Myths and Realities of Living in Northern Canada
Publié le 1 February 2012
The true North strong and free”: it’s an evocative line in our national anthem, one that calls to mind images of glaciers, tundra and polar bears. But the reality of life in Yellowknife and Whitehorse, the two most populated cities in the territories, is a mystery to most Canadians. There is a tendency to assume the North is flat, empty and cold. Ready to have the record set straight?
MYTH 1 » THE HIGH COST OF LIVING
Let’s get right to the important stuff. Is it crazily expensive to eat in the North?
Not according to Deborah Bartlette, Dean of Applied Arts at Yukon College in Whitehorse. In fact, she says some foods are actually less expensive than in cities like Vancouver. It’s in the more remote areas of the territories that food and goods are noticeably more expensive, given the higher cost of transportation. In a city as large as Whitehorse, the prices are rarely higher than in other areas of Canada. Best of all, no PST and a northern living allowance on your taxes means more money saved in the long run.
MYTH 2 »HIGHER SALARIES, BUT NOWHERE TO SPEND THE MONEY
Not only did she laugh when she heard this myth, Gillian Lee, a partner at an accounting firm in Yellowknife, says, “I’m sure my husband would argue with you on that one. I certainly don’t have trouble finding places to spend money!”
Lee explains that there are many restaurants, boutiques and stores to enjoy in Yellowknife. There are also many social groups, which makes it easier to plan events around town and coordinate sporting activities like hiking, camping and snowshoeing outside the city.
MYTH 3 » NO SOCIAL LIFE
“That is one I haven’t heard, to be honest!” says Lee, who came to Yellowknife from Newfoundland right out of university. “I actually found the opposite, especially for a young person. Yellowknife has a very transient population and a lot of young professionals live here. I found that when I first came here, I met so many young people and we were constantly doing something, [whether] meeting for supper or for drinks, or
doing things outside.
“No matter where you are, you can be as social or as anti-social as you want,” she adds.
Bartlette says the same thing about Whitehorse: “The biggest problem is becoming overcommitted!” She explains that there are all kinds of sport and social clubs, which makes it easy to meet new people with similar interests.
Unique to the North: in summer, it is light until one o’clock in the morning. This means that you can leave work and go hiking, canoeing or boating for hours if you like—a whole weekend’s worth of recreation on a typical Wednesday after work!
MYTH 4 »DIFFICULT TO GET THERE
Canada’s North is far more accessible today than most people probably think. Bartlette says there are many flights a day arriving in Whitehorse, Yukon’s capital city, from several cities across Canada.Yellowknife is also easily accessible by air, and Lee explains that flight prices have gone down significantly in recent years, which she attributes to airline competition. “When I first came here, the flight to Edmonton was certainly more expensive than it is now,” she says.
She also notes that Yellowknife is currently accessible by car only 10 months of the year because of the freezing and thawing of the Mackenzie River, but construction of the Deh Cho Bridge, to be completed in 2012, will open the city to traffic year-round.
MYTH 5 »UNCOMFORTABLE LIVING
It’s not all cold, all the time. Bartlette explains that there is a significant difference between Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which makes it difficult to speak about climate across the board in Northern Canada. She says it is like the difference between Vancouver and St. John’s, two vastly different areas of Canada.
Whitehorse is located just north of the B.C. border and has a relatively mild climate, despite its northern geography. The city is nestled in the Whitehorse Valley and surrounded by boreal forest. Originally from Manitoba, Bartlette is perfectly serious when she says, “Winters in Whitehorse are far better than winters in Winnipeg.”
Yellowknife lies east and north of Whitehorse, on the northern shores of Great Slave Lake. Here the climate is subarctic, but the city rests on the Canadian Shield, which means the city still lies south of the tree line. Lee says of Yellowknife: “I don’t know if I have ever met anyone who LOVES minus fifty—I know I certainly don’t love it—but as far as I am concerned, our warm, bright summers make up for it.”
And the bugs? “Mosquitoes can certainly be annoying once you get outside the city, but once you figure out a bug dope that works, then that will mostly take care of that!” she says.
MYTH 6 »CUT OFF FROM CIVILIZATION
Down to the nitty-gritty now: do people in the North feel cut off from the rest of the world?
“Although it can get frustrating when online sellers won’t ship to your postal code, in Yellowknife I certainly don’t feel cut off from the rest of the world,” says Lee. She explains that smaller rural communities can feel isolated in the territories; however, the city has a large, relatively young population that keeps busy with social activity.
For her, Yellowknife is full of potential. “I think it’s the people. I work with a great group of young people and they have a sense of adventure; they like to try new things,” she says.
Bartlette feels similarly about Whitehorse. She says her city is full of boutiques and shops, art galleries and cultural events, such as “theatre, music, jazz, classical, and a fabulous arts centre.”
If the arts aren’t your thing, Bartlette points to ample opportunities to pursue sports like snowshoeing, canoeing, kayaking, motorboating, hunting and fishing, to name a few. With so many social activities, Lee and Bartlette say they are far from feeling a lack of civilization.
THE REALITY
Northern Canada is recognized as one of the fastest growing economies in the country, attracting investment, infrastructure and, more importantly, careers.
In the past, both Yellowknife and Whitehorse were known for their young populations leaving to find careers in more southern Canadian cities. It’s a different story today, with more and more young professionals choosing to return and advance their careers at home.
And in such booming cities, “you can combine a meaningful, well-paid career and all sorts of career opportunities with a pretty amazing lifestyle,” Bartlette says.
Mystery solved. Want to go yet? I’ll see you there. CO
MARIA CHURCH is a journalism student at Carleton University.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
careeroptionsmagazine.com,
MacKay.ca
yukoncollege.yk.ca
By Maria Church
