Fort Providence, Northwest Territories
Encyclopedia
Fort Providence is a hamlet
in the South Slave Region
of the Northwest Territories
, Canada
. Located west of Great Slave Lake
, it has all-weather road connections by way of the Yellowknife Highway
(Great Slave Highway) branch off the Mackenzie Highway
, and the Deh Cho Bridge
is currently being built near Fort Providence over the Mackenzie
, to replace the ice bridge
and ferry, enabling year-round crossing of the river.
Fort Providence is well known for hosting the annual Mackenzie Days celebrations in August each year.
The recorded population was 727 in the 2006 Census
, the majority of which are Dene
. In 2009 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 759 with an average yearly growth rate of -0.2 from 1996.
The Dene of the community are represented by the Deh Gah Gotie Dene Band and the Métis
by Fort Providence Métis Nation. Both groups belong to the Dehcho First Nations.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
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...
. Located west of Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada , the deepest lake in North America at , and the ninth-largest lake in the world. It is long and wide. It covers an area of in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from to and up to ...
, it has all-weather road connections by way of the Yellowknife Highway
Yellowknife Highway
Highway 3, known more commonly as the Yellowknife Highway, but also the Great Slave Highway, connects Yellowknife, Northwest Territories to Highway 1, from a junction north of the Alberta border. Built in 1968, the highway is now completely paved and realigned after years of work concluded in...
(Great Slave Highway) branch off 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...
, and the Deh Cho Bridge
Deh Cho Bridge
The Deh Cho Bridge, currently under construction since 2008, will be a bridge across a span of the Mackenzie River on Highway 3 near Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, Canada...
is currently being built near Fort Providence over the Mackenzie
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
, to replace the ice bridge
Ice road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
and ferry, enabling year-round crossing of the river.
Fort Providence is well known for hosting the annual Mackenzie Days celebrations in August each year.
The recorded population was 727 in the 2006 Census
Canada 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...
, the majority of which are Dene
Dene
The Dene are an aboriginal group of First Nations who live in the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dené speak Northern Athabaskan languages. Dene is the common Athabaskan word for "people" . The term "Dene" has two usages...
. In 2009 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 759 with an average yearly growth rate of -0.2 from 1996.
The Dene of the community are represented by the Deh Gah Gotie Dene Band and the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
by Fort Providence Métis Nation. Both groups belong to the Dehcho First Nations.