NORTHWEST TERRITORIES — THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Where are the largest and second largest lakes entirely within Canada (Great Bear & Great Slave Lakes)? Canada's longest river, the second longest in North America, and the third largest in the world (the mighty Mackenzie)? Where will you find 500,000 caribou, 95,000 musk ox, 15,000 wolves and 13,000 bears, but only 42,000 people?

MS Norweta, the only passenger ship on the Mackenzie River. Northwest Territories, Canada.

Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll

They're all within the Northwest Territories (NWT). The 60th parallel forms NWT's southern border with British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Arctic Ocean washes its northern coast and islands, with Yukon on the west and Nunavut on the east.

Three times the size of California, Canada's Western Arctic has big lakes, big fish, big animals and big diamonds. The best way to grasp its immensity is to spend eight to 10 days cruising the 1,800-km main stem of the Mackenzie River.

Unspoiled wilderness

MS Norweta is the only passenger ship on the Deh Cho, (the native Dene name for "Great River"). This 10-cabin, family-owned ship cruises, north and southbound between Inuvik and Fort Providence, several times each summer. Passengers visit riverside communities, tour historic sites and dine on delicious meals while cruising through wilderness scenery.

Between the vast Mackenzie Delta of islands, lakes and channels and Great Slave Lake, you pass tundra, unadulterated boreal forest, numerous rivers, rapids, mountain ranges, 60-metre cliffs, stone and driftwood-strewn beaches and hills with black bears, falcons and purple fireweed. In places, the Mackenzie is three kilometres wide. The only signs of civilization are a few Dene fish camps and settlements built around mission churches and former Hudson's Bay trading posts.

The population, half of which is Aboriginal, live in 33 communities. There are 11 official languages, but almost everyone speaks English. Many communities, that have both Native and English names, are more commonly using their native names. For example, Arctic Red River is also called Tsiigéhtchic.

Superman's girlfriend, bush pilots and Pope John Paul

Located on Great Slave Lake's north shore, Yellowknife is a cosmopolitan capital of 20,000 people. Old Town boasts historic buildings, while downtown has modern high-rises.

The Rock plaque above Old Town and downtown Yellowknife. Northwest Territories, Canada.

Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll

For orientation, take a floatplane scenic tour, and a heritage walking tour. Highlights include the Bush Pilot's Monument on The Rock, historic log cabins, and Lois Lane. Actress Margot Kidder (Superman's girlfriend), was born here.

Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre features more than 100,000 items. Exhibits include natural history, northern aviation, Dene and Inuvialuit art and culture, mining and a fun hands-on Discovery Gallery for children.

Hay River (population 3,876) is the second largest town, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake. Its location, near the Mackenzie River entrance, makes it a transportation hub. Inuvik (pop. 3,586), the third largest town, is a gateway to hamlets like Tuktoyaktuk, the national parks, Aulavik and Tuktut Nogait, and the high Arctic islands. Small towns include Fort Simpson (pop. 1,216), which Pope John Paul II visited in 1987, and the oil center of Norman Wells (pop. 800).

Muktuk, beaded moccasins and mission churches

The Dene, Inuvialuit and Métis proudly share their rich culture with visitors. Tour operators arrange home visits, year-round fishing, camping and cultural trips. Participants learn winter survival skills, how to smoke meat and fish, tan hides and drive dog teams.

Dene beadwork. Northwest Territories, Canada.

Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll

On a Tuktoyaktuk community tour, for example, you can visit an Inuvialuit family on the Arctic coast. You'll learn how they combine traditional and modern life. In their kitchen, you'll sample muktuk, dried fish and caribou soup. If you dip a toe or swim in the Arctic Ocean, they'll give you a certificate as proof.

You can admire and buy Aboriginal arts and crafts at visitor centres, museums and shops. Especially popular are stone and antler sculptures, vibrant beaded moccasins and birch bark baskets, decorated with coloured porcupine quills.

Reminders of explorers, fur traders, missionaries, mounted police and prospectors are in numerous communities. Fort Good Hope's church, for example, features exquisite floor-to-ceiling decorations, painted by missionaries.

Special events, ranging from Inuvik's Great Northern Arts Festival, in July, to Yellowknife's March Caribou Festival, are great ways to meet the locals, sample traditional foods and view arts, crafts and dances.

National and territorial parks

Northwest Territories has four National Parks, three Canadian Heritage Rivers and 27 Territorial Parks. Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada's largest. It's a World Heritage Site, as is Nahanni National Park Reserve, which offers world-class wilderness whitewater paddling.

In Nahanni National Park, you can view the Nahanni River, mountain ranges, canyons and Victoria Falls (twice the height of Niagara) on a flight-seeing tour from Fort Simpson. Passengers choose between aerial views-only tours and flights that land, allowing time for walking and swimming.

Thomsen River in Aulavik National Park, on Banks Island, is the most northerly navigable river in North America. Tuktuk Nogait, the territory’s newest park, protects bluenose caribou calving grounds.

NWT parks offer hiking, bird watching, fishing, camping, rafting, canoeing and kayaking. Outfitters offer guided paddling trips to the Nahanni and Slave River Rapids, near Fort Smith.

Birdwatching, fishing and golfing with ravens

Each spring, more than 200 species of songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and seabirds converge in the Northwest Territories to nest. The most accessible stops for spring and fall migrants are Niven Lake in Yellowknife, Vale Island near Hay River, along the Liard Highway (where owls frequent the muskeg edges), Blackstone Territorial Park and Wood Buffalo National Park.

Fishing in the Mackenzie River. Northwest Territories, Canada.

Trophy lake trout, Arctic char, great northern pike, pickerel and whitefish draw anglers to the Northwest Territories. In summer, 24-hour daylight allows around-the-clock casting. Fall and spring are good times for ice fishing. Outfitters and lodges offer packages to Great Bear and Great Slave Lakes, Mackenzie Delta and numerous rivers, streams and small lakes.

Northwest Territories has six unique golf courses. Yellowknife's 18-hole course is the oldest and busiest, with sand and gravel fairways and Astroturf greens. Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik and Fort Simpson have 9-hole courses. Ulukhaktok's (also called Holman) 9-hole tundra course, on Victoria Island in the high Arctic, is the most northern course in Canada. Hazards include meandering wildlife and ravens that steal golf balls, thinking they're eggs.

Road trips

If you want to extend your Norweta cruise with a driving trip, there are several options. The Dempster Highway (Highway 8) is Canada's only road to the Arctic. It runs northeast for 740 km from Dawson City, Yukon, to Inuvik, NWT. The hard-packed gravel road crosses the Continental Divide (three times), the Arctic Circle, the Mackenzie River and two mountain ranges.

"Welcome to Inuvik. End of the Dempster" sign next to the Dempster Highway. Inuvik. Northwest Territories, Canada.

Ingraham Trail (Highway 4) begins at the Highway 3 junction, in Yellowknife, and runs 70 kilometres east to Tibbit Lake. Highlights include Prelude Lake Territorial Park, Cameron River Falls and Reid Lake Territorial Park.

The Deh Cho Travel Connection, a 1,800-km circular route links the Mackenzie, Liard and Alaska Highways through Northwest Alberta, Southern NWT and Northeast British Columbia. Highlights include Alexandra and Louise Falls, the Hay River Gorge hiking trail and roadside bison.

A Norweta cruise on the Northwest Territories' most massive river, combined with a driving trip, will leave you with memorable images: the Midnight Sun painting the river gold, vibrant purple fireweed, massive boreal forests, birds, wild animals, and friendly inhabitants who share their rich heritage. It's an experience you won't forget.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Northwest Territories: www.explorenwt.com

MS Norweta: www.norweta.com

More things to see and do in Northwest Territories:

Northwest Territories, Canada - Muktuk, Moose Hair & Mackenzie River Norweta Cruise

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