Each week we are featuring a new province or territory on our blog as part of the Canada 150 celebrations! This week we head back up North to the Northwest Territories.
The history of the Northwest Territories dates back to 12,000 BC when most of it was locked under a glacier a mile (or more) deep. When the glacier receded it revealed beautiful land that could be settled by humans.
Spectacular Northwest Territories writes, “first here were the Dene, who’ve roamed the boreal forest for millennia…they were joined by the Inuvialuit in the Mackenzie Delta and on the Arctic coast… [and then] the Métis arrived – the vanguard of the fur trade. Settlement by Euro-Canadians stretches back barely a century – first Hudson Bay men and missionaries, then whalers and RCMP, then oil-drillers, miners, and the government.” Rich in natural resources, culture and history, the Northwest Territories remains a great place to call home.
Here some things you may not know about the Northwest Territories: It was the 6th province/territory to join the Canadian confederation, after the Hudson’s Bay Trading Company gave up the land. It is a very young territory—the average age is only 32. It is a major player in the diamond industry, providing an ethical alternative to blood diamonds. It also is fairly warm compared to the other territories!
To celebrate Canada 150, the Northwest Territories decided to reveal 150 secrets about their beautiful territory. “Lean in close. We have a secret to share,” writes their official website. “In fact, we have 150 secrets… Some of them are big secrets, like the fact that the Northwest Territories is the best place in the world to view the spectacular Aurora Borealis… [We] also [have] smaller secrets, tucked away in every corner of this vast territory.”
What are some of these smaller secrets? There is a flower that only grows in Nahanni Park, they have the largest dark sky preserve, and they were home to the ‘Mad Trapper.’ Visit the official Facebook page to get Canada 150 updates and their website to go through all of the secrets revealed so far!
Tune back in Thursday afternoon to read about some of the must-sees and must-dos when you visit the Northwest Territories next!
(Image Via Canva)
Posted by Ken Richter on
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