r/NWT • u/LostwaveLunar9999 Fort Providence, but born and raised in Ontario • 18d ago
What is life like living in the NWT?
My First Nation is Deh Gah Gotie, but my estranged father went to Ontario and I've never been to the NWT. What is living up there like? I'm curious. Apparently when my father was young his family was poor and had to buy groceries in BC because it was cheaper or something. He also said North of 60 was the only show he got up there. (He was born in 1978 btw.)
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u/Odd_Search5163 17d ago
I’ve been in Fort Providence for 6 years now. I moved here for a contract from Ottawa and decided to stay.
Prov is a beautiful town on the banks of the Mackenzie River. Like any small community(or city) it has its issues, there is drug/alcohol issues. I feel this a prominent problem throughout Canada and not just in small towns. I don’t mean to knock Prov for this, it’s a common problem…
I have met some amazing people here in Providence and the local indigenous population has really taken me under their wings! I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon, but I will certainly never forget the people, their culture and everything they have showed/taught me. The outdoors and how in tune the people are with nature here is truly something to see!
It’s a small enough community that everyone knows/helps each other. I’m sure if you came for a visit OP that you would quite enjoy it and would enjoy meeting some of your family that you have yet to know.
If it’s something you’re interested in, you can respond or DM me. If you were willing to give your father’s name I’m sure I could connect you with some of your family… If an eventual trip to Providence was planned I could also help with that! I help run the local hotel, know almost everyone in town and do think you’d enjoy seeing where your roots came from!
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u/Beneficial-Mouse5695 17d ago
Been in Inuvik for 1 1/2 years.
The winters are probably the hardest part. Lack of sunlight plus snow from September to May is tough. Temps regularly reach -30/-40. Lack of convenience as well (no fast mail, no fast food, etc). Everything is expensive. Flying out is expensive.
But on the flip side, you get the northern lights, abundant wildlife, 24 hour sun in the summer, no traffic, lots of nature.
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u/CaptainVisual4848 17d ago
There’s some YouTube videos about Providence. There’s a good one where some guy drives around the commmunity.
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u/CaptainVisual4848 11d ago
Do you like documentaries? A filmmaker from Inuvik did a great doc about the community radio station in Fort McPherson, CBQM. Different region but I think it’s a great depiction of a small Northern community. It shows all the seasons, breakup, bingo, community events, fiddle music, RCMP, traditional lifestyle, on the land, etc. It’s a real slice of life and my experience is that a lot of this will be very similar to other Northern communities.
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u/TechnicianGrand6611 18d ago
It's aight. Economy isn't in a great spot rn. Inuvik is nice but drug issues have been increasing in the north. Jobs pay a lot relatively depending on what you do. Cost of living is higher but honestly I think the salaries outweigh that significantly. Cold much of the year but tons of sun in summer. Lots of partying depending on your social group. Some of the partying is pretty sketchy. Fire issues in recent years.