Yellowknife, Canada

Yellowknife is the capital city of the Northwest Territory, Canada. Located north of the 60th parallel, it is the land of the "Midnight Sun" in the summer while "Northern Lights" dance across the sky in the winter.

The community is situated on the northern shores of Great Slave Lake and at the end of the Frontier Highway (Hwy #4). It is a transportation, commercial, government and recreation centre of the "Northern Frontier" servicing the entire Northwest Territory region

There is industry, business and adventure located throughout the Yellowknife region. Diamond minesare big industry. Tourism is big adventure. Both attract travelers to the ``Diamond Capital of North America``. A community which enjoys many services important to travelers.

Some of the services in the Yellowknife area that are important to travelers include accommodations, campgrounds, tours, guides, car rentals, airport, gas stations, air travel, restaurants (both fast food and fine dining), coffee shops, grocery stores, post office, art galleries, museums, internet, laundromat, banks, repair shops and gift stores.

The streets of downtown Yellowknife are a mixture of the past and present. Many of the streets are named after early pioneers, fur traders and entrepreneurs. There are older buildings mixed in with modern high rise buildings up and down the main streets of the city. For more heritage, many of the buildings with history are in the section of Yellowknife called "Old Town".

"Old Town" is home to floatplane bases, historic buildings, boats and docks. Some of the highlights ofthe area include the Pilots Monument, "Ragged Ass Road" and Wildcat Cafe. Wildcat Cafe is an old fashion pioneer restaurant first built in 1937 to service the prospectors, trappers and bush pilots. Today , it is a United Nations World Heritage Site serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from May to September.

Some of the summer activities enjoyed in the Yellowknife region include canoeing, hiking, kayaking, swimming, birdwatching, fishing, boating, flightseeing, backpacking, water skiing, off roading, river rafting, golfing and sailing. A popular area to explore for adventure with lakes, rivers, waterfalls, hiking trails and parks is Ingraham Trail.

During the winter months, the snow flies, the temperatures drop, lakes and rivers freeze over and the Northern lIghts light up the sky. It is magical time for winter activities. Some of the the activities enjoyed in the Yellowknife area include aurora borealis sightseeing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ice fishing and dog sledding.

The Arctic Tundra, Great Slave Lake, the Canadian Shield, the Barrenlands are all special places with special wildlife accustomed to harsh winter climates. Wildlife sightings may include caribou, Dall sheep, moose, grizzlies, wolves, bison, muskox, porcupine, beaver, gyrfalcon, wolverine, polar & black bear just to name a few.