City of Yellowknife
General Inquiries
City Hall
4807 - 52 Street
P.O. Box 580
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N4
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P: (867) 920-5600
F: (867) 920-5649
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The City of Yellowknife supports reconciliation with Indigenous persons and continues to work to explore new ways of working together through respectful relationships.
The City values its’ relations with Indigenous peoples, governments, agencies and institutions in the Northwest Territories and works to be respectful of traditions, cultures and ways of being. Reconciliation is a core value that Council continues to champion and uphold. As the Capital, we are a crossroads for Indigenous peoples and groups from across the north. Our community has a large Indigenous population representing all areas of the Northwest Territories and beyond - about 24% of City residents are Indigenous. In particular, our partnerships with neighbouring Indigenous governments including the Yellowknives Dene First Nations, Tlicho, and others, are a key priority for the City.
The City Council of Yellowknife adopted the Calls to Action outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Motion #0248-15 on July 27, 2015 and adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Persons (UNDRIP) through Motion #0324-15 on October 26, 2015. The City is working to implement actions that bring meaning to these important symbolic commitments.
On December 5, 2019 the City of Yellowknife and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines how the two governments commit to working together, building on and modernizing the previous MOU which was implemented in 2002.
The MOU commits to collaboration between the YKDFN and the City through regular meetings between leadership and senior staff. It recognizes the City’ s and the YKDFN’ s commitment to reconciliation and mutual support guided by common values and mutual interests.
Initiatives |
In the spirit of reconciliation, other actions the City has undertaken include the following:
o the boundary between our two communities – a ground-breaking approach which involved our two communities exploring interests and reaching agreement before we jointly submitted to GNWT
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Reconciliation |
The City of Yellowknife is committed to building relationships with Indigenous Peoples in the spirit of reconciliation. City Council recently confirmed its Strategic Priorities for 2019-2022 and reconciliation is highlighted as one of six core values for the City. The following quotes from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) “What We Have Learned: Principles Truth and Reconciliation” document reflect the City’s understanding of reconciliation: “Reconciliation must support Aboriginal peoples as they heal from the destructive legacies of colonization that have wreaked such havoc in their lives. But it must do even more. Reconciliation must inspire Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples to transform Canadian society so that our children and grandchildren can live together in dignity, peace, and prosperity on these lands we now share.”[2] “At a Traditional Knowledge Keepers Forum sponsored by the TRC, Anishinaabe Elder Mary Deleary spoke about the responsibility for reconciliation that both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people carry. She emphasized that the work of reconciliation must continue in ways that honour the ancestors, respect the land, and rebalance relationships. She said: “I’m so filled with belief and hope because when I hear your voices at the table, I hear and know that the responsibilities that our ancestors carried ... are still being carried ... even through all of the struggles, even through all of what has been disrupted ... we can still hear the voice of the land. We can hear the care and love for the children. We can hear about our law. We can hear about our stories, our governance, our feasts, [and] our medicines.... We have work to do. That work we are [already] doing as [Aboriginal] peoples. Our relatives who have come from across the water [non-Aboriginal people], you still have work to do on your road.... The land is made up of the dust of our ancestors’ bones. And so to reconcile with this land and everything that has happened, there is much work to be done ... in order to create balance.”[3] TRC Principles of Reconciliation The City will use the TRC Principles of Reconciliation as a compass in our work; they are:
If you are looking to find more information about the City of Yellowknife’s community engagement on reconciliation or to provide ideas or feedback on reconciliation please click here. |
Yellowknifes Dene First Nation |
The City of Yellowknife acknowledges that the community of Yellowknife exists as a result of the forced dispossession of Indigenous peoples, members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN), from their traditional ancestral lands. This truth need to be told to create an accurate shared history upon which respectful relationships can be built. As the City seeks to work respectfully with the Yellowknives in the spirit of reconciliation, there is acknowledgement of the unique relationship that needs to be built and maintained with the YKDFN. As such, the City works to uphold a government-to-government relationship with the YKDFN with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines high level commitments to collaboration. |
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Hours of Operation
Winter Hours effective following the Labour Day Weekend
until prior to the Victoria Day Weekend (September to May)
Monday to Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Summer Hours effective following the Victoria Day Weekend
until prior to the Labour Day Weekend (May to September)
Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Mailing Address & Phone Numbers
Yellowknife City Hall
4807 - 52 Street, P.O. Box 580, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N4
Switchboard - (867) 920-5600
Mayor/City Administrator - (867) 920-5634
Booking Clerk - (867) 669-3457
Municipal Enforcement (MED) - (867) 920-5630
After Hours (MED) - (867) 920-2737
After Hours (Public Works) - (867) 920-5699