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Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories

Fort McPherson (Gwich'in: Teetł'it Zheh [tʰeː.tɬʼɪtʰ ʒɛh], at the head of the waters) is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on the east bank of the Peel River and is 121 km (75 mi) south of Inuvik on the Dempster Highway.

Fort McPherson
Teetł'it Zheh
The heart of the Gwichʼin
Hamlet
A wooden church in Fort McPherson, NWT
A wooden church in Fort McPherson, NWT
Motto: 
"Take what you need"
Fort McPherson is located in Northwest Territories
Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson is located in Canada
Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson
Coordinates: 67°26′07″N 134°52′57″W / 67.43528°N 134.88250°W / 67.43528; -134.88250[1]
CountryCanada
TerritoryNorthwest Territories
RegionInuvik Region
Electoral districtMackenzie Delta
Census divisionRegion 1
Hamlet1 November 1986
Government
 • MayorRichard Nerysoo
 • Senior Administrative OfficerSusan Blake
 • MLAFrederick Blake Jr.
Area
 (2021)[2]
 • Land53.83 km2 (20.78 sq mi)
Elevation
43 m (141 ft)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total
647
 • Density12.0/km2 (31/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Postal code
X0E 0J0
Area code867
Telephone exchange952
- Living cost (2018)162.5A
- Food price index162.8B
Websitewww.fortmcpherson.ca
Sources:
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,[3]
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[4]
Canada Flight Supplement[5]
^A 2018 figure based on Edmonton = 100[6]
^B 2019 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[6]
Official nameFort McPherson National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1969

The First Nations people who make up the majority are Gwichʼin (Teetł'it Gwich'in) and the two principal languages spoken are Gwichʼin and English.[7] Originally the site of a Hudson's Bay Company post the community was named for Murdoch McPherson.

Most people have vehicles and regularly make trips to either Inuvik, or Whitehorse, Yukon.

History

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Fort McPherson was the starting point of Francis Joseph Fitzgerald's famous tragic journey of "The Lost Patrol". All four men on the Patrol, including Fitzgerald, were buried at Fort McPherson on 28 March 1911. In 1938, the graves were cemented over into one large tomb (to the right of the flag pole in above image), with cement posts at the four corners connected by a chain. In the centre is a memorial to the Royal Northwest Mounted Police Patrol of 1910.

National Historic Site

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In 1969, the area comprising the boundaries of the community of Fort McPherson, as it was mapped in 1898, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, in recognition of the fact that the site had served as the principal Hudson's Bay Company trading post in the MacKenzie Delta region for over 50 years, and had been the first North-West Mounted Police post in the Western Arctic.[8]

Transportation

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Fort McPherson is accessible by road all year from Dawson City and Whitehorse, Yukon, with the exception of spring break-up and fall freeze-up on the Peel River. The community also has access to Inuvik via the Dempster Highway and crosses the Mackenzie River at Tsiigehtchic.

There is also a small airport at Fort McPherson, Fort McPherson Airport, that has seasonal flights to Inuvik (Mike Zubko) Airport on Aklak Air when the road across the Peel is closed.[9] The former Fort McPherson Water Aerodrome was listed as closed in the 15 March 2007 Canada Flight Supplement.[5]

Demographics

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In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort McPherson had a population of 647 living in 255 of its 318 total private dwellings, a change of -7.6% from its 2016 population of 700. With a land area of 53.83 km2 (20.78 sq mi), it had a population density of 12.0/km2 (31.1/sq mi) in 2021.[2]

In the 2021 census 645 people identified as Indigenous, 560 as First Nations, 30 as Métis, 85 as Inuit or Inuvialuit, and 105 non-Indigenous.[10]

Federal census population history of Fort McPherson
YearPop.±%
1976710—    
1981623−12.3%
1986760+22.0%
1991759−0.1%
1996878+15.7%
2001773−12.0%
2006776+0.4%
2011792+2.1%
2016700−11.6%
2021647−7.6%
Source: Statistics Canada
[2][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]
Annual population estimates
YearPop.±%
1996915—    
1997887−3.1%
1998861−2.9%
1999861+0.0%
2000828−3.8%
2001832+0.5%
2002809−2.8%
2003820+1.4%
2004813−0.9%
2005814+0.1%
2006805−1.1%
2007809+0.5%
YearPop.±%
2008801−1.0%
2009815+1.7%
2010805−1.2%
2011813+1.0%
2012810−0.4%
2013795−1.9%
2014791−0.5%
2015786−0.6%
2016795+1.1%
2017776−2.4%
2018672−13.4%
2019635−5.5%
Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics (2008 - 2019),[6] NWT Bureau of Statistics (2001 - 2017)[19]

Climate

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Fort McPherson experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort McPherson was 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) on 6 August 2024.[20] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −55.6 °C (−68.1 °F) on 14 January 1894.[21]

Climate data for Fort McPherson (Fort McPherson Airport)
Climate ID: 2201601; coordinates 67°24′28″N 135°51′37″W / 67.40778°N 135.86028°W / 67.40778; -135.86028 (Fort McPherson Airport); elevation: 35.4 m (116 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1892–present[a]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex 9.0 7.6 11.5 15.7 28.3 38.8 35.0 40.4 27.0 24.1 5.0 4.6 40.4
Record high °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0) 		10.0
(50.0) 		11.8
(53.2) 		16.7
(62.1) 		29.5
(85.1) 		32.0
(89.6) 		33.3
(91.9) 		33.0
(91.4) 		27.2
(81.0) 		24.1
(75.4) 		10.0
(50.0) 		9.0
(48.2) 		33.3
(91.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −23.2
(−9.8) 		−21.0
(−5.8) 		−14.0
(6.8) 		−3.1
(26.4) 		7.6
(45.7) 		18.5
(65.3) 		20.0
(68.0) 		16.5
(61.7) 		8.2
(46.8) 		−3.3
(26.1) 		−15.3
(4.5) 		−21.4
(−6.5) 		−2.5
(27.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −26.9
(−16.4) 		−24.9
(−12.8) 		−19.2
(−2.6) 		−8.9
(16.0) 		2.7
(36.9) 		13.1
(55.6) 		15.1
(59.2) 		11.9
(53.4) 		4.6
(40.3) 		−6.6
(20.1) 		−18.9
(−2.0) 		−25.0
(−13.0) 		−6.9
(19.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −30.6
(−23.1) 		−28.8
(−19.8) 		−24.6
(−12.3) 		−14.9
(5.2) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		7.7
(45.9) 		10.2
(50.4) 		7.3
(45.1) 		1.1
(34.0) 		−9.1
(15.6) 		−22.3
(−8.1) 		−28.8
(−19.8) 		−11.3
(11.7)
Record low °C (°F) −55.6
(−68.1) 		−55.0
(−67.0) 		−48.9
(−56.0) 		−44.4
(−47.9) 		−25.6
(−14.1) 		−6.7
(19.9) 		−1.1
(30.0) 		−6.7
(19.9) 		−19.5
(−3.1) 		−37.5
(−35.5) 		−46.7
(−52.1) 		−50.6
(−59.1) 		−55.6
(−68.1)
Record low wind chill −58.9 −56.8 −54.4 −41.6 −32.6 −9.2 0.0 −4.8 −17.5 −40.2 −50.0 −59.7 −59.7
Average precipitation mm (inches) 13.6
(0.54) 		12.8
(0.50) 		13.2
(0.52) 		8.1
(0.32) 		14.1
(0.56) 		27.8
(1.09) 		48.6
(1.91) 		38.2
(1.50) 		38.7
(1.52) 		34.8
(1.37) 		27.3
(1.07) 		17.0
(0.67) 		294.3
(11.59)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.01) 		9.4
(0.37) 		27.4
(1.08) 		48.6
(1.91) 		38.2
(1.50) 		30.1
(1.19) 		1.2
(0.05) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		155.0
(6.10)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 13.6
(5.4) 		12.8
(5.0) 		13.2
(5.2) 		7.9
(3.1) 		4.7
(1.9) 		0.2
(0.1) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.0) 		8.1
(3.2) 		33.7
(13.3) 		27.3
(10.7) 		17.0
(6.7) 		138.7
(54.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 5.5 4.7 6.0 3.7 5.2 7.1 10.7 11.2 12.1 10.7 8.7 6.8 92.5
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.12 3.2 7.1 10.7 11.2 9.8 0.71 0.0 0.0 42.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 5.5 4.7 6.0 3.6 2.0 0.12 0.0 0.05 2.6 10.1 8.7 6.8 50.2
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[22] (January maximum / minimum)[23][21] (February maximum / minimum)[24][25] (March minimum)[26] (April maximum / minimum)[27][28] (May minimum)[29] (June minimum)[30] (July minimum)[31] (August maximum / minimum)[20][32] (September maximum)[33] (November minimum)[34] (December minimum)[35]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Climate data was recorded at Fort McPherson from October 1892 to June 1977 and at Fort McPherson Airport from August 1981 to present. Composite data from Fort McPherson A; Climate ID: 2201606; coordinates 67°24′25″N 135°31′35″W / 67.40694°N 135.52639°W / 67.40694; -135.52639 (Fort McPherson Airport); elevation: 35.4 m (116 ft)

References

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  1. ^ "Fort McPherson". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ a b c d "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. ^ "NWT Communities - Fort McPherson". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Northwest Territories Official Community Names and Pronunciation Guide". Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Yellowknife: Education, Culture and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Fort McPherson - Statistical Profile
  7. ^ Fort McPherson - A Brief History
  8. ^ Fort McPherson National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Flight Schedule" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Fort McPherson, Hamlet [Census subdivision], Northwest Territories". Indigenous Population Profile, 2021 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Fort McPherson, Hamlet [Census subdivision], Northwest Territories and Region 1, Region [Census division], Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  12. ^ "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  13. ^ "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  14. ^ "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  15. ^ "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Population and Dwelling Count Amendments". Statistics Canada. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  19. ^ Population Estimates By Community from the GNWT
  20. ^ a b "Daily Data Report for April 1960 Fort McPherson A". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201606. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Daily Data Report for January 1894 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Fort McPherson A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201601. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  23. ^ "Daily Data Report for January 1916 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  24. ^ "Daily Data Report for February 1911 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  25. ^ "Daily Data Report for February 1968 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  26. ^ "Daily Data Report for March 1897 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  27. ^ "Daily Data Report for April 1960 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  28. ^ "Daily Data Report for April 1899 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  29. ^ "Daily Data Report for May 1935 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  30. ^ "Daily Data Report for June 1918 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  31. ^ "Daily Data Report for July 1918 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  32. ^ "Daily Data Report for August 1928 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  33. ^ "Daily Data Report for September 1940 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  34. ^ "Daily Data Report for November 1927 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  35. ^ "Daily Data Report for December 1937 Fort McPherson". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2201600. Retrieved 8 December 2024.

Further reading

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  • Carefoot, E. I., and N. A. Lawrence. Utility Study Settlement of Ft. McPherson for Department of Public Works, Government of the Northwest Territories. Edmonton: Associated Engineering Services, 1972.
  • Gallupe, Scott. Husky Lake, Fort McPherson Area Historic Hydrocarbon Exploration Investigation 29 June 1992. Inuvik, NT: Northern Affairs Program, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1992.
  • Kakfwi, Stephen. Literacy Program Funding, Fort McPherson. Yellowknife?, N.W.T.: Northwest Territories, Executive Council, 1991.
  • Manitoba Free Press. Pemmican Made at Fort McPherson, a Hudson's Bay Company's Post Sixty-Five Miles Within the Arctic Circle and Two Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy-Eight Miles Northwest of Winnipeg A Christmas Present from the Manitoba Free Press. Winnipeg: [s.n.], 1902. ISBN 0-665-78324-8
  • Northern Engineering Services Company, and Canadian Arctic Gas Study Limited. Report on All-Weather Road from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Fort McPherson, N.W.T. [Canada?]: Northern Engineering Services, 1972.
  • Northwest Territories, and Jane Gilmartin Gilchrist Collection (Newberry Library). Gwich'in Alphabet Posters Fort McPherson Dialect. [Fort McPherson]: Northwest Territories, Dept. of Education, Programs and Evaluation Branch, 1981.
  • Ripley, Klohn & Leonoff International Limited. Community Granular Materials Inventory Fort McPherson, N.W.T. [s.l.]: Dept. of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, 1972.
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