Tulita

Hamlet in Northwest Territories, Canada

Tulita

Tulít’a

Hamlet

Tulita

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Tulita

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Coordinates: 64°54′02″N 125°34′35″W﻿ / ﻿64.90056°N 125.57639°W﻿ / 64.90056; -125.57639[1]
Country| Canada
Territory| Northwest Territories
Region| Sahtu
Settlement area| Sahtu
Constituency| Sahtu
Hamlet| 1 April 1984
Government

• Mayor| Rocky Norwegian Sr.
• Senior Administrative Officer| Bradley Menacho
• MLA| Daniel McNeely
Area

(2021)[2]

• Land| 52.28 km2 (20.19 sq mi)
Elevation

| 101 m (331 ft)
Population

(2021)[2]

• Total

| 396
• Density| 7.6/km2 (20/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Canadian Postal code|

X0E 0K0

Area code| 867
Telephone exchange| 588
\- Living cost| 177.5A
\- Food price index| 165.8B
Sources:
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,[3]
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[4]
Tulita profile at the Legislative Assembly[5]
Canada Flight Supplement[6]
^A 2013 figure based on Edmonton = 100[7]
^B 2015 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[7]

Tulita,[pronunciation?] which in Slavey means "where the rivers or waters meet", is a hamlet in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was formerly known as Fort Norman, until 1 January 1996. It is located at the junction of the Great Bear River and the Mackenzie River; the Bear originates at Great Bear Lake adjacent to Deline.

Tulita is in an area that is forested and well south of the tree line. Permafrost underlays the area, more or less continuous in distribution. Tulita is surrounded by mountains, the latter renowned for Dall sheep, and faces the Mackenzie Mountains to the west, which has mountain goats.

## History

[edit]

Fort Norman originated as a Hudson's Bay Company trading post in the 19th century and has occupied a number of geographical locations prior to the settling of the modern community. A post by the name of Fort Norman occupied several locations, on the Mackenzie River, on the islands within it, on Bear River, and on the shore of Great Bear Lake near the present location of Deline. Who the name 'Norman' commemorates is unclear, but it may have been either Alexander Norman McLeod or Archibald Norman McLeod, both of whom were prominent in the northwest in the early 19th century.[8]

Between 1863 and 1869, Fort Norman was located on Great Bear Lake, a short distance west of what later became Deline (Fort Franklin), and was an HBC post commanded by Nichol Taylor. Roman Catholic missionary Émile Petitot operated a small mission here during that period. In 1869, Nichol Taylor moved Fort Norman to its present position at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Bear Rivers.[9]

Fort Norman rose to importance during the 1920s oil staking rush along the Mackenzie River, 50 km (31 mi) downstream of the community, where oil was developed and marketed at what became known as Norman Wells.[10] It has also become a permanent settlement for predominately Sahtu Dene people on whose traditional land the original trading post was built. In 1996, the name of Fort Norman was officially changed to Tulita, which translates in Dene to "where the rivers or waters meet."

## Demographics

[edit]

Federal census population history of TulitaYear| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1976| 232| —
1981| 286| +23.3%
1986| 332| +16.1%
1991| 375| +13.0%
1996| 450| +20.0%
2001| 473| +5.1%
2006| 505| +6.8%
2011| 478| −5.3%
2016| 477| −0.2%
2021| 396| −17.0%
Source: Statistics Canada
[2][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]
Annual population estimates| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1996| 468| —
1997| 477| +1.9%
1998| 473| −0.8%
1999| 490| +3.6%
2000| 493| +0.6%
2001| 495| +0.4%
2002| 509| +2.8%
2003| 504| −1.0%
2004| 505| +0.2%
2005| 526| +4.2%
2006| 524| −0.4%
| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

2007| 522| −0.4%
2008| 521| −0.2%
2009| 512| −1.7%
2010| 519| +1.4%
2011| 490| −5.6%
2012| 496| +1.2%
2013| 497| +0.2%
2014| 502| +1.0%
2015| 493| −1.8%
2016| 515| +4.5%
2017| 497| −3.5%
Sources: NWT Bureau of Statistics (2001–2017)[19]

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Tulita had a population of 396 living in 134 of its 160 total private dwellings, a change of -17% from its 2016 population of 477. With a land area of 52.28 km2 (20.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 7.6/km2 (19.6/sq mi) in 2021.[2]

In 2016, the majority of the population was Indigenous being First Nations and Métis. The main languages are North Slavey and English with some Dene.[18][5]

## Transport and tourism

[edit]

Tulita with the Mackenzie River

Tulita may be reached via air year-round, and is served by Tulita Airport; Norman Wells is the regional centre and the site of origin of the majority of flights in. A winter road links Tulita to Wrigley and thence the Mackenzie Highway, and is only open in mid- to late winter. Summer access is available by barge or by canoe, from Hay River along the Mackenzie River. The NWT government is seeking federal funding to extend the Mackenzie Highway from Wrigley through Tulita to Tsiigehtchic.

Amenities consist of a hotel, Northern Store, Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment, and a nursing station.[20] Chief Albert Wright School teaches grades K-12 while the hamlet has a library, arena, recreation hall, and fitness centre.[21]

## First Nations

[edit]

The Dene First Nations people of Tulita are represented by the Tulita Dene First Nation, a band government operating within the community. The TDFN is a member of the Sahtu Dene Council, joining the Behdzi Ahda' First Nation, Délı̨nę First Nation, and Fort Good Hope First Nation.

Treaty Indians from the community are party to the Sahtu Agreement, which gives them shared title to 41,437 square kilometers of land in the Sahtu Region. Under the Sahtu Agreement, self-government negotiations are ongoing in all five of the region's communities, but as of 2019 only Délı̨nę has successfully reached a Final Agreement.[22]

## Notable people

[edit]

* Leslie Nielsen lived here while his father was stationed with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

## Gallery

[edit]

* Sternwheeler Distributor and barge at Fort Norman, 1936

* Fort Norman and Bear Rock

* The Imperial Oil Company's expedition to the Fort Norman oil fields, 1921

* The Imperial Oil Company's expedition to the Fort Norman oil fields, 1921

## Climate

[edit]

Tulita experiences a subarctic climate (Koppen: Dfc) with generally mild to warm summers and cold winters with highs often well-below zero. Peak snowfall occurs in the months of October and November, while rainfall is limited to the warmer months.

Climate data for Tulita Airport

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high humidex | 3.9  | 4.8  | 6.7  | 19.7  | 29.0  | 34.7  | 40.0  | 44.8  | 26.5  | 20.1  | 4.0  | −1.2  | 44.8
Record high °C (°F)  | 5.6
(42.1)  | 8.3
(46.9)  | 15.0
(59.0)  | 20.6
(69.1)  | 31.7
(89.1)  | 34.4
(93.9)  | 36.9
(98.4)  | 34.6
(94.3)  | 28.5
(83.3)  | 22.8
(73.0)  | 8.3
(46.9)  | 3.0
(37.4)  | 36.9
(98.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | −21.7
(−7.1)  | −19.1
(−2.4)  | −11.5
(11.3)  | 0.7
(33.3)  | 12.4
(54.3)  | 20.9
(69.6)  | 22.7
(72.9)  | 19.2
(66.6)  | 10.3
(50.5)  | −2.2
(28.0)  | −14.5
(5.9)  | −18.6
(−1.5)  | −0.1
(31.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −25.2
(−13.4)  | −23.4
(−10.1)  | −17.3
(0.9)  | −5.3
(22.5)  | 6.6
(43.9)  | 14.9
(58.8)  | 17.1
(62.8)  | 14.1
(57.4)  | 6.2
(43.2)  | −5.0
(23.0)  | −17.8
(0.0)  | −22.3
(−8.1)  | −4.8
(23.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | −28.7
(−19.7)  | −27.6
(−17.7)  | −23.0
(−9.4)  | −11.3
(11.7)  | 0.7
(33.3)  | 8.9
(48.0)  | 11.5
(52.7)  | 9.0
(48.2)  | 2.1
(35.8)  | −7.8
(18.0)  | −20.7
(−5.3)  | −25.9
(−14.6)  | −9.4
(15.1)
Record low °C (°F)  | −53.9
(−65.0)  | −54.4
(−65.9)  | −50.0
(−58.0)  | −40.0
(−40.0)  | −23.9
(−11.0)  | −5.6
(21.9)  | −3.3
(26.1)  | −7.8
(18.0)  | −15.6
(3.9)  | −32.8
(−27.0)  | −49.0
(−56.2)  | −53.3
(−63.9)  | −54.4
(−65.9)
Record low wind chill | −56.5  | −57.1  | −55.6  | −36.3  | −24.0  | −5.9  | 0.0  | 0.0  | −12.3  | −35.4  | −48.3  | −55.2  | −57.1
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 14.8
(0.58)  | 11.5
(0.45)  | 8.7
(0.34)  | 9.1
(0.36)  | 13.4
(0.53)  | 36.0
(1.42)  | 44.2
(1.74)  | 46.9
(1.85)  | 38.9
(1.53)  | 32.8
(1.29)  | 21.8
(0.86)  | 15.0
(0.59)  | 293.0
(11.54)
Average rainfall mm (inches)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.7
(0.03)  | 9.8
(0.39)  | 35.9
(1.41)  | 44.2
(1.74)  | 46.9
(1.85)  | 36.5
(1.44)  | 2.7
(0.11)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 176.8
(6.96)
Average snowfall cm (inches)  | 14.8
(5.8)  | 11.5
(4.5)  | 8.7
(3.4)  | 8.5
(3.3)  | 3.7
(1.5)  | 0.1
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 2.4
(0.9)  | 30.1
(11.9)  | 22.2
(8.7)  | 15.0
(5.9)  | 116.7
(45.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.1  | 5.7  | 5.8  | 3.9  | 4.7  | 7.6  | 9.1  | 9.1  | 8.6  | 9.4  | 8.9  | 8.3  | 88.1
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.3  | 3.5  | 7.6  | 9.1  | 9.1  | 7.6  | 1.5  | 0.1  | 0.0  | 38.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 7.1  | 5.7  | 5.8  | 3.7  | 1.2  | 0.1  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.9  | 8.1  | 8.9  | 8.3  | 49.7
Source: Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[23][24]

## In literature

[edit]

* The outpost of Fort Norman features in James A. Michener's novel Journey in which the character of Lord Luton seeks information there in the winter of 1897.

## See also

[edit]

* List of municipalities in the Northwest Territories

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Tulita". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
2. ^ a b c d "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Northwest Territories". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
3. ^ "NWT Communities - Tulita". Government of the Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
4. ^ "Northwest Territories Official Community Names and Pronunciation Guide". Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Yellowknife: Education, Culture and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
5. ^ a b "Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Tuktoyaktuk profile". Assembly.gov.nt.ca. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
6. ^ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
7. ^ a b Tulita - Statistical Profile at the GNWT
8. ^ Fort Norman: History of H.B.C. Post on the Mackenzie River. The Beaver, July 1922.
9. ^ Petitot, Emile Travels Around Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes, 1862-1882. Toronto: The Champlain Society, 2005.
10. ^ The Story of the Fort Norman Oil Well, The Edmonton Bulletin, 5 March 1921
11. ^ "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
12. ^ "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
13. ^ "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
14. ^ "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
15. ^ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
16. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
17. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
18. ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Northwest Territories)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
19. ^ Population Estimates By Community from the GNWT
20. ^ Tulita Infrastructure Profile
21. ^ "Tulita Land Corporation". tulitalandcorp. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
22. ^ "First Nation Detail". Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
23. ^ "Tulita A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2201700. Archived from the original (CSV (3069 KB)) on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
24. ^ "Daily Data Report for July 2023". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved 3 August 2023.

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Communities of the Northwest Territories

Dehcho Region|

* Fort Liard
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* Sambaa K'e
* Wrigley

Inuvik Region|

* Aklavik
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* Inuvik
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* Sachs Harbour
* Tsiigehtchic
* Tuktoyaktuk
* Ulukhaktok

North Slave Region|

* Behchokǫ̀
* Dettah
* Gamèti
* Łutselk'e
* Wekweeti
* Whatì
* Yellowknife (N'Dilo)

Sahtu Region|

* Colville Lake
* Délı̨nę
* Fort Good Hope
* Norman Wells
* Tulita

South Slave Region|

* Enterprise
* Fort Providence
* Fort Resolution
* Fort Smith
* Hay River
* Kakisa
* Kátł’odeeche

* Category:Northwest Territories
* Portal:Canada
* WikiProject:Canadian Territories

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