Fort Resolution

Fort Resolution (Denı́nu Kų́ę́ (pronounced "deh-nih-noo-kwenh") "moose island place") is a hamlet^[6] in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is situated at the mouth of the Slave River, on the shores of Great Slave Lake, and at the end of the Fort Resolution Highway (Highway 6). It is the headquarters of the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation, whose Chief is Louis Balsillie. It is the Headquarters of the Fort Resolution Metis Government, whose President is Arthur Beck.

Fort Resolution Denı́nu Kų́ę́
Hamlet
Fort Resolution Show map of Northwest Territories Fort Resolution Show map of Canada
Coordinates: 61°10′18″N 113°40′18″W
Country	Canada
Territory	Northwest Territories
Region	South Slave Region
Territorial electoral district	Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh
Census division	Region 5
Hamlet	5 January 2011
Government
• Mayor, Chief & President	Mayor-Patrick Simon, Chief-Louis Balsillie, President-Arthur Marsden Beck
• Senior Administrative Officer	Tom Beaulieu
• MLA	Steve Norn
Area [1]
• Land	455.22 km2 (175.76 sq mi)
Elevation	160 m (520 ft)
Population  (2016)[1]
• Total	470
• Density	1.0/km2 (3/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Canadian Postal code	X0E 0M0
Area code	867
Telephone exchange	394
- Living cost	142.5A
- Food price index	144.0B
Climate	Dsc
Sources: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,[2] Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[3] Canada Flight Supplement[4] ^A 2013 figure based on Edmonton = 100[5] ^B 2015 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[5]

It is the oldest documented European community in the Northwest Territories, built in 1819, and was a key link in the fur trade's water route north. Fort Resolution is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada as the oldest continuously occupied place in the Northwest Territories with origins in the fur trade and the principal fur trade post on Great Slave Lake.^[7]

Fort Resolution's Deninoo School offers K-12 schooling. The town also has a hockey arena, community hall, a nursing station, a youth centre, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a bed and breakfast, a 'Northern' general store, a convenience store, one diner, and two gas stations. Fort Resolution Airport services charter and medivac flights only. The oldest building in town is the historic Roman Catholic Church, built in the early 19th century; there is also a Protestant church in the hamlet. The beach along Great Slave Lake is a prime spot for summer swimming, bird watching, fishing or relaxing. Local people engage in fishing, hunting, and trapping year-round.

The nearby site of Pine Point was once a thriving lead mine. When the value of lead plummeted in the 1980s, the Pine Point Mine closed, and the township was evacuated. Pine Point houses were sold cheaply, and many of the buildings were then moved to Fort Resolution (including the hockey arena), Hay River and Northern Alberta.^[8]

Deninoo Days in late August celebrate the beginning of moose hunting season with parades, traditional races, games and talent competitions. Recreational opportunities include camping, canoeing and fishing (self-guided, or available through several outfitters). Little Buffalo River Crossing is a nearby territorial park, with historical and natural attractions, accessible by road and featuring a campground with 12 sites.^[9]

Demographics

Federal census population history of Fort Resolution

Year	Pop.	±%
1976	600	—
1981	480	−20.0%
1986	447	−6.9%
1991	515	+15.2%
1996	536	+4.1%
2001	574	+7.1%
2006	484	−15.7%
2011	474	−2.1%
2016	470	−0.8%
2021	412	−12.3%
Source: Statistics Canada [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][1][17]

Annual population estimates

Year Pop. ±% 1996 566 —     1997 558 −1.4% 1998 564 +1.1% 1999 574 +1.8% 2000 566 −1.4% 2001 569 +0.5% 2002 575 +1.1% 2003 562 −2.3% 2004 522 −7.1% 2005 502 −3.8% 2006 502 +0.0%	Year Pop. ±% 2007 507 +1.0% 2008 512 +1.0% 2009 509 −0.6% 2010 503 −1.2% 2011 488 −3.0% 2012 476 −2.5% 2013 482 +1.3% 2014 495 +2.7% 2015 508 +2.6% 2016 502 −1.2% 2017 507 +1.0%
Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics (2001 - 2017)[18]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort Resolution had a population of 412 living in 167 of its 223 total private dwellings, a change of -12.3% from its 2016 population of 470. With a land area of 452.87 km² (174.85 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.9/km² (2.4/sq mi) in 2021.^[17]

In 2016, the majority of its population, 430, was listed as Indigenous. The majority of townspeople are of Dene (320) and Métis (105) descent.^[1] The predominant languages are English, Chipewyan and Michif.

First Nations

Fort Resolution is represented by the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation and are part of the Akaitcho Territory Government.^[19]

Gallery

• 
  Indian Residential School
• 
  Study period at Roman Catholic Indian Residential School
• 
  Treaty 8 site in Fort Resolution
• 
  The Northern Store in Fort Resolution
• 
  Tipis of the Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib) First Nations on the shores of Slave Lake at Fort Resolution, circa 1907
• 
  Boats on the Great Slave Lake at Fort Resolution, 1900s

Notable people

David Graeme Hancock, Q.C., 15th Premier of Alberta, 23 March–15 September 2014^[20]

Climate

Fort Resolution has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with short, mild summers and long, cold winters lasting from October through April.

On January 8, 1936, Fort Resolution recorded a temperature of -59.4°C (-75°F), which is the coldest temperature recorded in the Northwest Territories.^[21]

Climate data for Fort Resolution
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−25 (−13)	−20 (−4)	−14 (6)	0 (32)	10 (50)	17 (62)	21 (69)	18 (64)	11 (51)	2 (35)	−9 (15)	−17 (2)	0 (32)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−31 (−23)	−27 (−16)	−24 (−11)	−11 (12)	0 (32)	5 (41)	10 (50)	9 (48)	3 (37)	−3 (26)	−15 (5)	−25 (−13)	−9 (15)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	15 (0.6)	7.6 (0.3)	13 (0.5)	10 (0.4)	25 (1.0)	30 (1.2)	28 (1.1)	36 (1.4)	36 (1.4)	28 (1.1)	33 (1.3)	15 (0.6)	280 (10.9)
Source: Weatherbase[22]

See also

• List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories