Fort Providence

Fort Providence
Zhahti Kų́ę́
Hamlet
Fort Providence from the Mackenzie River
Fort Providence from the Mackenzie River
Fort Providence is located in Northwest Territories
Fort Providence
Fort Providence
Location within Northwest Territories
Fort Providence is located in Canada
Fort Providence
Fort Providence
Location within Canada
Coordinates: 61°21′17″N 117°39′36″W / 61.35472°N 117.66000°W / 61.35472; -117.66000
CountryCanada
TerritoryNorthwest Territories
RegionSouth Slave Region
ConstituencyDeh Cho
Census divisionRegion 4
Hamlet1 January 1987
Government
 • MayorDanny Beaulieu
 • MPMichael McLeod
Area
 • Land255.05 km2 (98.48 sq mi)
Elevation
160 m (520 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
695
 • Density2.7/km2 (7.0/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−06:00 (Northwest Territories Time)
Canadian Postal code
X0E 0L0
Area code867
Telephone exchange699
- Living cost137.5A
- Food price index134.7B
Sources:
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,
Canada Flight Supplement
^A2013 figure based on Edmonton = 100
^B2015 figure based on Yellowknife = 100

Fort Providence (Slavey: Zhahti Kų́ę́, lit. 'mission house'[pronunciation?]) 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 opened November 30, 2012, near Fort Providence over the Mackenzie. The bridge replaced the ice bridge and ferry, enabling year-round crossing of the river.

Fort Providence hosts the annual Mackenzie Days celebrations in August each year.

History

Fort Providence was founded in the 1860s as a Catholic mission site. By 1868, the Hudson's Bay Company, which previously has a trading post at Big Island at the source of the MacKenzie River, moved the post to the location of the mission site. From that moment, the settlement was known as Fort Providence. In 1867, the Grey Nuns opened a boarding school and an orphanage in the settlement. Instruction languages were English and French, and most of the nuns originated from Quebec.

Demographics

Federal census population history of Fort Providence
YearPop.±%
1976602—    
1981605+0.5%
1986588−2.8%
1991645+9.7%
1996748+16.0%
2001753+0.7%
2006727−3.5%
2011734+1.0%
2016695−5.3%
2021618−11.1%
Source: Statistics Canada

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort Providence had a population of 618 living in 256 of its 292 total private dwellings, a change of −11.1% from its 2016 population of 695. With a land area of 255.49 km2 (98.65 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.4/km2 (6.3/sq mi) in 2021.

In 2016, the majority of its population, 620, were Indigenous people, made up of 590 First Nations, Dene people, and 30 Métis.

First Nations

The Dene of the community are represented by the Deh Gáh Got'ı̨ę First Nation and the Métis by Fort Providence Métis Nation. Both groups belong to the Dehcho First Nations.

Fort Providence from the river

Climate

Fort Providence has a continental subarctic climate (Dfc) typical of the Northwest Territories' populated areas. It is marked by a long cold winter season and short, warm summers, that in many ways are warmer than expected for an area so far north. Transition seasons are extremely short, with temperatures rising and falling quickly in respective seasons.

Climate data for Fort Providence
WMO ID: 71087; coordinates 61°19′01″N 117°36′07″W / 61.31694°N 117.60194°W / 61.31694; -117.60194 (Fort Providence); elevation: 161.5 m (530 ft); 1991−2020 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex 10.1 9.6 16.4 22.9 31.2 35.7 37.9 36.5 31.8 24.1 11.9 11.8 37.9
Record high °C (°F) 7.0
(44.6)		 9.9
(49.8)		 16.5
(61.7)		 22.9
(73.2)		 31.3
(88.3)		 34.3
(93.7)		 35.2
(95.4)		 35.3
(95.5)		 30.7
(87.3)		 24.2
(75.6)		 12.0
(53.6)		 11.8
(53.2)		 35.3
(95.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −18.5
(−1.3)		 −13.2
(8.2)		 −6.5
(20.3)		 4.9
(40.8)		 13.9
(57.0)		 21.3
(70.3)		 23.9
(75.0)		 21.0
(69.8)		 14.3
(57.7)		 3.7
(38.7)		 −8.5
(16.7)		 −16.6
(2.1)		 3.3
(37.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −22.9
(−9.2)		 −19.0
(−2.2)		 −13.8
(7.2)		 −1.9
(28.6)		 7.1
(44.8)		 14.1
(57.4)		 17.1
(62.8)		 14.7
(58.5)		 8.6
(47.5)		 −0.1
(31.8)		 −12.4
(9.7)		 −20.6
(−5.1)		 −2.4
(27.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −27.2
(−17.0)		 −24.7
(−12.5)		 −21.2
(−6.2)		 −8.7
(16.3)		 0.3
(32.5)		 6.8
(44.2)		 10.3
(50.5)		 8.3
(46.9)		 2.8
(37.0)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 −16.1
(3.0)		 −24.4
(−11.9)		 −8.1
(17.4)
Record low °C (°F) −46.8
(−52.2)		 −43.5
(−46.3)		 −40.4
(−40.7)		 −36.0
(−32.8)		 −16.3
(2.7)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 −9.9
(14.2)		 −27.3
(−17.1)		 −36.8
(−34.2)		 −43.3
(−45.9)		 −46.8
(−52.2)
Record low wind chill −51.2 −52.5 −46.5 −43.0 −23.8 −5.2 −3.2 −4.2 −11.8 −33.7 −40.9 −51.0 −52.5
Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST) 75.4 67.0 52.5 44.7 41.5 42.9 46.2 50.9 55.0 71.1 82.7 79.7 59.1
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Danny Beaulieu re-elected mayor of Fort Providence". cklbradio.com. December 14, 2021. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ "NWT Communities - Fort Providence". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved January 13, 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 January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  5. ↑ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 27 November 2025 to 0901Z 22 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Fort Providence - Statistical Profile (2001-2012)" (PDF). NWT Bureau of Statistics. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 29, 2018.
  7. ↑ Piper, Liza. "Brief History of Fort Providence" (PDF). University of Alberta. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  9. ↑ "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  10. ↑ "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  11. ↑ "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. August 15, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. August 20, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. July 25, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  16. ↑ Population Estimates By Community from the GNWT
  17. ↑ "Deh Gah Gotie Dene Band". Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Fort Providence Métis". Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Dehcho First Nations". Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Fort Providence". Canadian Climate Normals 1991−2020 Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. October 1, 2024. Climate ID: 2201799. Retrieved December 11, 2024.