Sources: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,[3] Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[4] Canada Flight Supplement[5] ^A 2018 figure based on Edmonton = 100[6] ^B 2019 figure based on Yellowknife = 100[6]
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.[8] It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1969.[9]
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.[10]
The other festival is the "Open Sky Festival" which is held annually on or around the Canada Daylong 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.[11]
Ehdaa National Historic Site of Canada on Canada Day 2011
Lafferty ferry dry docked for winter
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 (36.6/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses
Climate
Fort Simpson has a subarctic climate (KöppenDfc) 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 −23.6 °C (−10.5 °F) in January to 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) in July.[32] 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.[32][33] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −56.1 °C (−69.0 °F) on 1 February 1947.[34]
^"Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1901–1961". 1961 Census of Canada(PDF). Series 1.1: Historical, 1901–1961. Vol. I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 8 March 1963. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
^"Population of Unincorporated Places of 50 persons and over, 1971 and 1966 (Alberta)". 1971 Census of Canada: Population(PDF). Special Bulletin: Unincorporated Settlements. Vol. Bulletin SP—1. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. March 1973. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
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