List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is the most populous of Canada's three territories with 41,786 residents as of 2016 and is the second-largest territory in land area at 1,143,794 km² (441,621 sq mi).[1] The Northwest Territories' 24 municipalities cover only 0.2% of the territory's land mass but are home to 95.8% of its population.[1][2][3]

Location of the Northwest Territories in Canada

Distribution of the Northwest Territories' 24 municipalities by type

Skyline of downtown Yellowknife

Hay River, the territory's largest town and second-largest community

Inuvik, the third-largest municipality in the Northwest Territories

Behchokǫ̀, the territory's largest Tlicho community

According to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act (CTVA), the Hamlets Act and the Charter Communities Act (CCA), all of which were enacted in 2003, a municipality is an area within a city, town, village, hamlet or charter community that was established or continued by a legislative order.[4][5][6] The Tlicho Community Government Act (TCGA), enacted in 2004, also considers community governments as municipal corporations alongside charter communities, cities, hamlets, towns and villages.[7]

Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories and its only city, while Fort Simpson is its only village. Of the remaining 22 municipalities, three of them are charter communities, four are community governments of the Tlicho people, eleven are hamlets and four are towns.[3] The CTVA, the Hamlets Act, the CCA and the TCGA stipulate governance of these municipalities.[4][5][6][7]

Nearly half of the population of the Northwest Territories (46.8%) resides in Yellowknife, the largest municipality in the territory at 19,569 residents.[2] The least populous municipality is Sachs Harbour with 103 residents.[2] The largest municipality by area is Fort Resolution at 455.22 km² (175.76 sq mi), while the smallest is Gamèti at 9.19 km² (3.55 sq mi).[2]

Cities

An application can be submitted to incorporate a community as a city under the Cities, Town and Villages Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, if the proposed city has a minimum assessed land value of $200 million or if an exception is made by the Minister.[4] The only city in the Northwest Territories is Yellowknife.[3] It had a population of 19,569 residents and a land area of 105.47 km² (40.72 sq mi) in the 2016 Census.[2]

Towns

Like cities, an application to incorporate as a town can be submitted under the Cities, Town and Villages Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.[4] In the case of a town however, the proposed town's minimum assessed land value must be $50 million unless an exception is made by the Minister.[4] The Northwest Territories has four communities incorporated as towns.[3] Hay River is the territory's largest town by population and land area with 3,528 residents and 133.15 km² (51.41 sq mi) respectively.[2] Norman Wells is the smallest town by population at 778 residents while Inuvik is the smallest by land area at 62.48 km² (24.12 sq mi).[2]

Villages

The Cities, Town and Villages Act enables an application to incorporate as a village at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.[4] The proposed village's minimum assessed land value must be $10 million unless an exception is made by the Minister.[4] The only village in the Northwest Territories is Fort Simpson.[3] It had a population of 1,202 residents and a land area of 78.32 km² (30.24 sq mi).[2]

Hamlets

At the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, an application can be submitted to incorporate a community as a hamlet under the Hamlets Act.[5] Unlike cities, towns and villages, the incorporation of hamlets are not conditioned by a prescribed minimum assessed land value. Of the 11 hamlets in the Northwest Territories, Tuktoyaktuk is the largest by population with 898 residents yet is its smallest by land area at 14.00 km² (5.41 sq mi).[2] Sachs Harbour is the smallest hamlet by population at 103 residents while Fort Resolution is the largest by land area at 455.22 km² (175.76 sq mi).[2]

Charter communities

An application to incorporate as a community charter can be submitted under the Charter Communities Act at the request of a minimum 25 residents that are eligible electors, or at the initiative of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.[6] After consultation with community residents and groups, the application can be approved if 60% of the eligible electors vote to approve the incorporation.[6] The Northwest Territories has three charter communities.[3] Délı̨nę is the territory's largest charter community by population with 533 residents and Fort Good Hope is the smallest by land area at 47.25 km² (18.24 sq mi).[2] Tsiigehtchic is the smallest charter community by population at 172 residents while Deline is the largest by land area at 79.44 km² (30.67 sq mi).[2]

Tlicho community governments

Four community governments were established through the enactment of the Tlicho Community Government Act.[7] Behchokǫ̀ is the territory's largest community government by population and land area at 1,874 residents and 75.17 km² (29.02 sq mi) respectively.[2] Wekweeti is the smallest community government by population at 129 residents while Gamèti is the smallest by land area at 9.19 km² (3.55 sq mi).[2] The fourth community is Whatì, the second largest by area (59.95 km² [23.15 sq mi]) and population (470).[2]