Living in Yellowknife: A Unique Blend of Urban Comforts and Northern Adventure

Yellowknife is a modern city of 20,000 people, and it has everything you would expect from a city of its size: shops, a movie theatre, library, swimming pool, concert hall, hospital, and more. It’s set in an amazing natural landscape of lakes and sub-arctic forest offering an abundance of recreational opportunities.

Of course, when people hear Northwest Territories, the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s cold. And that’s true. Temperatures can drop to -40 C in winter, but people are prepared. For some people, the darkness in winter is more of a problem. The good news is that the sun returns quickly, so by mid-February the skies are bright and sunny again.

Summertime is spectacular. It never gets too hot or rainy, and there are countless ways to enjoy the long summer nights.

Yellowknife is a friendly town and it’s easy to meet people. There are plenty of clubs and ethnic associations that welcome new members.

The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC, known as the ‘Nak’) is a 300-seat theatre and concert hall hosting world-class performers.

The Farmer’s Market is a popular summer institution, every Tuesday at beautiful Somba K’ e Park next to City Hall on Frame Lake, which is the crown jewel of Yellowknife’s many smaller lakes.

Yellowknife has an indoor swimming pool,  soon to be replaced by the Yellowknife Aquatic Centre, a state-of-the-art facility scheduled to open in March 2025. The Field House and Multiplex are other great places for year-round indoor recreation.

The two major festivals are the Snow King Winter Festival in March and the Folk on the Rocks Music Festival in July. Other summer festivals include the Ramble and Ride Street Festival in the historic Old Town and the Multicultural Festival, showcasing the diverse and colourful ethnic mosaic of our city.

Yellowknife offers numerous opportunities for employment in many fields. Jobs in the service sector (restaurants, hotels, delivery driver, etc.)  are always available. The minimum wage is $16.70/hour, and some of these jobs pay up to $20/hour, but it is very difficult to save money at this rate. Having good office skills would boost your income potential significantly, as positions needing more qualifications are very well paid. Those working for the Government of the Northwest Territories make salaries starting at about $60,000 per year.

Yellowknife’s remote location means that everything is more expensive when compared to the Canadian average. In fact, expenses can be as high as in the centres of major cities like Vancouver and Toronto. Good housing can be hard to find, as there are not many small apartments available for rent in the range of $12,000-16,000. A one- or two-bedroom suite rents for at least $2100/month. Many people share accommodation, as this means paying as little as $800/month.

There are three major supermarkets, a Wal-Mart, and a Dollarama in Yellowknife. A careful shopper can find good deals on food, but in general food prices are high, especially for fresh meat and produce.

Shopping for clothes is limited, but basic options like Mark’s and Warehouse One are available. There is also a Canadian Tire, a True Value Hardware and a Home Hardware.

Many people depend on online shopping to ensure a variety of choices. Delivery to Yellowknife is usually only a day longer that the national average, but some online retailers will charge extra for shipping.

Humber Polytechnic offers a 15-week bridging program for internationally educated civil and mechanical engineers as well as architecture professionals. It offers training in the latest technical and software skills in demand by Ontario employers. The Engineering Skills Enhancement bridging program is made available through funding from the Barrett Family Foundation.