| Fort Smith Thebacha |
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| — Town — | |
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Fort Smith
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Territory | Northwest Territories |
| Region | South Slave Region |
| Constituency | Thebacha |
| Census division | Fort Smith Region, Northwest Territories |
| Town | 1 October 1966 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Janie Hobart |
| • Senior Administrative Officer | Brenda Black |
| • MLA | Michael Miltenberger |
| Area | |
| • Total | 92.79 km2 (35.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 205 m (673 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 2,364 |
| • Density | 25.5/km2 (66/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| Postal code | X0E 0P0 |
| Area code(s) | 867 |
| Telephone Exchange | 872 |
| Prices | |
| - Living cost | 127.5A |
| - Food price index | 112.6B |
| GNBC Code | LAILN |
| NTS Map | 075D04 |
| Website | www.fortsmith.ca |
| Sources:Community Governance Data List,[1] 2006 Canada Census,[2] Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[3] Fort Smith profile at the Legislative Assembly[4] Canada Flight Supplement[5] ^A 2005 figure based on Edmonton = 100[6] ^B 2004 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[6] |
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Fort Smith (Chipewyan language: Thebacha "beside the rapids") 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.
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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 portage 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 3,300 by 990 ft (1,000 by 300 m) 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.
The town is approximately 300 km (190 mi) southeast of Yellowknife, the territorial capital. The park headquarters for Wood Buffalo National Park 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.
| Climate data for Fort Smith | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) |
12.2 (54.0) |
14.9 (58.8) |
30.0 (86.0) |
31.8 (89.2) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
35.3 (95.5) |
31.7 (89.1) |
26.1 (79.0) |
13.3 (55.9) |
9.7 (49.5) |
35.3 (95.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −19.2 (−2.6) |
−14 (6.8) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
6.0 (42.8) |
15.0 (59.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
22.9 (73.2) |
20.7 (69.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−16.4 (2.5) |
3.3 (37.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −24.1 (−11.4) |
−19.8 (−3.6) |
−12.4 (9.7) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
8.5 (47.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
8.0 (46.4) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−20.9 (−5.6) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −28.9 (−20.0) |
−25.6 (−14.1) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
1.9 (35.4) |
7.8 (46.0) |
10.1 (50.2) |
8.1 (46.6) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−25.4 (−13.7) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −49.4 (−56.9) |
−53.9 (−65.0) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
−40.6 (−41.1) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−27.9 (−18.2) |
−40.6 (−41.1) |
−48.3 (−54.9) |
−53.9 (−65.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 17.9 (0.705) |
13.5 (0.531) |
12.5 (0.492) |
12.5 (0.492) |
29.6 (1.165) |
51.2 (2.016) |
54.4 (2.142) |
55.1 (2.169) |
41.8 (1.646) |
30.4 (1.197) |
24.5 (0.965) |
18.6 (0.732) |
362.0 (14.252) |
| Source: Environment Canada[7] | |||||||||||||
| Population estimates (1996–2009) |
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| Year | Pop. | %± | |
| 1996 | 2,560 |
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| 1997 | 2,548 | -0.5% | |
| 1998 | 2,428 | -4.7% | |
| 1999 | 2,452 | 1.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,430 | -0.9% | |
| 2001 | 2,326 | -4.3% | |
| 2002 | 2,374 | 2.1% | |
| 2003 | 2,437 | 2.7% | |
| 2004 | 2,498 | 2.5% | |
| 2005 | 2,445 | -2.1% | |
| 2006 | 2,465 | 0.8% | |
| 2007 | 2,494 | 1.2% | |
| 2008 | 2,462 | -1.3% | |
| 2009 | 2,466 | 0.2% | |
| Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics[6] | |||
According to the 2006 Census, it has a population of 2,364, the majority of which are First Nations.[2] 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.[6]
Fort Smith is the home of the Northern Life Museum 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, pelicans can be seen nesting on the various rapids near Fort Smith. Whooping Cranes, an endangered species, also nest in the area during the summer and can be viewed via air charters as ground access is prohibited.
Fort Smith is represented by the Salt River First Nation#195[8] and are part of the Akaitcho Territory Government.[9]
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.[10]
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