Mackenzie Valley communities
Norman Wells is the transportation hub of the Sahtu Region and the only community with daily jet air service from Edmonton and Yellowknife. Three of the other communities in this region, Tulita, Deline and Fort Good Hope have daily air service, while Colville Lake, the smallest and most traditional Dene community in the region, is more difficult to reach, but worth the effort.
Colville Lake
Colville Lake (K'ahbamitue, "ptarmigan net") Site of the mission, Our Lady of the Snows, the tiny all-log village of Colville Lake is the most remote community in Sahtu, 50 km north of the Arctic Circle. The people still pursue a land-based way of life, fishing and travelling their traplines by dog-team. There's a comfortable lodge with a small museum/art gallery and a co-op store. Authentic cultural experiences are available through the lodge.
Deline
Deline ("where the water flows") is located near the headwaters of the Bear River Sahtu De where it rushes out of Great Bear Lake on its journey down to the Mackenzie. Hire an expert guide and go fishing on Great Bear, where huge trout glide through deep, ice-cold waters. Or book a boat excursion. Old Fort Franklin, where British explorers wintered in the early 19th century, and the traditional Deline fishery has been declared a National Historic Site. You can buy superb beadwork in Deline, on clothing or in limited-edition wall-hangings. Inn bed and breakfast and restaurant.
Fort Good Hope
Fort Good Hope (Radeli Koe, "where the rapids are") is the oldest trading post in the lower Mackenzie Valley. When the North West Company set up shop in 1805, Hare, Sahtuotine, Mountain Dene and Inuvialuit came here to trade. Missionaries arrived and built Our Lady of Good Hope, now a National Heritage Site. Visit the Church and its glowing frescoes; then arrange a boat trip with a local guide to ride the rapids and scan the Ramparts for peregrines, cliff swallows and kingfishers. Accommodations include a hotel and B&Bs, and there's a store where you can buy staples.
Great Bear Lake
Sahtu is the Dene name for gigantic, pristine Great Bear Lake. It means "bear waters," and might refer to the presence of Barrenlands grizzlies on the lake's eastern shores. Europeans sometimes connect the name to the northern constellation Ursa Major. Great Bear Lake is among the planet's largest bodies of fresh water, with a surface area of 31,400 sq km and depths that reach 440 metres. It's also the biggest lake entirely within Canada.
Norman Wells
Norman Wells(Le Gohline, "where the oil is") The Sahtu's transportation hub and largest community overlooks the Mackenzie River near the place where the Dene saw seepages of oil long ago. Alexander Mackenzie made note of the oil but it was 1919 before petroleum interests first drilled exploratory wells. By the 1930s, Norman Wells oil was feeding the mining industry at Great Bear Lake, and in WWII the U.S. military built a pipeline to carry Mackenzie Valley crude to Whitehorse. The Canol pipeline was abandoned soon after, but the project is still a magnet for visitors. You can see some relics at the Norman Wells Historical Centre. Norman Wells has a hotel, inns, B&Bs, a dining lounge and restaurants. Exciting day trips to explore the wilderness are available by air or on foot.
Tulita
Tulit'a (" where two rivers meet") is a small Dene community at the confluence of the Great Bear and Mackenzie Rivers. Founded as a trading post in 1810, the old post still overlooks the river, and some still make their living by trapping, fishing and hunting. Be sure to see the historic, squared-log Anglican Church, and remnants of the original Bay structures. Hotel, boat rental and tour services are available.
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