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North Slave Métis Alliance

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91-551: The North Slave Métis Alliance is a non-profit society that represents the indigenous rights-bearing Métis people of the Northwest Territories , who primarily exercise their indigenous rights north and east of Great Slave Lake . The NSMA’s mandate includes: The assertion, protection, and implementation of the indigenous rights of the North Slave Métis People; and the exercise of Métis responsibility to protect

182-721: A territory is that provinces receive their power and authority from the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly called the British North America Act, 1867 ), whereas territories are federal territories whose governments are creatures of statute with powers delegated to them by the Parliament of Canada . The powers flowing from the Constitution Act are divided between the Government of Canada (the federal government) and

273-770: A base to the navy of an adversary), as well as to support amphibious operations throughout the region (such as the Chesapeake campaign during the American War of 1812 ). Bermuda was consequently the most important British naval and military base in the Americas. Canadian confederation resulted in the Canadian Militia becoming responsible for the defence of the Maritimes, the abolition of the British Army's commander-in-chief there, and

364-566: A commercial monopoly over Rupert's Land . Present day Northwest Territories laid northwest of Rupert's Land, and was known as the North-Western Territory . Although not formally part of Rupert's Land, the HBC made regular use of the region as a part of its trading area. The Treaty of Utrecht saw the British become the only European power with practical access to the North-Western Territory , with

455-665: A great deal of power relative to the federal government, with jurisdiction over many public goods such as health care, education, welfare, and intra-provincial transportation. They receive " transfer payments " from the federal government to pay for these, as well as exacting their own taxes. In practice, however, the federal government can use these transfer payments to influence these provincial areas. For instance, in order to receive healthcare funding under Medicare , provinces must agree to meet certain federal mandates, such as universal access to required medical treatment. Provincial and territorial legislatures have no second chamber like

546-607: A history of violent conflict between the Dene and the Inuit , who have now taken recent steps towards reconciliation. Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution . In the 1867 Canadian Confederation , three provinces of British North America — New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , and

637-515: A lieutenant-general termed a general officer commanding and the Bermuda garrison becoming a command in its own right. Bermuda was consequently left out of the confederation of Canada, though it retained naval links with Halifax and the state church (or established church ), the Church of England , continued to place Bermuda under the bishop of Newfoundland until 1919 (Bermuda also remained linked to

728-585: A non-profit society in the Northwest Territories since 1996. The organization exists for the stated purpose of negotiating a regionally based comprehensive claim centred in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories. Prior to 1996, their members were represented in the 1975-1990 Dene-Métis Comprehensive Claim negotiation process by the Métis Nation of the Northwest Territories (MNNWT), which

819-545: A number of local events, such as the annual Aboriginal Day celebration in downtown Yellowknife , which includes a parade, fish fry, and musical performances near city hall. In 2013, the NSMA won its caribou harvest lawsuit against the government of the Northwest Territories in the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories . The court found that the government of the Northwest Territories had an obligation to consult and accommodate

910-718: A population of 1,874, is the largest First Nations community, 1,696 (90.9%), and Inuvik with 3,243 people is the largest Inuvialuit community, 1,315 (40.5%). There is one Indian reserve in the NWT, Hay River Reserve , located on the south shore of the Hay River . The gross domestic product of the Northwest Territories was C$ 4.856 billion in 2017. It has the highest per capita GDP of all provinces and territories in Canada, totalling C$ 76,000 in 2009. The Territories' geological resources include gold, diamonds, natural gas and petroleum . BP

1001-631: A prolonged economic crisis , and the legislature turned over political control to the Newfoundland Commission of Government in 1933. Following Canada's participation in the Second World War , in a 1948 referendum , a narrow majority of Newfoundland citizens voted to join the Confederation, and on March 31, 1949, Newfoundland became Canada's tenth province. The province was officially renamed Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001. Bermuda ,

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1092-733: A regional consciousness. Communities were characterized by a regional network within which there would be certain fixed settlements, connected by transportation systems of river routes, cart trails, and portages along which people settled. Their traditional territory followed hunting, trapping, and trading trails north to the Great Bear Lake and east into what is now Nunavut . Historic North Slave Métis settlements, such as Old Fort Rae, Lac La Martre , Yellowknife River , Old Fort Providence , Fort Resolution , Beaulieu Fort (now known as Łutselk'e ), and Fort Reliance , existed before European powers established effective political and legal control over

1183-477: A single MP represents an area that is almost 14 percent of the land area of all of Canada. The government of Northwest Territories comprises the following departments: The Northwest Territories is divided into five administrative regions (regional offices in parentheses): Aboriginal issues in the Northwest Territories include the fate of the Dene who, in the 1940s, were employed to carry radioactive uranium ore from

1274-810: A third of Canada's area but are only home to 0.3% of its population, which skews the national population density value. Canada's population grew by 5.0% between the 2006 and 2011 censuses. Except for New Brunswick , all territories and provinces increased in population during this time. In terms of percent change, the fastest-growing province or territory was Nunavut with an increase of 12.7% between 2011 and 2016, followed by Alberta with 11.6% growth, while New Brunswick's population decreased by 0.5%. Generally, Canadian provinces have steadily grown in population along with Canada. However, some provinces such as Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have experienced long periods of stagnation or population decline. Ontario and Quebec have always been

1365-488: A while it was at or near the top in the public-opinion polls . Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, as well as four provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south, and Manitoba (through a quadripoint ) to the extreme southeast. It has a land area of 1,183,085 km (456,792 sq mi). Geographical features include Great Bear Lake ,

1456-411: Is Mount Nirvana near the border with Yukon at an elevation of 2,773 m (9,098 ft). The Northwest Territories extends for more than 1,300,000 km (500,000 sq mi) and has a large climate variance from south to north. The southern part of the territory (most of the mainland portion) has a subarctic climate , while the islands and northern coast have a polar climate . Summers in

1547-681: Is called the National Assembly . Ontario has a legislative assembly but its members are called members of the Provincial Parliament or MPPs. The legislative assemblies use a procedure similar to that of the House of Commons of Canada . The head of government of each province, called the premier , is generally the head of the party with the most seats. This is also the case in Yukon, but the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no political parties at

1638-402: Is located in neighbouring Alberta . Parks Canada also manages three park reserves: Nááts'ihch'oh , Nahanni National Park Reserve , and Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve . As a territory, the NWT has fewer rights than the provinces. During his term, Premier Kakfwi pushed to have the federal government accord more rights to the territory, including having a greater share of the returns from

1729-476: Is mostly Arctic tundra , the Northwest Territories has a slightly warmer climate and is both boreal forest (taiga) and tundra , and its most northern regions form part of the Arctic Archipelago . The Northwest Territories has the most interprovincial and inter-territorial land borders among all provinces and territories of Canada. It is bordered by the territories of Nunavut to the east and Yukon to

1820-441: Is reasonable to expect it given the nature of the services requested. In practical terms, English language services are universally available, and there is no guarantee that other languages, including French, will be used by any particular government service, except for the courts. The 2016 census returns showed a population of 41,786. Of the 40,565 singular responses to the census question regarding each inhabitant's "mother tongue",

1911-611: Is the capital, most populous community, and the only city in the territory; its population was 20,340 as of the 2021 census. It became the territorial capital in 1967, following recommendations by the Carrothers Commission . The Northwest Territories, a portion of the old North-Western Territory , entered the Canadian Confederation on July 15, 1870. At first, it was named the North-West Territories. The name

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2002-511: Is the only oil company currently producing oil there. Its diamonds are promoted as an alternative to purchasing blood diamonds . Two of the biggest mineral resource companies in the world, BHP and Rio Tinto mine many of their diamonds there. In 2010, Territories' accounted for 28.5% of Rio Tinto's total diamond production (3.9 million carats, 17% more than in 2009, from the Diavik Diamond Mine ) and 100% of BHP's (3.05 million carats from

2093-602: The Alberta Party and Saskatchewan Party . The provincial political climate of Quebec is different: the main split is between sovereignty , represented by the Parti Québécois and Québec solidaire , and federalism , represented primarily by the Quebec Liberal Party . The Coalition Avenir Québec , meanwhile, takes an abstentionist position on the question and does not support or oppose sovereignty. Currently,

2184-529: The British government during the colonial era to indicate where it lay in relation to the rest of Rupert's Land . It has been shortened from North-Western Territory and then North-West Territories . In Inuktitut , the Northwest Territories are referred to as Nunatsiaq ( Inuktitut syllabics ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅ), "beautiful land". The northernmost region of the territory is home to the Inuvialuit , who primarily live in

2275-560: The Canadian Senate . Originally, most provinces had such bodies, known as legislative councils , with members titled councillors. These upper houses were abolished one by one, Quebec's being the last in 1968. In most provinces, the single house of the legislature is known as the Legislative Assembly; the exceptions are Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, where the chamber is called the House of Assembly , and Quebec where it

2366-502: The Colony of British Columbia . NWT included the northern two-thirds of Ontario and Quebec. After the province of Manitoba was established in 1870, in a small area in the south of today's province, almost all of present-day Manitoba was still contained in the NWT. (Manitoba expanded to its present size in 1912.) The British claims to the Arctic islands were transferred to Canada in 1880, adding to

2457-574: The EKATI mine ). The Eldorado Mine produced uranium for the Manhattan Project , as well as radium , silver, and copper (for other uses). During the winter, many international visitors go to Yellowknife to watch the auroras . Five areas managed by Parks Canada are situated within the territory: Aulavik and Tuktut Nogait National Parks are in the northern part. Portions of Wood Buffalo National Park are located within it, although most of it

2548-512: The Hudson's Bay Company . In 1870, the company relinquished its claims for £300,000 (CND$ 1.5 million), assigning the vast territory to the government of Canada. Subsequently, the area was re-organized into the province of Manitoba and the North-West Territories. The North-West Territories encompassed all of current northern and western Canada, except for the British holdings in the Arctic islands and

2639-557: The Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Inuvialuit Nunangit Sannaiqtuaq), while the southern portion is called Denendeh (an Athabaskan word meaning "our land"). Denendeh is the vast Dene country, stretching from central Alaska to Hudson Bay , within which lie the homelands of the numerous Dene nations. Since the Yukon Territory was split from it in 1898, it is no longer the westernmost territory, and until Nunavut

2730-564: The Inuvialuit Settlement Region and belongs to the greater Inuit Nunangat . Amongst the other Inuit, there are also the Copper Inuit who inhabit their traditional territory, Inuinnait Nunangat , between the Kitikmeot and Inuvik Regions . To the south are the Cree First Nations and Métis . In 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was formed from a royal charter, and was granted

2821-674: The Labrador coast, and the Arctic Islands (except the southern half of Baffin Island ). After the 1870 transfer, some of the North-West Territories was whittled away. The province of Manitoba was enlarged in 1881 to a rectangular region composing the modern province's south. By the time British Columbia joined Confederation on July 20, 1871, it had already (1866) been granted the portion of North-Western Territory south of 60 degrees north and west of 120 degrees west , an area that comprised most of

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2912-466: The Province of Canada (which upon Confederation was divided into Ontario and Quebec )—united to form a federation , becoming a fully independent country over the next century. Over its history, Canada's international borders have changed several times as it has added territories and provinces, making it the world's second-largest country by area. The major difference between a Canadian province and

3003-562: The River St. Lawrence and Coast of America and North America and West Indies Station , the North America and Newfoundland Station , the North America and West Indies Station , and finally the America and West Indies Station ) main bases, dockyards, and Admiralty Houses. The squadron of the station was based at Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax , during the summers and Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda , in

3094-641: The Stickeen Territories (and a portion of the Peace River country). The North-West Territories Council was created in 1875 for more local government in the North-West Territories. At first wholly made up of appointed members, it got its first elected members in 1882 and became wholly elected in 1888 when the council was reorganized as the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories. Frederick Haultain , an Ontario lawyer who practised at Fort Macleod from 1884, became its chairman in 1891 and Premier when

3185-565: The T'satsąot'ınę (Ndé). Historically, Dene have lived across Denendeh and what is now the NWT since time immemorial and the era of Yamoria and Yamozha . Along the northern coast live one of the Inuit sudivisions: the Inuvialuit , a conglomerate of several Inuvialuit peoples, including the Uummarmiut , Kangiryuarmiut , and Siglit . Their country, variously called Inuvialuit Nunangit , Inuvialuit Nunungat , or Inuvialuit Nunangat corresponds to

3276-597: The 60° parallel, Ontario's to Hudson Bay and Quebec's to encompass the District of Ungava . In 1869, the people of Newfoundland voted to remain a British colony over fears that taxes would increase with Confederation, and that the economic policy of the Canadian government would favour mainland industries. In 1907, Newfoundland acquired dominion status. In the middle of the Great Depression in Canada , Newfoundland underwent

3367-551: The Assembly was reorganized in 1897. The modern provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were created in 1905. Contemporary records show Haultain recommended that the NWT become a single province, named Buffalo, but the Canadian government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier acted otherwise. In the meantime, the British Arctic Territories were transferred to Canada and added to the North-West Territories in 1880. The province of Ontario

3458-818: The French government donated the land used for the Vimy Memorial "freely, and for all time, to the Government of Canada the free use of the land exempt from all taxes". The site of the Somme battlefield near Beaumont-Hamel site was purchased in 1921 by the people of the Dominion of Newfoundland . These sites do not, however, enjoy extraterritorial status and are thus subject to French law. Since Confederation in 1867, there have been several proposals for new Canadian provinces and territories. The Constitution of Canada requires an amendment for

3549-629: The French surrendering their claim to the Hudson Bay coast. Europeans have visited the region for the purposes of fur trading , and exploration for new trade routes, including the Northwest Passage . Arctic expeditions launched in the 19th century include the Coppermine expedition . In 1867, the first Canadian residential school opened in the region in Fort Resolution. The opening of the school

3640-516: The House." The NWT Legislative Assembly is composed of one member elected from each of the nineteen constituencies. After each general election , the new assembly elects the premier and the speaker by secret ballot. Seven MLAs are also chosen as cabinet ministers, with the remainder forming the opposition. The membership of the current legislative assembly was set by the 2023 Northwest Territories general election on November 14, 2023. R.J. Simpson

3731-620: The Maritimes under the Methodist and Roman Catholic churches). In 1903, resolution of the Alaska Panhandle Dispute fixed British Columbia's northwestern boundary. This was one of only two provinces in Canadian history to have its size reduced. The second reduction, in 1927, occurred when a boundary dispute between Canada and the Dominion of Newfoundland saw Labrador enlarged at Quebec's expense; this land returned to Canada, as part of

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3822-420: The NSMA and failed in its obligation as a Crown actor. The court recognized that the members of the NSMA hold indigenous rights over their traditional lands. NSMA presidents serve a four-year term. The successive presidents of the NSMA have been: The North Slave Métis have continuously used and occupied the territory north and east of Great Slave Lake since the mid-18th century. By the early-19th century,

3913-455: The NWT. These range in size from Yellowknife with a population of 19,569 to Kakisa with 36 people. Governance of each community differs, some are run under various types of First Nations control, while others are designated as a city, town, village or hamlet, but most communities are municipal corporations . Yellowknife is the largest community and has the largest number of Aboriginal peoples, 4,520 (23.4%) people. However, Behchokǫ̀ , with

4004-568: The North Slave Métis community in the Great Slave Lake area was distinct from other indigenous groups. Outsiders easily identified them, largely because of their occupation and employment patterns. They were "prized as fur-trade employees for their language ability, skills in living on the land, and influence in the Indian populations". North Slave Métis people tended to be highly mobile and have

4095-556: The North, for organizational and economic purposes. For much of the Northwest Territories' early history it was divided into several districts for ease of administration. The District of Keewatin was created as a separate territory from 1876 to 1905, after which, as the Keewatin Region, it became an administrative district of the Northwest Territories. In 1999, it was dissolved when it became part of Nunavut. Theoretically, provinces have

4186-411: The creation of a new province but the creation of a new territory requires only an act of Parliament , a legislatively simpler process. In late 2004, Prime Minister Paul Martin surprised some observers by expressing his personal support for all three territories gaining provincial status "eventually". He cited their importance to the country as a whole and the ongoing need to assert sovereignty in

4277-419: The day. Thunderstorms are not rare in the south. In the north, they are very rare but do occur. Tornadoes are extremely rare but have happened with the most notable one happening just outside Yellowknife that destroyed a communications tower. The Territory has a fairly dry climate due to the mountains in the west. About half of the territory is above the tree line . There are not many trees in most of

4368-474: The debates and proceedings of the legislature. However, the laws are legally binding only in their French and English versions, and the NWT government only publishes laws and other documents in the territory's other official languages when the legislature asks it to. Furthermore, access to services in any language is limited to institutions and circumstances where there is a significant demand for that language or where it

4459-422: The devolution of more powers to the elected assembly since 1967, the position has become symbolic. The commissioner had full governmental powers until 1980 when the territories were given greater self-government. The legislative assembly then began electing a cabinet and government leader , later known as the premier . Since 1985 the commissioner no longer chairs meetings of the executive council (or cabinet), and

4550-462: The divisions of responsibility between the provincial and federal government within the Constitution Act, 1867 , and each province thus has its own representative of the Canadian Crown , the lieutenant governor . The territories are not sovereign, but instead their authorities and responsibilities are devolved directly from the federal level, and as a result, have a commissioner that represents

4641-407: The eastern areas of the territory, or in the north islands. There are multiple Indigenous territories overlapping the current borders of the Northwest Territories. These include Denendeh , Inuvialuit Settlement Region ( Inuvialuit Nunangit Sannaiqtuaq ), and both Métis and Nêhiyawak countries (Michif Piyii and ᓀᐦᐃᔮᓈᕁ nêhiýânâhk , respectively). Of these, Denendeh and the Dene nations are

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4732-462: The election, all Members meet as a Caucus to set priorities for that Assembly. The Caucus remains active throughout their term as the forum where all Members meet as equals.[...] Compared to the party system, there is much more communication between Regular Members and Cabinet. All legislation, major policies, and proposed budgets pass through the Regular Members' standing committees before coming to

4823-479: The environment and to promote and enhance Métis education, economic, social, and cultural development. The NSMA is vitally concerned with the protection, preservation, and sustainable use of its traditional lands and resources. With that in mind, the NSMA is committed to principles of economic sustainability, environmental stewardship , and self-determination in respect to its traditional lands and resources. The North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA) has been registered as

4914-520: The federal government has instructed commissioners to behave like a provincial lieutenant governor . Unlike lieutenant governors, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories is not a formal representative of the King of Canada . Unlike provincial governments and the government of Yukon, the government of the Northwest Territories does not have political parties. It never has had political parties except for

5005-444: The federal government. There are three territories in Canada. Unlike the provinces, the territories of Canada have no inherent sovereignty and have only those powers delegated to them by the federal government. They include all of mainland Canada north of latitude 60° north and west of Hudson Bay and all islands north of the Canadian mainland (from those in James Bay to the Queen Elizabeth Islands ). The following table lists

5096-403: The federal party. The Liberal Party of Canada shares such an organizational integration with Atlantic Canada provincial Liberals in New Brunswick , Newfoundland and Labrador , Nova Scotia , and Prince Edward Island . Other provincial Liberal parties are unaffiliated with their federal counterpart. Some provinces have provincial political parties with no clear federal equivalent, such as

5187-422: The geographic area. Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada . At a land area of approximately 1,127,711.92 km (435,412.01 sq mi) and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada . Its estimated population as of the second quarter of 2024 is 44,920. Yellowknife

5278-415: The indicia of sovereignty from the United Kingdom. Prior to this, Ontario and Quebec were united as the Province of Canada. Over the following years, Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), and Prince Edward Island (1873) were added as provinces. The British Crown had claimed two large areas north-west of the Canadian colony, known as Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory , and assigned them to

5369-475: The largest lake entirely within Canada, and Great Slave Lake , the deepest body of water in North America at 614 m (2,014 ft), as well as the Mackenzie River and the canyons of the Nahanni National Park Reserve , a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site . Territorial islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago include Banks Island , Borden Island , Prince Patrick Island , and parts of Victoria Island and Melville Island . Its highest point

5460-424: The last British North American colony, which had been somewhat subordinated to Nova Scotia, was one of two Imperial fortress colonies in British North America – the other being Nova Scotia, and more particularly the city of Halifax. Halifax and Bermuda were the sites of the Royal Navy's North America Station (or, depending on the time period and the extent of the Western Hemisphere it included,

5551-424: The last addition to their modern landmass from the Northwest Territories in 1912. This left only the districts of Mackenzie , Franklin (which absorbed the remnants of Ungava in 1920) and Keewatin within what was then given the name Northwest Territories. In 1925, the boundaries of the Northwest Territories were extended all the way to the North Pole on the sector principle , vastly expanding its territory onto

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5642-401: The mines on Great Bear Lake. Of the thirty plus miners who worked at the Port Radium site, at least fourteen have died due to various forms of cancer. A study was done in the community of Deline , called A Village of Widows by Cindy Kenny-Gilday , which indicated that the number of people involved were too small to be able to confirm or deny a link. There has been racial tension based on

5733-403: The most prominent with the rest of the Dene country ("Dene-ndeh" or Deneland) covering much of what is now Alaska , British Columbia , and the northern regions of the prairie provinces . Some of its constituent territories include Tłı̨chǫ Country , Got'iné Néné , Dehchondéh , and Gwichʼin Nành, amongst others including those of the Dënë Sųłinë́ (Nëné, "land" ), Dane-z̲aa (Nanéʔ), and

5824-438: The most reported languages were the following (italics indicate an official language of the NWT): There were also 630 responses of both English and a "non-official language"; 35 of both French and a "non-official language"; 145 of both English and French, and about 400 people who either did not respond to the question, or reported multiple non-official languages, or else gave some other unenumerable response. (Figures shown are for

5915-426: The name the North-West Territories. This immense region comprised all of today's Canada except British Columbia, an early form of Manitoba (a small square area around Winnipeg ), early forms of present-day Ontario and Quebec (the coast of the Great Lakes , the Saint Lawrence River valley and the southern third of modern Quebec ), the Maritimes (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick), Newfoundland ,

6006-400: The north are short and cool, featuring daytime highs of 14–17 °C (57–63 °F) and lows of 1–5 °C (34–41 °F). Winters are long and harsh, with daytime highs of −20 to −25 °C (−4 to −13 °F) and lows of −30 to −35 °C (−22 to −31 °F). The coldest nights typically reach −40 to −45 °C (−40 to −49 °F) each year. Extremes are common, with summer highs in

6097-437: The northern ice cap . Between 1925 and 1999, the Northwest Territories covered a land area of 3,439,296 km (1,327,920 sq mi)—larger than one-third of Canada in terms of area. On April 1, 1999, a separate Nunavut territory was formed from the eastern Northwest Territories to represent the Inuit. Visible minority and indigenous identity (2016): The NWT is one of two jurisdictions in Canada – Nunavut being

6188-485: The number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.) In the 2021 Census, 55.2% of the population followed Christianity (primarily Roman Catholicism ); this is down from 67.6% in the 2001 Census. At the same time, the population reported having no religious affiliation has more than doubled, from 17.4% in 2001 to 39.8% in 2021 census. About 5.0% reported other religious affiliations. As of 2014, there are 33 official communities in

6279-412: The one minority provincial/territorial government is held by the Liberals in Yukon . They are in government with a formal confidence and supply agreement from the Yukon New Democratic Party . The Canadian National Vimy Memorial , near Vimy , Pas-de-Calais, and the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial , near Beaumont-Hamel , both in France, are ceremonially considered Canadian territory. In 1922,

6370-420: The only language used in the assembly. After some conflict with the Confederation Government in Ottawa , and a decisive vote on January 19, 1892, the assembly members voted for an English-only territory. Currently, the Northwest Territories' Official Languages Act recognizes the following eleven official languages : NWT residents have a right to use any of the above languages in a territorial court, and in

6461-472: The other – where Indigenous peoples are in the majority, constituting 50.4% of the population. According to the 2016 Canadian census, the 10 major ethnic groups were: French was made an official language in 1877 by the then-territorial government. After a lengthy and bitter debate resulting from a speech from the throne in 1888 by Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal , the members of the time voted on more than one occasion to nullify this and make English

6552-437: The period between 1898 and 1905. Its legislative assembly operates through the consensus government model. The website of the NWT government describes consensus government thusly: "The Northwest Territories is one of only two jurisdictions in Canada with a consensus system of government instead of one based on party politics. In our system, all Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected as independents. Shortly after

6643-410: The province of Newfoundland, in 1949. In 1999, Nunavut was created from the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories. Yukon lies in the western portion of Northern Canada, while Nunavut is in the east. All three territories combined are the most sparsely populated region in Canada, covering 3,921,739 km (1,514,192 sq mi) in land area. They are often referred to as a single region,

6734-426: The provincial governments to exercise exclusively. A change to the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces requires a constitutional amendment , whereas a similar change affecting the territories can be performed unilaterally by the Parliament of Canada or government. In modern Canadian constitutional theory , the provinces are considered to be co-sovereign within certain areas based on

6825-516: The reduction of British military forces in the Maritimes to a small garrison for the protection of the Halifax dockyard, which would be withdrawn when that dockyard was handed over to the Dominion government in 1905 for use by the new Canadian naval service. Britain retained control of Bermuda as an imperial fortress, with the governor and commander-in-chief of Bermuda (a military officer previously ranking between lieutenant-colonel and major-general) becoming

6916-500: The same name. For example, no provincial Conservative or Progressive Conservative Party shares an organizational link to the federal Conservative Party of Canada , and neither do provincial Green Parties to the Green Party of Canada . Provincial New Democratic Parties, on the other hand, are fully integrated with the federal New Democratic Party —meaning that provincial parties effectively operate as sections, with common membership, of

7007-456: The size of the North-West Territories. In 1898 the Yukon Territory, later renamed "Yukon" in 2003, was carved from the area surrounding the Klondike gold fields . On September 1, 1905, a portion of the North-West Territories south of the 60th parallel north became the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1912, the boundaries of Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba were expanded northward: Manitoba's to

7098-492: The south reaching 36 °C (97 °F) and lows reaching below 0 °C (32 °F). In winter in the south, it is not uncommon for the temperatures to reach −40 °C (−40 °F), but they can also reach the low teens during the day. In the north, temperatures can reach highs of 30 °C (86 °F), and lows into the low negatives. In winter in the north, it is not uncommon for the temperatures to reach −50 °C (−58 °F) but they can also reach single digits during

7189-413: The territorial level. The King's representative in each province is the lieutenant governor . In each of the territories there is an analogous commissioner , but they represent the federal government rather than the monarch. Most provinces have rough provincial counterparts to major federal parties. However, these provincial parties are not usually formally linked to the federal parties that share

7280-577: The territories in order of precedence (each province has precedence over all the territories, regardless of the date each territory was created). Another territory, the District of Keewatin , existed from October 7, 1876, until September 1, 1905, when it rejoined the Northwest Territories and became the Keewatin Region . It occupied the area that is now the Kenora District of Ontario, northern Manitoba, and mainland Nunavut. The government of Keewatin

7371-555: The territory's natural resources go to the territory. Devolution of powers to the territory was an issue in the 20th general election in 2003, and has been ever since the territory began electing members in 1881. The Commissioner of the NWT is the chief executive and is appointed by the Governor-in-Council of Canada on the recommendation of the federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development . The position used to be more administrative and governmental, but with

7462-494: The two biggest provinces in Canada, with together over 60% of the population at any given time. The population of the West relative to Canada as a whole has steadily grown over time, while that of Atlantic Canada has declined. Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were the original provinces, formed when several British North American colonies federated on July 1, 1867, into the Dominion of Canada and by stages began accruing

7553-426: The west, and by the provinces of British Columbia , Alberta , and Saskatchewan to the south; it also touches Manitoba to the southeast at a quadripoint that includes Nunavut and Saskatchewan. The land area of the Northwest Territories is roughly equal to that of France, Portugal and Spain combined, although its overall area is even larger because of its vast lakes. The name was originally descriptive, adopted by

7644-596: The winters until the 1820s, when Bermuda (which was better located to control the Atlantic Seaboard of the United States, impossible to attack over land, and almost impregnable against attack over water) became the main base year round. A large British Army garrison in Bermuda , which fell under the commander-in-chief in Nova Scotia , existed to defend the colony as a naval base (and to prevent it becoming as useful

7735-612: Was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The territory did not have any representation in federal parliament. The vast majority of Canada's population is concentrated in areas close to the Canada–US border . Its four largest provinces by area ( Quebec , Ontario , British Columbia and Alberta ) are also (with Quebec and Ontario switched in order) its most populous; together they account for 86% of the country's population. The territories (the Northwest Territories , Nunavut and Yukon ) account for over

7826-538: Was changed to the present Northwest Territories in 1906. Since 1870, the territory has been divided four times to create new provinces and territories or enlarge existing ones. Its current borders date from April 1, 1999, when the territory's size was decreased again by the creation of a new territory of Nunavut to the east, through the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement . While Nunavut

7917-470: Was enlarged north-westward in 1882. Quebec was also extended northwards in 1898. Yukon was also made a separate territory that year and eventually gained additional territorial powers with the 2003 Yukon Act . One year after the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905, the Parliament of Canada renamed the "North-West Territories" as the Northwest Territories , dropping all hyphenated forms of it. Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec acquired

8008-563: Was followed by several others in regions across the territory, thus contributing to it reaching the highest percentage of students in residential schools compared to other area in Canada. The present-day territory came under the authority of the Government of Canada in July 1870, after the Hudson's Bay Company transferred Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to the British Crown, which subsequently transferred them to Canada, giving it

8099-699: Was formed in 1972 to represent all indigenous Métis in the Northwest Territories. This organisation was disbanded after the Final Agreement was rejected, and the pan-territorial process was abandoned in favor of the pursuit of regional claims. The North Slave Métis Alliance was endorsed by the MNNWT as the North Slave Métis regional land claim organisation before the MNNWT was disbanded. The alliance represents Métis in Yellowknife, Behchokǫ̀ (Rae-Edzo), Whatì , Gamèti (Rae Lakes), and Wekweeti (Snare Lake). The NSMA sponsors

8190-433: Was selected as the new premier by his fellow MLAs on December 7, 2023. The member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories is Michael McLeod ( Liberal Party ). The Commissioner of the Northwest Territories is Gerald Kisoun . In the Parliament of Canada , the NWT comprises a single Senate division and a single House of Commons electoral district , titled Northwest Territories ( Western Arctic until 2014). Thus

8281-409: Was split from it in 1999 it included territory extending as far east as Canada's Atlantic provinces . There has been some discussion of changing the name, possibly to a term from an Indigenous language. One proposal was "Denendeh", as advocated by the former premier Stephen Kakfwi , among others. One of the most popular proposals for a new name—to name the territory "Bob"—began as a prank , but for

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