffalo National Park
Wood Buffalo National Park
Wood Buffalo National Park, located in northeastern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, is the largest national park in Canada at . The park was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free roaming Wood Bison, currently estimated at more than 5,000...
was established in 1922 with its operations and administration headquarters in Fort Smith.
In 1925, Fort Smith received the first Royal Canadian Corps of Signals air radio station in the Northwest Territories. An airport was later built in 1928.
The discovery of gold in Yellowknife in 1938 also represented an economic boost to Fort Smith as many prospectors came passing through. In the same year, an Anglican Mission house was built and a church was added in 1939.
in 1942, Fort Smith played its own small part in the war effort when huge armies raged across the globe in the Second World War. With a population of 250, Fort Smith hosted 2,000 United States Army soldiers who were en route to the Canol Oil Pipeline Project at Norman Wells
Norman Wells, Northwest Territories
Norman Wells is the regional centre for the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada...
. They brought hundreds of barge loads of supplies and in order to move these they built a tractor road to Hay River
Hay River, Northwest Territories
Hay River , known as "the Hub of the North," is a town in the Northwest Territories, Canada, located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, at the mouth of the Hay River. The town is separated into two sections, a new town and an old town with the Hay River Airport between them...
and even farther North. This road allowed Fort Smith to receive goods from Edmonton, Alberta during the winter months.
The continued gold fever that fuelled Yellowknife's growth also allowed Fort Smith's population to grow fivefold in the decade following 1945. This was reflected in the increase in government administrative facilities and the growth of its role as a transportation hub for the Mackenzie District.
Fort Smith was incorporated as a village in 1964 and in two short years later, with a population of 2,130, became a town on October 1, 1966. The all-weather road to Hay River was officially completed in 1966 as well, permanently linking Fort Smith to the south.
The completion of a southern rail link to Hay River in 1964 meant that Fort Smith's role as the transportation hub was largely negated and subsequently barge operations on the Slave River ceased in 1968.
When Yellowknife became the official Territorial capital in 1967, Fort Smith still remained the administrative centre of the Government of the NWT's vast region. See History of Northwest Territories capital cities
History of Northwest Territories capital cities
The history of Northwest Territories capital cities begins with the purchase of the Territories by Canada from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869 and includes a varied and often difficult evolution. Northwest Territories is unique amongst the other provinces and territories of Canada in that it has...
On Friday August 9, 1968 disaster struck Fort Smith when a landslide some 3300 by broke away from the riverbank causing property damage and killing one person. The riverbank area has since been sloped to stabilize it and now the gentle hillside is known as the Riverbank Park, complete with groomed trails, picnic areas and a viewing platform where one can see the Rapids of the Drowned.
In 1970, an Adult Vocational Training Centre was opened. Its operations were later expanded and in 1981 it became Thebacha College. A few years later, Arctic College was created by the Government of the NWT and the Thebacha Campus was also home to the headquarter offices. In 1995, the college has changed its name to Aurora College
Aurora College
Aurora College, formerly Arctic College, is a college in the Northwest Territories, Canada with campuses in Inuvik, Fort Smith and Yellowknife. They have learning centres in 23 communities in the NWT. The head office for Aurora College is located in Fort Smith.-Mission:*Aurora College is dedicated...
to allow Nunavut the use of the Arctic College name.
Today, Fort Smith is based on an economy of federal, territorial and aboriginal government along with education and tourism. In 2008, there was some interest in re-establishing a portage route to supply the Fort McMurray oilsands operations.
Geography
The town is approximately 300 km (186.4 mi) southeast of Yellowknife, the territorial capital. The park headquarters for Wood Buffalo National ParkWood Buffalo National Park
Wood Buffalo National Park, located in northeastern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, is the largest national park in Canada at . The park was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free roaming Wood Bison, currently estimated at more than 5,000...
is located in Fort Smith. The headquarters and Thebacha campus of Aurora College
Aurora College
Aurora College, formerly Arctic College, is a college in the Northwest Territories, Canada with campuses in Inuvik, Fort Smith and Yellowknife. They have learning centres in 23 communities in the NWT. The head office for Aurora College is located in Fort Smith.-Mission:*Aurora College is dedicated...
is located in Fort Smith, it is the largest of the three campus locations in the NWT. Fort Smith is located in the South Slave Region (administrative) and the Fort Smith Region
Fort Smith Region, Northwest Territories
Fort Smith Region is one of Statistics Canada's two census divisions of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It contains more than 77 percent of the population and more than 54 percent of the land area of the Northwest Territories. Its main economic centre is the territorial capital of Yellowknife...
(census division).
Fort Smith is accessible all year long via the Mackenzie Highway
Mackenzie Highway
The Mackenzie Highway is a Canadian highway in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It begins as Alberta Highway 2 at Mile Zero in Grimshaw, Alberta...
. A winter road operates for several months to connect to Fort Chipewyan
Fort Chipewyan, Alberta
Fort Chipewyan, commonly referred to as Fort Chip, is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. It is located on the western tip of Lake Athabasca, adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park, approximately north of Fort McMurray.Fort Chipewyan is one of...
and from there to Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray, Alberta
Fort McMurray is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It was previously incorporated as a city on September 1, 1980. It became an urban service area when it amalgamated with Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995 to create the Municipality...
.
Climate
Demographics
According to the 2006 CensusCanada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, it has a population of 2,364, the majority of which are First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. The main languages are English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Chipewyan
Dene Suline language
Dene Suline or Chipewyan is the language spoken by the Chipewyan people of central Canada. It is a part of the Athabaskan family...
, Cree
Cree language
Cree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
, Michif
Michif language
Michif is the language of the Métis people of Canada and the United States, who are the descendants of First Nations women and fur trade workers of European ancestry...
. In 2009, the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 2,466 compared to 2,560 in 1996, resulting in an average annual growth rate of -0.3 between 1996 and 2009.
Tourism
Fort Smith is the home of the Northern Life MuseumNorthern Life Museum (Fort Smith, NWT)
The Northern Life Museum is in Fort Smith Northwest Territories, Canada. The museum has a collection of over 12,000 artifacts representing the peoples and history of the North. Many of the artifacts were collected by the Oblate Fathers and the Grey Nuns during their missionary work in the...
and home of the museum ship Radium King
Radium King
The Radium King was built in 1937 to haul ore on Great Bear Lake. This included uranium used in the US atom bombs of World War II. Later in her active career she hauled barges on Great Slave Lake. In 1967 the boat was retired...
.
Every year the South Slave Friendship Festival, a music and arts festival, occurs in Fort Smith, usually in August. Musicians and artists from across the Northwest Territories and many other faraway places come to interact with other artists and show off their talents to the public.
Many tourists come to see the world-class Slave River and many kayakers try its rapids.
Fort Smith Mission Park is a popular tourist attraction featuring historic buildings and a grotto from the Oblate
Oblate
An oblate spheroid is a rotationally symmetric ellipsoid having a polar axis shorter than the diameter of the equatorial circle whose plane bisects it. Oblate spheroids stand in contrast to prolate spheroids....
Catholic Mission.
In the summer months, pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s can be seen nesting on the various rapids near Fort Smith. Whooping Crane
Whooping Crane
The whooping crane , the tallest North American bird, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild...
s, an endangered species, also nest in the area during the summer and can be viewed via air charters as ground access is prohibited.
Governance
Fort Smith is represented by the Salt River First Nation#195 and are part of the Akaitcho Territory GovernmentAkaitcho Territory Government
The Akaitcho Territory Government is a First Nations organization representing the Dene people of the Northwest Territories, Canada.-Members:*Deninu Kue First Nation - Fort Resolution*Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation - Lutselk'e...
.
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation is located in Fort Smith. In 1996, a Framework Agreement was signed with the Government of the NWT and the Government of Canada to commence negotiations on land, resources and self-government.
See also
- Fort Smith AirportFort Smith AirportFort Smith Airport is located near Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada. Runway 02/20 has no winter maintenance.-Airlines and destinations:...
- Fort Smith (District) Heliport
External links
- Municipal Affairs and Community Administration profile
- Official website
- Aurora College - Official School Website
- Pentecostal Sub-Arctic Leadership Training College - Official School Website
- Slave River Journal - community newspaper