What is it like to live in Yellowknife?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “population of yellowknife“
About Maya
Written by: Maya
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What is it like to live in Yellowknife?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “population of yellowknife“
About Maya
I live in Yellowknife about four months out of the year during the winter. Coming from the East Coast I was surprised by how little snow there was. There is of course snow everywhere, but not enough that you have to worry about waking up and finding your car buried beneath it. This is because it’s much too dry and cold to snow. Dealing with the cold is rather easy, it’s all about layers and practicality opposed to fashion and trying to look good. As soon as you’re out of the cold and into any building it’s going to be warm.
The dark could be a problem for some people. Only experiencing maybe a couple hours of sunlight, possibly not seeing any at all depending on your work conditions might take a few weeks to get used to. Fortunately a lot of stuff you would buy from the stores are infused with Vitamin D to help regulate the body. Once February swings around you will get slightly more sunlight everyday until mid June where you experience 24 hour sunlight. From what I’ve heard the sun never really goes below the horizon so you can leave a bar at 2 am and hit up the golf course if you wanted to (yes there is one).
The thing that surprised me the most was how diverse it is for a town that has a population of just under twenty-thousand. Coming from a town with very little racial diversity this was very refreshing. Not only diverse with immigrants but also a wide variety of people from all over Canada. And for the most part you meet a lot of very friendly people. I met new friends every time I went to a bar to listen to music. Talking to people from all over the country gives you great perspective into what Canada has to offer.
The Government is the largest employer of the territory, employing somewhere around 72% of the population. There is generally always a job position open and if there wasn’t they would probably bend over backwards to put you somewhere if you have the right credentials.
Nightlife: I’m most familiar with the downtown area. You’re choices are the sports bar, Boston Pizza. The dance club, Ravens. The old time dance club, the Range. The strip club, Harley’s. And the Black knight which is a Scottish pub.
There is also the Snow King festival which is one of the coolest things I’ve ever experience. They build a snow castle out on the lake and they hold concerts and events throughout the month of March.
There is a lot of opportunity for people fresh out of University. I know a lot of people who are under-qualified for the position they are in but where given the job either because they showed genuine interest and were willing to learn, or because they were the only person to apply. Opportunities like those will give you an incredible foundation for building upon your skills and portfolio if you choose to decide to relocate elsewhere.
If you’re into outdoors activities, there is a ton of stuff you can do to keep yourself busy throughout the year.
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Cold but gorgeous! Like once in a lifetime, people only wish they could experience it kind of gorgeous. The northern lights, mountain scapes, and wildlife are just breath taking. It’s a quaint little city but if you love the outdoors it’s worth considering!
This blog has tons of info on the city itself, I quite liked the one that shared different wildlife watching spots. https://slavelakeinnyk.ca/2021/02/where-to-spot-wildlife-in-yellowknife/
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I have been to Yellowknife, and I have visited Whitehorse twice, and I lived in High Level as a teen.
I will compare and contrast the north in general against California.
Every day in California is pretty much the same. Mild and warm. That seems wonderful, but the fact is, year after year of the same narrow weather patterns gets pretty boring. Pleasant, but boring.
Living in the north means that nature’s joys are all the sweeter, more precious. A spring day is glorious. But you know winter might bounce back next week. This influences northern society and people tend to live life to the fullest. There is a positivity and zest for life in the north, and a friendliness towards strangers.
Some people hate it. Months of cold, with little sunlight in winter time. But life in the north can get under your skin in a way that will surprise you. I miss it, but I couldn’t exactly tell you what I miss about it.
Summers can be wonderful. The sunsets are endless. When my sister and I visited Los Angeles California, we made plans one evening. We’d have supper, then go out to the clubs as the sun went down. We stepped outside our hotel to find somewhere to eat… oops. It was dark already and only 6 pm. Where we live, far south of Yellowknife, we would have 5 hours of sunlight left.
Anyway, you pretty much just have to go see for yourself.
[edit] now I have been to Yellowknife. Its a lovely town, in summer at least. My friends told me about their festival on ice. Some day I will have to go back to experience that.
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