Fort Simpson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Simpson Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́
Village
Coat of arms
Fort Simpson Location in Northwest Territories Show map of Northwest Territories Fort Simpson Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Country	Canada
Territory	Northwest Territories
Region	Dehcho Region
Constituency	Nahendeh
Census division	Region 4
Settled	1803
Village	1822
Village (incorporated)	1 January 1973
Area
• Land	77.89 km2 (30.07 sq mi)
Elevation	169 m (554 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	1,100
• Density	14.1/km2 (37/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Canadian Postal code	X0E 0N0
Area code(s)	867
Telephone exchange	695
- Living cost (2018)	142.5
- Food price index (2019)	147.6
Website	www.fort-Simpson.com
Sources: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Canada Flight Supplement 2018 figure based on Edmonton = 100 2019 figure based on Yellowknife = 100

Fort Simpson (Slavey language: Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ "place where rivers come together") is a village, the only one in the entire territory, in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on an island at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Liard rivers. It is approximately 500 km (310 mi) west of Yellowknife. Both rivers were traditionally trade routes for the Hudson's Bay Company and the native Dene people of the area.

Fort Simpson is the regional centre of the Dehcho and is the gateway to the scenic South Nahanni River and the Nahanni National Park Reserve. Fort Simpson can be reached by air, water and road and has full secondary and elementary school service. The Mackenzie Highway was extended to Fort Simpson in 1970-71.

The central section of the community is on an island near the south bank of the Mackenzie River, but industrial areas and rural residential areas are located along the highway as far as the Fort Simpson Airport, just beyond which is the Liard River ferry crossing.

History

Fort Simpson was first started as a fur trading site in 1803 then named Fort of the Forks. The Village of Fort Simpson was a permanent settlement in July 1822 when the Hudson's Bay Company constructed a trading post, naming it for George Simpson, then the Governor of Rupert's Land. Until 1910 Fort Simpson was "a company town", with some participation by the Anglican and Roman Catholic Missions. The Dené know it as Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́, meaning the place where the rivers come together. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1969.

Pope John Paul II attempted to visit the community in September 1984 as part of his Canadian tour, but was prevented from landing due to fog; in an address over the radio from Yellowknife, he promised to visit in the future. He did so in September 1987 near the end of the tour of the United States, making a side trip to Fort Simpson.

Culture

There are two main annual festivals which occur in Fort Simpson.

The first which is held in March is known as the "Beavertail Jamboree". This is a winter carnival which includes traditional games, snowmobile races, and talent shows.

The other festival is the "Open Sky Festival" which is held annually on or around the Canada Day long weekend. The Open Sky Festival is a multi-disciplinary arts festival which has occurred annually since 2001. Festival events include musical, theatrical, and other performances as well as traditional Dehcho Dene Crafts, visual arts, new media exhibitions, workshops, and demonstrations. The Open Sky festival is hosted by the Open Sky Creative Society, a multi-disciplinary arts organization serving artists working in the Dehcho region.

The Dene of the community are represented by the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation and the Métis by Fort Simpson Métis Local 52. Both groups belong to the Dehcho First Nations.

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  Welcome to Fort Simpson

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  Radio Station, Fort Simpson, circa 1925

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  Ehdaa National Historic Site of Canada on Canada Day 2011

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  Lafferty ferry dry docked for winter

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  Liard River ferry Lafferty

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort Simpson had a population of 1,100 living in 452 of its 572 total private dwellings, a change of -8.5% from its 2016 population of 1,202. With a land area of 77.89 km² (30.07 sq mi), it had a population density of 14.1/km² (37/sq mi) in 2021.

In 2016, 890 people identified as Indigenous peoples. Of these the majority, 770, of the residents are First Nations with 95 Métis and 20 Inuit. The main languages are South Slavey and English.

Climate

Fort Simpson has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with long, cold winters and warm but short summers. July temperatures are unusually warm for such northerly areas, which demonstrates the extreme continental nature of the area's climate. However, the heat quickly turns into cold winters when daylight hours turn drastically shorter. Transition seasons are extremely short, and the year is on average dominated by the winter and to a lesser extent, summer. The average monthly temperatures range from −24.2 °C (−11.6 °F) in January to 17.4 °C (63.3 °F) in July. Most of the precipitation falls during the summer months.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort Simpson was 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) on 25 July 1994 and 13 July 2014. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −56.1 °C (−69.0 °F) on 1 February 1947.

Notable residents

• Jim Antoine, eighth premier of the Northwest Territories
• William Lafferty, politician, Canadian Forces officer and newspaper columnist
• Melaw Nakehk'o, actress, artist, and activist
• Nick Sibbeston, fourth premier of the Northwest Territories.
• Dahti Tsetso, Tłı̨chǫ environmentalist and educator, born in Fort Simpson