Source Database: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Canadian Provinces
Table of Contents
AGRICULTURE | ARTS | CLIMATE | COMMERCE | COMMUNICATIONS | DOMESTICATED ANIMALS | ECONOMY | EDUCATION | ENERGY AND POWER | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | ETHNIC GROUPS | FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES | FISHING | FORESTRY | FURTHER READINGS | HEALTH | HISTORY | HOUSING | INCOME | INDUSTRY | JUDICIAL SYSTEM | LABOR | LANGUAGES | LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS | LOCAL GOVERNMENT | LOCATION AND SIZE | MIGRATION | MINING | PLANTS AND ANIMALS | POLITICAL PARTIES | POPULATION | PRESS | PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT | PUBLIC FINANCE | RELIGIONS | SOURCE CITATION | SPORTS | TAXATION | TOPOGRAPHY | TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION | TRANSPORTATION | VIEW MULTIMEDIA FILE(S)

LOCATION AND SIZE

At some time in its history, the Northwest Territories (NWT) has included all of Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, and Nunavut, and most of Manitoba, Ontario, and Québec. The Northwest Territories occupies about six percent of the total land area of the country. The NWT has a total area of 587,206 square miles (1,541,844 square kilometers), making it almost as large as the state of Alaska.

Between 1905 and 1999, the Northwest Territories included all of Canada north of the 60th parallel, except the Yukon and portions of Québec and Newfoundland. On 1 April 1999, the NWT was officially divided, with the eastern part becoming the new territory of Nunavut. The western part so far has kept the name "Northwest Territories," but is sometimes referred to as "western NWT" or "Western Arctic" in order to avoid confusion with the larger pre-1999 NWT. The NWT is now bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, Beaufort Sea, and polar ice; on the east by Nunavut; on the south by Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia; and on the west by the Yukon Territory. From the 60th parallel, the NWT stretches 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers) to Cape Malloch on Borden Island; the territory is 823 miles (1,325 kilometers) long from east to west. The NWT covers 452,478 square miles (1,171,918 square kilometers) and includes Banks Island, Prince Patrick Island, and the western portions of Victoria Island and Melville Island.

TOPOGRAPHY

Like the Yukon, the NWT can be divided into two broad geographical regions: the taiga (a boreal forest belt that circles the subarctic zone and is typified by stands of pine, aspen, poplar, and birch trees), and the tundra (a rocky arctic region where the cold climate has stunted vegetation). One of the most remarkable features of the NWT is the Mackenzie River, one of the world's longest at 2,635 miles (4,241 kilometers).

CLIMATE

There are two major climate zones in the NWT: subarctic and arctic. In the subarctic zone, average temperatures in January are -9°F (-23°C) and 70°F (21°C) in July, while average temperatures in the arctic zone range from -27°F (-33°C) in January to 50°F (10°C) in July. The average temperatures in Yellowknife are 8°F (-22°C) from November to March and 57°F (14°C) from June to August. As in the Yukon, the varying amounts of daylight over the year are an important influence on the climate: between 20 and 24 hours of daylight in June and up to 24 hours of darkness in December. The lowest recorded temperature was -79.1°F (-61.7°C) at Fort Good Hope on 31 December 1910.

PLANTS AND ANIMALS

A short but intense summer produces many small but brilliant flowers, including purple mountain saxifrage and fireweed. The animal population of the western NWT includes an estimated 700,000 barren-ground caribou, 50,000 muskoxen, 26,000 moose, 10-40,000 wolverines, 15,000 wolves, and smaller numbers of Woodland caribou, Dall's sheep, bears (polar, black, and grizzly), bison, and mountain goats. Bird species include grouse, ptarmigan, phalarope, Pacific loon, and peregrine falcon. Fish include lake trout, arctic grayling, arctic char, walleye, whitefish, and northern pike.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The NWT and Nunavut have 62 active solid waste disposal sites and about 500 abandoned sites. Annual combined generation of solid wastes is about 200,000 tons or 3.5 tons per person. There are also 20 hazardous waste sites. Releases of air pollution annually amount to 52,000 tons of smog-causing gases and 16,000 tons of gases that create acid rain. The Arctic Environmental Strategy introduced by the federal government in 1991 as part of its Green Plan involves northerners in projects to protect the arctic environment. It also supports communities in the development of their own plans to deal with environmental issues. About 3.5 percent of the territorial budget is spent on maintaining environmental and natural resources.

HISTORY

The ancestors of the Dene Indian people lived along the Mackenzie Valley in the Northwest Territories 10,000 years ago. The first Inuit are believed to have crossed the Bering Strait about 5,000 years ago, spreading east along the Arctic coast.

EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT

The first European explorers were the Vikings, who sailed to the eastern Arctic about AD 1000. But the Englishman Martin Frobisher's expeditions in the 1570s were the first recorded visits to the Northwest Territories by an explorer. In 1610, Henry Hudson (another English explorer), while looking for a passage to Asia, landed briefly on the western shore of the bay that now bears his name. His discovery opened the door for further exploration of the interior of the continent.

With the arrival of the fur traders in the late 1700s and the whalers in the 1800s, life began to change substantially. The Europeans reshaped the North, bringing with them a new economy and way of life. Communities grew around trading posts, mission schools, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police stations with the arrival of fur traders, missionaries, and government officials.

British expeditions found parts of the region to have exceptionally good land for farming. As a result of these findings, the British decided not to renew the license of the Hudson's Bay Company, and bought the territories for £300,000. In 1870, administration of the North West Territory was turned over to the Dominion of Canada, which administered the new province of Manitoba. Ten years later the British government annexed the islands of the arctic archipelago (large group of islands), which also became part of the Territories. In 1905, both Alberta and Saskatchewan were created from the Territories. Finally, in 1912, the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Québec were enlarged and the Northwest Territories assumed the boundaries it would hold for the next 87 years.

EARLY 20TH CENTURY

During World War I (1914-18), Canada lost more than 68,000 soldiers. Returning veterans faced a bleak future of scarce low-paying jobs, while tariffs on imports kept prices for consumer goods high. During the 1920s, however, Canada experienced a period of rapid growth in industry. Transportation improvements--railways and roads--enabled businesses to flourish. Automobiles, telephones, electrical appliances, and other consumer goods became more widely available.

Just as in the United States, all of Canada suffered during the Great Depression. In addition to the problems with grain prices during the early 1920s, droughts and frequent crop failures devastated the national economy, which still relied heavily on agriculture. Social welfare programs rapidly expanded during the 1930s, with much of the burden placed on the provincial and municipal governments.

1940-1960S

By World War II (1939-45), mineral exploration and the military were playing a role in northern development, prompting a more active interest in the NWT by the rest of Canada. Following World War II, consumer spending and immigration to Canada rapidly increased. Urbanization spread quickly by means of the National Housing Act, which made home ownership more easily available. Unemployment insurance and other social welfare programs were also created following the war. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, old age pensions were increased in 1951 and a national hospital insurance plan was introduced in 1957.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the monitoring of northern Canadian airspace served a vital role in the defense of North America against a possible nuclear attack from the Soviet Union. But when ballistic missiles (which are launched in an arc toward their targets from great distances) replaced bombers as the means of delivering nuclear warheads, this strategy became obsolete.

ABORIGINAL LAND CLAIMS (1970S-1990S)

As in the Yukon, the issue of settling Aboriginal land claims in the NWT emerged in the 1970s. In 1984, a final agreement was reached with the Inuvialuit of the western Arctic. The agreement provided some 2,500 people with 35,100 square miles (91,000 square kilometers) of land, financial compensation, social development funding, hunting rights, and a greater role in wildlife management, conservation, and environmental protection.

In 1992, the Gwich'in settled a comprehensive land claim that provided 8,657 square miles (22,422 square kilometers) of land in the northwestern portion of the NWT and 600 square miles (1,554 square kilometers) of land in the Yukon. The Gwich'in also received subsurface rights; a share in the resource royalties derived from the Mackenzie River Valley; tax-free capital transfers; hunting rights; a greater role in the management of wildlife, land, and the environment; and the right of first refusal on a variety of activities related to wildlife.

In 1993, a final agreement was reached with the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut--the largest comprehensive land claim to be settled in Canada. The agreement will provide some 17,500 Inuit of the eastern Arctic with 135,000 square miles (350,000 square kilometers) of land, financial compensation, the right to share in resource royalties, hunting rights, and a greater role in the management of land and the environment. The final agreement also committed the federal government to a process that divided the NWT and created the new territory of Nunavut in 1999.

MIGRATION

Some 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, the ancestors of the modern day Dene crossed a land bridge over the Bering Sea and dispersed throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Dene first migrated into what is now the NWT some 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. The Inuvialuit migrated into the NWT from Alaska in the 1800s, replacing the Mackenzie Inuit who were decimated by diseases introduced from migrant whalers.

In 1996, 22.5 percent of the 3,070 immigrants living in the NWT (including Nunavut) had come from the United Kingdom, 10.4 percent from the Philippines, 10.3 percent from United States, and 6.7 percent from Germany. Of the 580 recent immigrants who came to the territory during 1991-96, 28.4 percent were from the Philippines and 10.3 percent were from the United Kingdom.

During 1996, the western NWT lost a net 540 residents from migration within Canada (2,345 people entered and 2,885 left). Most interprovincial migration is with Alberta.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

In both the NWT and the Yukon, political power rests with elected representatives. Although a federally appointed commissioner is technically in charge of the territorial administration, the role of that office has diminished, and it generally follows the lead of the elected territorial government. Executive power is held by a 24-seat elected assembly, whose members remain as political independents. This assembly then appoints an 8-person executive council, of which 1 is chosen as government leader for the territorial government (in 1994 the title "government leader" was changed to "premier"). To help administer the vast area, the western NWT is divided into two regions: Inuvik and Fort Smith.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

A village must have a total assessed value of C$10 million for the entire community to be incorporated; for a town, C$50 million; and for a city, more than C$200 million. Yellowknife is the sole city; there are also four town governments.

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

The Canadian Constitution grants territorial and provincial jurisdiction over the administration of justice, and allows each territory and province to organize its own court system and police forces. The federal government has exclusive domain over cases involving trade and commerce, banking, bankruptcy, and criminal law. The Federal Court of Canada has both trial and appellate divisions for federal cases. The 9-judge Supreme Court of Canada is an appellate court that determines the constitutionality of both federal and territorial statutes. The Tax Court of Canada hears appeals of taxpayers against assessments by Revenue Canada.

The annual number of homicides varies but usually ranges from two to ten. Because of the small population, the NWT often has the highest homicide rate in Canada. In 1996, there were 4 homicides in the territory (including Nunavut), for a rate of 6 per 100,000 persons. The crime rate that year was 5,032 per 100,000 people for violent crimes (the highest rate in Canada), and 7,419 per 100,000 people for property crimes.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

The NWT Public Library Services, based in Hay River, coordinates public library service throughout the territory. Member libraries are located in Fort Norman, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River, Hay River Reserve, Igloolik, Inuvik, Norman Wells, and Yellowknife. Museums in the NWT include the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, the Northern Life Museum & National Exhibition Centre at Fort Smith, and the Nunatta Sunaqutangit Museum at Iqaluit.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Territorial legislators campaign as political independents.

TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION

Recently, tourism has become increasingly important. The NWT offers a variety of landscapes of great natural beauty, which are well-suited to fishing, wildlife observation, and other outdoor activities. The western NWT has three national parks: Nahanni National Park Reserve, west of the Liard River in the Mackenzie Mountains; Wood Buffalo National Park, west of Fort Smith and extending into Alberta; and Aulavik National Park, on northern Banks Island.

ETHNIC GROUPS

In 1996, Aboriginals (Native Peoples) accounted for 48 percent of the western NWT's population. In the western Arctic, the Dene have inhabited the forests and barrens for the past 2,500 years. Once nomads, today they live in communities, many still using traditional skills of hunting, trapping, and fishing. There are four major Dene cultural groups: Chipewyan, Dogrib, Slavey (north and south) and Gwich'in (Loucheux). Dene accounted for 28 percent of the population in 1996. The Inuvialuit reside primarily around the Mackenzie River delta. The Métis are descendants of Dene and ethnic European parentage and comprise nine percent of the territory's population. Other ethnicities found in the western NWT include French, Scotch-Irish, and Pakistani.

LANGUAGES

The NWT has nine official languages, but English is the language used most often for business and commerce. As of 1996, about 90.9 percent of all residents could speak English. That year, 76 percent of the territory's residents claimed English as their native language, while 2.4 percent declared French as their mother tongue. The Dene have four linguistic groups: Chipewyan, Dogrib, Slavey (north and south) and Gwich'in (Loucheux). In 1996, 5.3 percent of the western NWT's residents spoke South Slave as their native language, 5 percent spoke Dogrib, 1.3 percent spoke Chipewyan, and 0.6 percent spoke Gwich'in.

RELIGIONS

In 1991, 50 percent of the population--about 28,800 people--was Protestant, including 18,450 Anglicans, 3,300 members of the United Church of Canada, 2,250 Pentecostals, 700 Baptists, 700 Lutherans, and less than 50 Presbyterians. The territory also had about 22,000 Catholics and almost 200 people of Eastern Orthodox faith. There were less than 100 people each of the following: Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Hindus. About 6,150 people had no religious affiliation in 1991.

TRANSPORTATION

Territorial highways are mostly all-weather gravel roads, with some paved sections; clouds of dust, flying gravel, soft spots, and long distances between service stations are common. In the north, the Dempster Highway (#8) connects Inuvik, on the Mackenzie River delta, with Dawson, Yukon, across the Richardson Mountains. In the south, the Mackenzie Highway (#1) provides access to Alberta via connecting roads leading from Yellowknife (#3), Hay River (#2), Fort Resolution (#6), and Fort Smith (#5). The Liard Highway (#7) provides entry to British Columbia. The Canol Road (#9) and the Nahanni Range Road also provide access from the Yukon, but terminate just inside the NWT border. In 1998, the western NWT had 18,224 registered road motor vehicles, and 5,695 trailers and off-road vehicles.

From January to March, the coldest months of the Canadian winter, truckers drive heavy and dangerous loads across hundreds of miles of ice roads plowed on frozen lakes in order to deliver supplies to mines. There are no roads to many of the mines, which are often isolated by hundreds of lakes scattered across the territory. When the lakes freeze over for the winter, roads are plowed into the ice across the lakes.

Ferry service is provided in the summer for Highways 1, 3, and 8, which cross major rivers; in the winter, motorists simply drive over the frozen rivers. During the freezing months of fall and thawing months of spring, however, crossings by vehicles are not possible.

Air Canada provides service to Yellowknife from Edmonton, Alberta. There were 129,396 take-offs and landings made by civilian aircraft in 1997.

FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Early English explorers who traveled the waterways of the NWT in search of a northwest passage included Sir Martin Frobisher (1539?-94) and Henry Hudson (d.1611). Famous early fur traders included Sir Alexander Mackenzie (b.Scotland, 1764-1820), who explored the Slave River and Great Slave Lake area, and American Peter Pond (1740-1807), who established the first trading post.

Nellie Joy Cournoyea (b.1940), from Aklavik, became the first woman head of government in Canada upon her 1991 election as government leader of the NWT. Ethel Blondin-Andrew (b.1951), from Fort Norman, became the first Native woman elected to the Canadian parliament in 1988. Actress Margot Kidder (b.1948) is a native of Yellowknife.

EDUCATION

All elementary and secondary schools in western NWT are public; enrollment in 1997/98 was 9,793. The NWT has four education districts and nine boards of education. The Arctic College (with campuses in Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Fort Smith) offers community college courses. Postsecondary community college enrollment in western NWT and Nunavut in 1996/97 was 166 full-time and 510 part-time students. In 1996, 13 percent of the adult population had a university degree.

HEALTH

In 1996 there were 817 live births in western NWT, for a rate of 19.8 per 1,000 residents. The death rate in 1996 was 3.7 per 1,000 residents, with 152 deaths occurring that year. Reported cases of selected diseases in 1996 for the western NWT and Nunavut included gonococcal infections, 125; chicken pox, 884; giardiasis, 22; and salmonellosis, 28. There were two AIDS cases reported in 1996. Between 1985 and 1998, 32 residents became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Larger communities such as Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River, and Fort Smith have well-equipped hospitals; smaller communities have nursing stations. Air ambulance (Medevac) service is available throughout the NWT and is coordinated by the local nursing stations.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a health problem in the western NWT. An estimated 43 percent of 15-24 year-olds in the western NWT are heavy drinkers. Some 44.2 percent of all residents age 15 and older are smokers.

HOUSING

In 1996, there were 12,704 occupied private housing units in the western NWT. As of October 1995, the average monthly rent for an apartment in Yellowknife ranged from C$648 for a studio apartment to C$1,240 for a three bedroom unit. Due to permafrost and a short construction season, the cost of building a house is more expensive in NWT than elsewhere in Canada. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Association has estimated that a typical existing 1,200 square foot home costs C$206,575 in Yellowknife. As a result, many people live in mobile homes. In 1995, of all the Yellowknife housing units for sale listed below C$175,000, 63.4 percent were mobile homes, 28.8 percent were condominiums, 5.2 percent were bungalow houses, and 2.6 percent were other types.

POPULATION

According to the 1996 census, the western NWT had a population of 39,672; only the Yukon and Nunavut were smaller. Yellowknife, the capital, had a population of 17,275 in 1996. Other urban areas, and their 1996 populations include Hay River, 3,611; Inuvik, 3,296; and Fort Smith, 2,441.

ARTS

Nearly every community in the NWT has artisans who produce clothing, accessories, tools, weavings, beadwork, or carvings. Studios are often found in the more populous areas of Holman, Inuvik, Fort Laird, and Yellowknife. Inuvik is the site of the mid-summer Great Northern Arts Festival, which draws artisans from throughout the territory.

COMMUNICATIONS

Yellowknife has 3 radio stations (2 AM and 1 FM). CABL-TV is a cable television station based in Yellowknife; Mackenzie Media Ltd. provides cable service to the capital.

PRESS

Seven newspapers are published in the western NWT. Periodicals and magazines published in the NWT include Above & Beyond, Arctic Circle, News/North, and Up Here.

SPORTS

Local sporting organizations (for such sports as badminton, basketball, track and field, and volleyball) are popular in the territory, as are canoeing and kayaking.

AGRICULTURE

A brief but intense summer growing season (due to the midnight sun) limits local production of crops, of which seasonal berries and produce for home consumption are the most prominent. In 1996, the NWT had 23 farms covering 57 acres (23 hectares), with gross receipts of C$5 million. The territorial government is currently involved in a joint project with the University of Alberta to study the use of fiber optics to illuminate greenhouses with natural light on a year-round basis.

DOMESTICATED ANIMALS

For centuries, indigenous peoples have bred dogs as draft animals to carry packs and later to pull sleds. Before modern transportation was available, dog teams often served as the primary form of transportation during the winter months. The territory has no commercial cattle, pig, sheep, or poultry farms. Fur trapping is still practiced and is an important contributor to the economy. In the 1995/96 season, fur production amounted to 28,138 pelts, valued at C$774,822.

ENERGY AND POWER

Oil and gas exploration and development are important to the territory's economy, but the industry is open to wide fluctuations in world markets. In 1997, crude oil and equivalent production totaled 58.12 million cubic feet (1.64 million cubic meters), valued at C$235.5 million. Natural gas production totaled 5.8 billion cubic feet (167 million cubic meters), valued at C$10.1 million. In 1995, electricity generated totaled 809 million kilowatt hours.

FISHING

The Dene and Inuvialuit once depended on subsistence fishing to sustain their families and dog teams. Today, sport fishing is a popular activity and is a source of income from tourism. In 1998, there were 8,452 residents and 7,652 non-residents licensed to fish in western NWT and Nunavut. Over 20 world sport fishing records have been set in the NWT. Principal species sought include lake trout, arctic grayling, arctic char, northern pike, walleye, whitefish, and inconnu.

FORESTRY

Although 151.8 million acres (61.4 million hectares)--or 58 percent--of the NWT is covered by forests, only 35.4 million acres (14.3 million hectares) of this land is useful for tree harvesting. The territorial government owns 83 percent of the forests and the federal government controls the remaining 17 percent. In 1996, the forest industry produced $1.1 million of exports, almost entirely softwood lumber.

MINING

Mining is by far the largest private sector of the NWT economy. In 1997, the total value of mineral production (including Nunavut) was C$788 million, with metals accounting for nearly all of this amount. Production in 1997 (including Nunavut) included 167,923 metric tons of zinc, 25,046 metric tons of lead, 18 metric tons of silver, and 29,693 pounds (13,466 kilograms) of gold. That year, the NWT provided 8 percent of the value of Canada's gold production and 17 percent of its zinc production.

The first major gold discovery in the western NWT was made in 1935 on the west side of Yellowknife Bay, an area than is still mined. In 1991, the discovery of diamonds in the NWT started one of the largest land claim rushes in recent Canadian history. During 1993-98, expenditures on diamond exploration in the NWT totaled C$744 million and accounted for more than 15 percent of Canada's mining exploration expenditures.

COMMERCE

Inuit arts and crafts account for a great amount of retail income in the NWT, spread out over a wide geographical area. About one in 14 persons of working age in the NWT earns some income through the sales of craft items. Services related to tourism have become increasingly important sources of income.

ECONOMY

The Aboriginal Peoples' traditional subsistence activities--fishing, hunting, and trapping--have an impact on the territorial economy. Sports fishing and big-game hunting also play a small role. Commercial fishery development in the NWT--both freshwater and saltwater--is being encouraged. Fur harvesting continues to be very important, supplementing the income of many Aboriginal families.

Inuit arts and crafts distribute a greater amount of income more widely than any other economic activity; 1 in 14 people of working age in the NWT earns some income by this means.

The settling of northern land claims sets the stage for increased economic activity in which all can share and have a voice. But even if development is welcome and necessary for economic prosperity, it must be managed so as not to threaten the fragile arctic ecosystem and the traditional life-styles of the northern peoples.

In 1997, the western NWT and Nunavut had a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of C$2.9 billion, contributing 0.3 percent to Canada's GDP.

PUBLIC FINANCE

The fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. For fiscal year 1998/99, total revenues were C$1.16 billion, more than 80 percent coming from the government of Canada. Expenditures were almost C$1.17 billion. Major expenditure areas were health, education, public works, social services, municipal and community services, NWT housing corporation, renewable resources, transportation, and economic development and tourism.

INCOME

In 1995, the average full-time worker in the western NWT earned C$44,414 per year. Personal disposable income in the NWT (including Nunavut) was C$18,627 per person in 1996.

INDUSTRY

Industry in the NWT centers on processing raw materials. Food products, wood, printing and publishing, nonmetallic mineral products, and chemical products are important manufacturing sectors. In 1997, the value of manufactured shipments for the NWT was C$18.9 million.

LABOR

As of 1996, employment in the western NWT was 19,075 persons, up 0.4 percent from 1991. The unemployment rate that year was 11.7 percent. The largest employer in the territory is the federal government. In 1996, the leading sectors of employment in the western NWT were government, 21 percent; trade, 12 percent; health and social service, 10 percent; and education, 8 percent.

Yellowknife was the scene of a bitter and violent strike in May 1992. More than 200 miners who were members of the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers (CASAW) were locked out by Vancouver-owned Giant Gold Mine after refusing a new contract. A bomb explosion on 18 September 1992 killed nine workers, six of whom were union members who had crossed the picket line. The mine has continued to operate amid negotiations between CASAW and the newly formed rival Giant Mines Employees Association, comprised of current and former Giant Mine workers.

TAXATION

The NWT has no provincial sales tax, but a 7 percent tax is charged on most goods and services sold or provided. In 1995, western NWT residents paid C$153.7 million in income taxes, or an average of C$8,696 per tax return.

Websites

Source Citation: "THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES." Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Canadian Provinces, 2nd ed. U*X*L, 1999. Reproduced in Discovering Collection. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale Group. October, 2001. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/DC/