List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is the most populous of Canada's three territories with 41,786 residents as of 2016 and is the second-largest territory in land area at 1,143,794 km2 (441,621 sq mi).[1] The Northwest Territories' 24 municipalities cover only 0.2% of the territory's land mass but are home to 95.8% of its population.[1][2][3]

Location of the Northwest Territories in Canada
Distribution of the Northwest Territories' 24 municipalities by type
Skyline of downtown Yellowknife
Hay River, the territory's largest town and second-largest community
Inuvik, the third-largest municipality in the Northwest Territories
Behchokǫ̀, the territory's largest Tlicho community

According to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act (CTVA), the Hamlets Act and the Charter Communities Act (CCA), all of which were enacted in 2003, a municipality is an area within a city, town, village, hamlet or charter community that was established or continued by a legislative order.[4][5][6] The Tlicho Community Government Act (TCGA), enacted in 2004, also considers community governments as municipal corporations alongside charter communities, cities, hamlets, towns and villages.[7]

Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories and its only city, while Fort Simpson is its only village. Of the remaining 22 municipalities, three of them are charter communities, four are community governments of the Tlicho people, eleven are hamlets and four are towns.[3] The CTVA, the Hamlets Act, the CCA and the TCGA stipulate governance of these municipalities.[4][5][6][7]

Nearly half of the population of the Northwest Territories (46.8%) resides in Yellowknife, the largest municipality in the territory at 19,569 residents.[2] The least populous municipality is Sachs Harbour with 103 residents.[2] The largest municipality by area is Fort Resolution at 455.22 km2 (175.76 sq mi), while the smallest is Gamèti at 9.19 km2 (3.55 sq mi).[2]

Cities

An application can be submitted to incorporate a community as a city under the Cities, Town and Villages Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, if the proposed city has a minimum assessed land value of $200 million or if an exception is made by the Minister.[4] The only city in the Northwest Territories is Yellowknife.[3] It had a population of 19,569 residents and a land area of 105.47 km2 (40.72 sq mi) in the 2016 Census.[2]

Towns

Like cities, an application to incorporate as a town can be submitted under the Cities, Town and Villages Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.[4] In the case of a town however, the proposed town's minimum assessed land value must be $50 million unless an exception is made by the Minister.[4] The Northwest Territories has four communities incorporated as towns.[3] Hay River is the territory's largest town by population and land area with 3,528 residents and 133.15 km2 (51.41 sq mi) respectively.[2] Norman Wells is the smallest town by population at 778 residents while Inuvik is the smallest by land area at 62.48 km2 (24.12 sq mi).[2]

Villages

The Cities, Town and Villages Act enables an application to incorporate as a village at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.[4] The proposed village's minimum assessed land value must be $10 million unless an exception is made by the Minister.[4] The only village in the Northwest Territories is Fort Simpson.[3] It had a population of 1,202 residents and a land area of 78.32 km2 (30.24 sq mi).[2]

Hamlets

At the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, an application can be submitted to incorporate a community as a hamlet under the Hamlets Act.[5] Unlike cities, towns and villages, the incorporation of hamlets are not conditioned by a prescribed minimum assessed land value. Of the 11 hamlets in the Northwest Territories, Tuktoyaktuk is the largest by population with 898 residents yet is its smallest by land area at 14.00 km2 (5.41 sq mi).[2] Sachs Harbour is the smallest hamlet by population at 103 residents while Fort Resolution is the largest by land area at 455.22 km2 (175.76 sq mi).[2]

Charter communities

An application to incorporate as a community charter can be submitted under the Charter Communities Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.[6] After consultation with community residents and groups, the application can be approved if 60% of the eligible electors vote to approve the incorporation.[6] The Northwest Territories has three charter communities.[3] Délı̨nę is the territory's largest charter community by population with 533 residents and Fort Good Hope is the smallest by land area at 47.25 km2 (18.24 sq mi).[2] Tsiigehtchic is the smallest charter community by population at 172 residents while Deline is the largest by land area at 79.44 km2 (30.67 sq mi).[2]

Tlicho community governments

Four community governments were established through the enactment of the Tlicho Community Government Act.[7] Behchokǫ̀ is the territory's largest community government by population and land area at 1,874 residents and 75.17 km2 (29.02 sq mi) respectively.[2] Wekweeti is the smallest community government by population at 129 residents while Gamèti is the smallest by land area at 9.19 km2 (3.55 sq mi).[2] The fourth community is Whatì, the second largest by area (59.95 km2 [23.15 sq mi]) and population (470).[2]

List of municipalities

List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories
Name Status[3] Incorporation date[8] 2016 Census of Population[2]
Population (2016) Population (2011) Change Land
area (km²)
Population density
Aklavik Hamlet January 1, 1974 590 633 −6.8% 14.47 40.8/km2
Behchokǫ̀ Community government (Tlicho) August 4, 2005[7] 1,874 1,926 −2.7% 75.17 24.9/km2
Délı̨nę Charter community April 1, 1993 533 472 +12.9% 79.44 6.7/km2
Enterprise Hamlet October 29, 2007 106 99 +7.1% 286.89 0.4/km2
Fort Good Hope Charter community April 1, 1995 516 515 +0.2% 47.25 10.9/km2
Fort Liard Hamlet April 1, 1987 500 536 −6.7% 68.38 7.8/km2
Fort McPherson Hamlet November 1, 1986 700 792 −11.6% 53.39 13.1/km2
Fort Providence Hamlet January 1, 1987 695 734 −5.3% 255.05 2.7/km2
Fort Resolution Hamlet January 5, 2011 470 474 −0.8% 455.22 1.0/km2
Fort Simpson Village January 1, 1973 1,202 1,238 −2.9% 78.32 15.3/km2
Fort Smith Town October 1, 1966[9] 2,542 2,496 +1.8% 92.79 27.4/km2
Gamèti Community government (Tlicho) August 4, 2005 278 253 +9.9% 9.19 30.3/km2
Hay River Town June 27, 1963 3,528 3,606 −2.2% 133.15 26.5/km2
Inuvik Town January 1, 1979 3,243 3,463 −6.4% 62.48 51.9/km2
Norman Wells Town April 12, 1992 778 727 +7.0% 82.86 9.4/km2
Paulatuk Hamlet April 1, 1987 265 313 −15.3% 66.86 4.0/km2
Sachs Harbour Hamlet April 1, 1986 103 112 −8.0% 290.94 0.4/km2
Tsiigehtchic Charter community June 21, 1993 172 143 +20.3% 48.98 3.5/km2
Tuktoyaktuk Hamlet April 1, 1970 898 854 +5.2% 14.00 64.1/km2
Tulita Hamlet April 1, 1984 477 478 −0.2% 52.12 9.2/km2
Ulukhaktok Hamlet April 1, 1984[10] 396 402 −1.5% 124.45 3.2/km2
Wekweeti Community government (Tlicho) August 4, 2005 129 141 −8.5% 14.70 8.8/km2
Whatì Community government (Tlicho) August 4, 2005 470 492 −4.5% 59.95 7.8/km2
Yellowknife City January 1, 1970[11][lower-alpha 1] 19,569 19,234 +1.7% 105.47 185.5/km2
Total municipalities 40,034 40,133 −0.2% 2,571.52 15.6/km2
Territory of the Northwest Territories 41,786 41,877[lower-alpha 2] −0.2% 1,143,793.86 0.04/km2

See also

Notes

  1. Yellowknife incorporated as a municipal district in 1953 prior to incorporating as a city in 1970.[11]
  2. Statistics Canada published the 2011 population of the Northwest Territories as 41,462.[1] It subsequently published amended population counts for five of the Northwest Territories's census subdivisions. The population of 41,877 reflects the amended population counts for Enterprise (amended from 87 to 99), Fort Smith (amended from 2,093 to 2,496), Region 4 (amended from 10 to 20), Region 5 (amended from 347 to 56), and Region 6 (amended from 0 to 281).[12]

References

  1. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  2. "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 11, 2017.
  3. "List of municipalities Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. September 6, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  4. "Cities, Towns and Villages Act, S.N.W.T. 2003, c.22" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. October 1, 2013. pp. 2–3 and 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  5. "Hamlets Act, S.N.W.T. 2003, c.22" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. October 1, 2013. pp. 16 and 18–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  6. "Charter Communities Act, S.N.W.T. 2003, c.22" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. April 1, 2004. p. 15 and 1718. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  7. "Tlicho Community Government Act, S.N.W.T. 2004, c.7" (PDF) (PDF). Government of the Northwest Territories. August 4, 2005. pp. 16–17 and 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  8. Communities
  9. "Town of Fort Smith News (Volume 22)" (PDF) (PDF). Town of Fort Smith. September 2011. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  10. "Olokhaktomiut Community Conservation Plan" (PDF) (PDF). The Community of Ulukhaktok, The Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT), and the Joint Secretariat. July 2008. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  11. "Community Profile" (PDF). City of Yellowknife. p. 30. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  12. "Corrections and updates: Population and dwelling count amendments, 2011 Census". Statistics Canada. March 14, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.