Old Crow, Yukon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Crow
Old Crow, Yukon Location in Yukon Show map of Yukon Old Crow, Yukon Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Country	Canada
Territory	Yukon
Area
• Land	14.17 km2 (5.47 sq mi)
Population  (2016)
• Total	221
• Density	15.6/km2 (40/sq mi)
• Change 2011–2016	-9.8%
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
Canadian Postal code	Y0B 1N0
Area code(s)	867
Telephone exchange	966
Website	http://www.oldcrow.ca/index.htm

Old Crow is a small community in the far northern part of Yukon, a territory in Canada. It's special because it's the only place in Yukon you can't reach by car! You have to fly there. It's also the northernmost community in North America for Indigenous groups who are not Inuit.

Old Crow is located on the Porcupine River. It's in a very cold area where the ground often stays frozen. This community does not allow alcohol.

History of Old Crow

A view of Old Crow from the river bank.

Scientists have found very old animal bones in the Old Crow area. Some of these bones look like they were changed by humans. This suggests that people might have lived here as far back as 25,000 to 40,000 years ago. This is much earlier than many people thought humans first arrived in North America.

The community of Old Crow was settled around the 1870s. It was named after an Indigenous chief. His name was Deetru` K`avihdik, which means "Crow-May-I-Walk."

The village started because people trapped muskrats. Trapping muskrat still helps many families earn money today.

The Porcupine Caribou Herd

The people of Old Crow rely a lot on the Porcupine caribou herd. They use the caribou for food and for making clothes. This caribou herd travels to the coast in Alaska to have their babies.

Many people in Old Crow are worried about the caribou. They believe that oil-drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) could harm the herd. Because of this, they have worked hard to try and stop the drilling.

Local Culture and Fiddling

Fiddling and dancing are very important parts of the local culture in Old Crow. The first fiddle came to the community over 100 years ago. It was brought by the Hudson's Bay Company.

Because Old Crow is so isolated, the fiddle music played there is very special. Fiddlers often learned new tunes at dances. In 2024, Old Crow was recognized for its unique fiddle style. It was added to the Canadian Fiddle Hall of Honour.

People of Old Crow

In 2021, the population of Old Crow was 236 people. Most of the people living in Old Crow are Gwich'in. The Gwich'in are a First Nations group. They belong to the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation.

How Old Crow Works

Getting Around

The Old Crow Airport is very important. It provides transportation to other communities all year round. This is how most people get in and out of Old Crow.

Sometimes in winter, a temporary road is built. This "winter road" is used to bring in large supplies. It's only built when there's a big need, like for a new building project.

Power and Electricity

Old Crow gets its electricity from three large diesel generators. These generators are run by ATCO Electric Yukon. Since there are no roads, the diesel fuel for these generators has to be flown in by plane.

In 2019, Old Crow started using a new solar power plant. This plant makes electricity during the summer. It helps save about 190,000 litres of diesel fuel each year. This also saves about $400,000 a year!

The solar plant has panels facing both west and east. This helps it collect sunlight for more of the day. A special battery system stores energy. This battery helps keep the power steady. It also stops the diesel generators from turning on and off too often. This solar project cost $6.5 million. It is expected to last for at least 25 years.

By May 2021, the solar plant was making electricity. The goal is for the community to turn off their diesel generators on sunny days.

Staying Connected

Old Crow has had phone service since 1971. At first, long-distance calls used a special microwave system. But this system often stopped working in winter.

In the late 1980s, a satellite dish was installed. This made phone service much more reliable.

The community also has television and radio. They can get APTN television. They also have CHON-FM and CKRW radio stations. There is also a local transmitter that picks up CBC radio.

Climate and Geography

Old Crow's Climate

Old Crow has a subarctic climate. This means it has mild summers and very cold winters. The average temperature for the whole year is about -8.3 degrees Celsius. In July, the average high temperature is about 20.2 degrees Celsius. In January, the average low temperature is about -33.5 degrees Celsius.

The hottest temperature ever recorded was 32.8 degrees Celsius in August 1976. The coldest was -59.4 degrees Celsius in January 1975. Old Crow doesn't get much rain or snow. The average yearly snowfall is about 141.4 centimetres. The average yearly rainfall is about 154.8 millimetres.

Old Crow is north of the Arctic Circle. This means it has special daylight patterns. In summer, they experience the midnight sun. The sun stays visible for 24 hours a day. This usually happens from May 5 to August 8. In winter, they have polar night. The sun does not rise above the horizon. This usually lasts from December 14 to December 29.

Famous People from Old Crow

• Edith Josie, a journalist
• Bertha Allen, an activist for women's rights

See also

In Spanish: Old Crow para niños