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On the shores of Frame Lake and in the shadow of City Hall, this grassy park is Yellowknife’s favourite gathering place. The plaza is a hub of activity all year-round, hosting free events like the Yellowknife Farmers’ Market in the summer and an amazing display of holiday lights come winter.

Musical performances are common at the waterfront amphitheatre, and it’s here you can take part in the grand Canada Day and Indigenous People’s Day celebrations. Stop off for a picnic, or just take in the awe inspiring drum-dance sculpture , “‘United in Celebration” by renowned Artist Francois Thibault. The Prince of Wales museum and NWT Legislature are a short stroll across the water along the Frame Lake Trail.

Whatever the event, Somba K’e offers a beautiful backdrop to life in Yellowknife.

Bush Pilot’s Monument

Yellowknife’s most popular lookout rises high above Old Town, providing a stupendous view over Great Slave Lake, Back Bay and the northern reaches of the city. The monument rests atop “The Rock”—a six-storey hill where the town’s original water tower once stood—and is accessed via a winding wooden staircase.

Back when Yellowknife was still young, travel between communities and camps was long and dangerous. Bush planes were a vital resource for transporting supplies, food, medicine and people. This monument is dedicated to those pilots and engineers whose lives were lost as they flew the wild skies of the Northwest Territories. But it also serves a practical purpose: When the light atop the tower is flashing, residents and visitors are warned that floatplanes or skiplanes are active on nearby Yellowknife Bay.

Reaching the base of Pilot’s Monument is easy. Just head down Franklin Avenue towards Old Town and you’ll see it rising up above the houses. Getting to the top is a little trickier. The climb is steep and unfortunately not wheelchair accessible. There are two resting areas on the staircase for those that need them. At the peak are two viewing platforms where many travellers take photos and gaze out on the beautiful scenery of Yellowknife.

Yellowknife’s Old Town

One of the most diverse, historic, offbeat neighbourhoods in Canada, Old Town is the beating heart of Yellowknife. Here, where the Precambrian Shield blends into Great Slave Lake, gold seekers approximately 80 years ago pioneered what was to become the North’s greatest settlement.

Yellowknife eventually grew from its ramshackle roots and moved its city centre in the ’60s to what’s still today called “new town,” but the spirit of Old Town never died. Today, the area is an intriguing mash-up of iconoclastic spirit and local heritage. Log cabins stand next to designer mansions and colourful houseboats, artists sell their wares under the shadow of floatplanes soaring across the sky. Stroll down the famous Ragged Ass Road, enjoy some eclectic dining and hike to the top of Pilot’s Monument for the best view in the city.

Old Town is dotted with murals and public art and features many heritage plaques explaining the area’s history. But it’s also still the living, vibrant community that once birthed the NWT’s capital. Guides to Old Town’s historic sites are available from the Yellowknife Visitor Center.

Traditional Sod House

The interior of the sod house in tuktoyaktuk with people on a tour

Built with sawn drift logs covered with sod clumps for insulation, this popular visitor attraction is a recreation of a traditional Inuvialuit dwelling.

Bristol Freighter

Bristol Freight plane a piece of aviation history in Yellowknife NWT

Perched on a pillar near the Yellowknife airport, the blue Bristol Freighter greets visitors, reminding them of the region’s vital aviation history.

The former Wardair freighter last flew in the 1960s and was owned by Max Ward, famed northern aviation pioneer. Bush planes such as this one fed the development of Yellowknife and other communities in the North, bringing in people and supplies and connecting the outside world before there were any roads.

This particular plane is a Bristol Type 170 and was retired from active service early in 1968 after making history on May 6, 1967, when piloted by Captain Don Braun it was the first wheel equipped aircraft to land at the North Pole.

After it was decommissioned in 1968, it was donated to the City of Yellowknife and is now one of approximately 10 Bristol aircraft that exist for display in the world.

Located at Bristol Monument the “Welcome to Yellowknife” sign is landmark at the entry to the city and a favorite spot for photos. A short path with stairs leads to the Bristol Air Freighter, which also features a picnic area. To the east of the freighter, you’ll find a 2.5-kilometer hiking trail that winds through the boreal forest and connects to the Frame Lake trail system.

The Old Hudson Bay Warehouse

The Hudson Bay Warehouse in Old Town was built in 1945 to store retail goods imported by river from the south to feed, clothe and support the miners who established Yellowknife.

Our Lady of Lourdes schooner

Donated on behalf of Pope Pius XI in the 1930s, the schooner Our Lady of Lourdes sailed the Beaufort Sea for decades, delivering supplies to far-flung Catholic missions and carrying Inuvialuit children to Cathloic residential schools. Since 1982 the vessel has sat on display near Tuktoyaktuk’s Catholic mission.

Fireweed Studio

Built in the early 1930s as a blacksmith shop, this single-storey log building was originally situated on what is now the Giant Mine property. After being moved to its current location near City Hall it became a tourist information centre (1978-1992), and, now, an artist’s studio and retail outlet.

Fireweed Studio operates from early June through early September. Regular hours are Tuesdays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (during the Yellowknife Farmer’s Market), and Saturdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Bank of Toronto Building

Located at 7 Otto Drive on Latham Island, this log cabin is one of Yellowknife’s oldest surviving buildings. Built in 1938 as a private residence, the city’s Bank of Toronto branch opened here six years later. Allan Lambert, former president and chairman of the Toronto Dominion Bank, cut his teeth as branch manager here. In 1961, the bank outgrew this small building and relocated its commercial operations. Today it is once again a private residence.

Canadian Pacific Float Base

Built in 1946 on the waterfront of Old Town, this Yellowknife Heritage Site was the city’s first permanent floatplane base. Many aviation pioneers once worked out of this building, including Stan McMillan and Max Ward.

The walls saw many small northern airline companies be born, merge or go belly up over the years. It was here that supplies and people would be brought into the North, before heading out further still to exploration camps or smaller remote communities.

The large hall was also used for social gatherings such as the Fireman’s Ball, hockey banquets and New Year’s Eve parties. For a time in the ’90s it even served as a micro-brewery, and then a private residence.

The float base’s continued presence illustrates how closely aviation is tied to the history of Yellowknife, standing silently as it does on the waterfront, a testament to the journeys of the past.

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