Moving to Yellowknife
Posted on 10. Jan, 2008 by Shane in Road Trip, Sightseeing, Traveling
Looking for adventure? Looking to get away from the rest of planet earth? Looking for something different? Looking for opportunity? Then start looking north for a change.
One day in Fall 2007, I was exploring my Facebook friends profiles and noticed that one of them was living in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. I explored that and somehow got sold on the idea that there may be something more to Yellowknife than I previously thought.
Shortly afterwards, I ended up visiting Yellowknife to scope it out. From the moment I landed I felt an instant connection to it. Maybe it was the childhood memories of living in Northern British Columbia? Whatever it was I had this fuzzy feeling that I was… home?
Within 2 weeks of that trip we were planning our move to Yellowknife. And a few weeks after that we began our relocation journey to Yellowknife. We really had no idea what was going to happen to our lives but we gave up a lot to find out what that would be.
It took us 5 days and 4 nights to get to Yellowknife from Vancouver Island. The gas bill was roughly $700 Canadian and accommodations were $125 to $175 per night. Overall it was a fairly uneventful trip. The most challenging part was managing our two cats (especially the female cat) and detaching the Uhaul from the truck in -40 degree celcius cold the night we arrived. Here are some pictures along the way.
January 6, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 1 – Waiting to Board the Duke Point Ferry on Vancouver Island. We packed that U-Haul like it was a Tetris game. Notice that there was no snow. In fact, there was green grass. We made it all the way to Kamloops that night and stayed at the Howard Johnson Inn.
January 7, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 2 – We stopped to refuel in Valemount. It was starting to get cold by this point. This was the last stop before we hit the winding, slippery passes of the Rocky Mountains. We got as far as the town of Jasper.
January 7, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 2 – Gassing up in Valemount, BC.
January 7, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 2 – Petra exiting the Gas Station.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 – Loading the truck for the next leg of the trip. We stayed at the Marmot Lodge, which is a perfect place to stay if you are towing a trailer.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 – A quick photo just before we left the Marmot Lodge.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 – A mountain goat in Jasper National Park.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 – Driving through Jasper National Park.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 – Elk in Jasper National Park.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 – Elk in Jasper National Park.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 – Elk in Jasper National Park.
January 8, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 3 - A train bridge in Jasper National Park.
January 9, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 4 – Just about to leave the Motel in Peace River Alberta.
January 10, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 5 - Crossing the Ice Road at Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, Canada. We actually had no idea we would have to cross an ice road to get here. So to our surprise, 2,500 miles later – we are faced with driving across a frozen lake with a packed truck and heavy u-haul.
January 10, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 5 – Feeling glad to be alive after crossing the ice road for the first time in my life I decided a little photo of myself was in order. What you cannot see is just how cold it was. I was freezing after less that 10 seconds. My thermometre was showing -32 and it was quite windy.
January 10, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 5 – Driving to Yellowknife.
January 10, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 5 – The Highway to Yellowknife.
January 10, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 5 – Only 160 KM to go!
January 10, 2008 – Moving to Yellowknife, Day 5 – Are we there yet…. the last 2 hours of the drive were agonizing. After 5 days on the road we had enough.
We made it to Yellowknife around 5:30 PM, January 10, 2008. It was already dark out. The air temperature was -33 and the wind chill was -45… Determined I unpacked the enture U-haul in the middle of a freezing snow blizzard in the dark. I almost got frost bite but I did not want to pay a dollar more for the U-haul.
We made it!
35 Responses to “Moving to Yellowknife”
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Moritz
30. Sep, 2009
Hey; awesome page and great tips! We arrived in Yellowknife just a couple weeks ago. And somehow it seems we had almost the same way to go – we also started our relocation on Van Isl (Comox Valley).
cheers, Lisa & Moritz
Shane
06. Oct, 2009
Awesome! Good thing you moved here before winter. Unpacking a U-haul at -33 was not very comfortable. How did you discover the Knife?
Chantel
11. Oct, 2009
What a magnificent site you have created! I’m from Australia but have always dreamed of visiting Canada, i have some kinda magnetic feeling towards it. Just recently we found out my husband could possibly get a transfer there in a year or so’s time and we’d be in Yellowknife! I looked it up and the minute i saw it i felt, as you put it, ‘home’. Pretty weird for me as i come from the tropics and HATE the cold. Yet i can’t seem to get the idea out of my head that some day we WILL be there! I’m determined to make it happen.
I’m enjoying reading all about life in the knife and until we move there i look forward to enjoying more from afar!
Thanks again!
Chantel
Shane
12. Oct, 2009
Wow thanks Chantel! You are not the first Aussies to move here. My neighbours are also from there too.
Hope you have a good move to Yellowknife!
Kathy (Huszar) Morash
16. Oct, 2009
Shane – thank you so much for putting up this site! I grew up in YK in the 60′s, and have only visited once, in 2000. So much has changed! I miss it terribly, and will always consider it home. Hoping to get back soon for a longer visit. It is still small enough that I was able to find my way around my old haunts, and hope that never changes. Keep it up, great job!
Shane
17. Oct, 2009
Thank you Kathy! Yellowknife has definitely grown taller since that time but it certainly retains that small town feel where everybody knows each other. Many more pictures to come!
Cynara
06. Dec, 2009
I am thinking of moving to Yellowknife sometime in 2010. When do you think is the best time to move there?
Shane
07. Dec, 2009
Hello Cynara, the best times would be early June and Late August. That way to avoid the worst of the Bug season and the weather won’t be cold. Where are you moving from?
mathieu
07. Dec, 2009
Hi Shane, wonderful idea with this website. My girlfriend and I are actualy moving to Yellowknife in March 2010. We won’t enjoy the same adventure you did since we’ll be flying to get there., but anyway.
I heard the rents are quite expensive. Did you have a hard time finding a decent place ?
Thanks !
Shane
07. Dec, 2009
Hi Mathieu, thank you!
I would not say the rental prices are that more expensive than any other capital city in Canada. When we moved here we were lucky to have the help of a friend that moved here ahead of us to view potential apartments and townhouses on our behalf. The rental company we use is Northern Properties, which controls nearly 80% of the rentals in Yellowknife. Our experience dealing with Northern Properties was actually pretty good and they have always been very prompt taking care of anything that comes up. We gave them our criteria and they matched it up with a few places. We ended up with a 4 bedroom townhouse – which cost us $1850 per month plus $1000 per month in heating expenses. We eventually found a smaller place with the heat included.
My advice to you Mathieu – ask for an apartment or townhouse where heat is included; otherwise, the heating costs will suck up any money you were trying to save. Another thing to note, make sure wherever you live that 4×4′s were used in the construction (not 2×4′s) and the floors are insulated – as those are the main reasons for the high cost of heating (other than the fact it gets below -40 in winter).
Make sure you contact the rental agencies to ensure availability of apartments or townhouses in Yellowknife. The online listings are never accurate and there are not many vacancies. Also be prepared to send up the first months rent and your damage deposit to ensure you get ‘dibs’ on the best places when they come up.
Here are some websites to help you find rentals in Yellowknife:
Northern Properties: http://www.npreit.com/
Midwest Property Management: http://www.rentmidwest.com/
YKD Property Management Ltd.: http://ykdpropertymanagement.com/
When were you moving to Yellowknife in 2010?
Mathieu
07. Dec, 2009
Hi Shane, Thanks a lot for the advice. I’ll definitely look into it. Being from Québec, where our rents are pretty low, it will definitely be an ajustment to make. If worse comes to worse, we’ll just build an Igloo. hehe.
We are moving in April 2010, hopefully in warmer weather.
Thanks again for the info.
Mat.
sabrina
24. Dec, 2009
I was there this Aug. I thought it would be hard to find jobs?
Devon
29. Dec, 2009
I’m also planning a move this summer. One thing I will mention if planning in spring or fall keep in mind there is a month long period or so where the Ice crossing is to thin to drive on but the river is too iced up for the ferry. The NWT transportation site is a good source when trying to plan when to travel.
cynara
31. Dec, 2009
Shane,
I am moving from Vancouver. Although I used to live in Northern Alberta and at one point in central Siberia. So I am pretty used to the winter thing. It’s more the bug season I am worried about.
Shane
31. Dec, 2009
If you move to Yellowknife before bug season starts you will get to be in Yellowknife and the NWT for the summer. I always find the best hiking ocurs in June and August too. Drop a note when you arrive!
cynara
02. Jan, 2010
When is bug season?
Shane
02. Jan, 2010
Depends on the weather of the year (namely the length of winter). It could be as long as 3 months to as short as 3 weeks. I have experienced both.
Generally speaking, the Yellowknife Bug Season starts around mid-June and lasts until mid-August. July is hands down the worst month for bugs here.
Ashley
27. Feb, 2010
Hello!
I am coming up to yellowknife (from winnipeg) in late march and looking to move there (if all goes well during my march trip) in late spring.
I am having a lot of difficulty however in finding a place to live! Any suggestions?
Shane
01. Mar, 2010
Hi Ashley,
Basically the two easiest ways to find accommodations in Yellowknife are…
Northern Property Website: http://www.npreit.com/apartment_select.php?pid=Yellowknife
YK Trader Website: http://www.yktrader.com/
If you are still having a challenge by the time you get here let me know of Facebook me through my Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118316083120 or my profile: http://www.facebook.com/mrshanekeller
Good luck!
Shane
Victoria
14. Mar, 2010
Thanks for putting so much time into this blog. You really have done a great job of it! I am moving to Yellowknife mid-May and I am debating driving my car up there or flying and not having a car for the 4-8 months I will be there. I would be driving a Honda Prelude that just got a new paint job and I have been told the roads are pretty bad. Does anyone have any thoughts or comments?
scott
23. Mar, 2010
Victoria… if you’re driving up there in May, you need to know the condition of the ice bridge/river, as it is closed to traffic for a while in the spring, due to break up… usually closes around Late April for a month or so..
Good Luck
Karolyn
23. Jul, 2010
Hi there. My partner and I are considering a move to Yellowknife in a few years. We have cats, and I was wondering if people can give any advice on moving cats to the city via plane. While my cats are indoor, I was wondering if the change in atmosphere has any effect?
Thanks for any advice!
Shane
28. Jul, 2010
Hi Karolyn, we moved our cats via back seat of the truck for 5 days… But I have heard of some cats going a little crazy after a long flight in the baggage compartment. However, some airlines allow on-board cat carriers now.
Check it out: http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/pets-in-cabin.html.
lucie
08. Aug, 2010
Hi, I am thinking about moving to yellowknife, I aam in the customer service industry would i have a hard time finding work I would be travelling alone and am 51 years old what are your thoughts
Lisa
10. Aug, 2010
Oh wow this page made me feel much better, my hubby has a job offer in Yellowknife and is in the beginning stages of considering it. I thought it would be awful but everything I have found has been quite positive. I was just curious how you like the winters?
Lisa
Shane
10. Aug, 2010
Hi Lisa,
The Winters are different every year and I have liked them all. As long as you have the right cloths and find something to occupy yourself outside of work you should be fine. Sometimes winter can be more fun – especially if you own a snowmobile or like cross-country skiing.
Shane
Shane
10. Aug, 2010
Hi Lucie,
You can probably find service industry work here easily any day of the week. However, finding decent and available accommodation for a single person at a reasonable rate is more of a challenge. You may want to consider looking for roommates using the http://www.yktrader.com website if you choose to try out the North for a while. Also, check out the job sites like http://www.jobsnorth.ca.
Good luck Lucie!
Shane
Eric
19. Aug, 2010
Hey Shane,
Let me add to all the well deserved kudos for your site. Thanks for taking the time to write about your experience and help all of us with questions in the comments.
Girlfriend & I may be moving to Yellowknife later this year and would like your thoughts on a few things (my apologies in advance, some of these are going to be very basic):
- will an older 2WD sedan be okay to drive or should I be thinking about getting an SUV for the winters?
- is there stable high speed internet connection? and which company would you recommend?
- satellite TV vs cable TV in terms of channels & reception during the winter?
I’ll contact Northern Property on your recommendation & ask for the heating, insulation & 4×4 as you previously mentioned. Anything else I should be asking for? And are there streets / neighbourhoods you’d suggest?
Again, sorry for all the questions & any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I’ll be sure to buy you a few rounds in thanks when we move to YK.
Thanks,
Eric
Mike
19. Sep, 2010
Hi there. My family and I will be travelling from northeastern AB to Vancouver this weekend with a similar size trailer from uhaul and I’m really interested in learning a little more about your experience with your Ranger.
What size is the engine? How did you find the Coquihalla? We have a ’98 3.4 litre 4runner and I’m a little concerned. Was it the 6 x 12 trailer that you towed?
Thanks so much!
Shane
20. Sep, 2010
HI ERIC,
(see above)
(1) A 2WD sedan is fine to drive in Yellowknife. As long as you stay in town and stick to the main roads you should have no need for an SUV – no matter what anyone tells you we have it pretty good within the city limits. And honestly, you don’t drive very much or very far here. HOWEVER, I go off-road a lot and use my 4 wheel drive often. If you plan on camping a lot, towing around a trailer with snowmobiles or quads, or live a little rural… a mid-size SUV would be more useful.
(2) There is one Cable company and two internet service providers. Get NWTEL cable/internet. They offer much more in the way of monthly bandwidth and their speeds are 5x to 10x better on good days than the other guy. When I first moved here the packages were terrible as compared to what you get in the south. But over time NWTEL has improved their packages, the quantity of Bandwidth and the speed of Bandwidth. However, they still have outages like any other utility or business. You get used to it though. If you have a web business you will be fine too. I actually have Internet accounts with both companies because SSI Micro has portable wireless internet, which comes in handy sometimes. You can check them both out here: http://www.nwtel.ca or http://ssimicro.com.
(3) Both Satellite and Cable TV are fine and have the same amount of disruptions (and they are the same company after-all). There is a lot of channel and TV show duplication though. I have no preference for either. Choose whatever you are used to back home. p.s. NWTEL is also owned by BELL.
(4) I cannot recommend any streets in-particular. Having lived in 3 distinct areas I have learned that each street has it’s own charms and disadvantages. It really comes down to condition of house and who your neighbors are – just like anywhere else. Also, the type of lifestyle you want to live (i.e. Lakefront, condo, trailer, townhouse, close to work, edge of town, etc.). Thus, no comment here.
(5) I may take you up on the few rounds. Let me know when you get here.
Take care,
Shane
Shane
20. Sep, 2010
Hi Mike,
(see above)
I drove a new 2008 Ford Ranger, 6 cylinder 4×4 and towed the 6×12 Uhaul Trailer. I had no issues with it. It was a pretty easy ride the whole way. Just remember to slow down sooner and practice some backing up in a Mall parking lot a few times. Those 6×12’s can be tricky and offer zero visibility.
One thing you should get are Rear View Mirror extensions. I had a pair that I attached when needed. They were invaluable.
Good luck,
Shane
Anupam
23. Sep, 2010
Hi Shane,
First of all thanks for this brilliant put up. I am from India and currently in Mississauga. I am considering a job offer in Yellowknife and its in the final stage. I may be moving if everything goes fine by 15th of Oct. Since I dont have a choice of selecting the best time to move in, I have accpeted anytime as good time
Few things which I wanted to know
1. Do you want me to buy clothings (Winter) from here Mississsauga or its advised to get it from Yellowknife? I am asking this to find out if i will get cloths for that cold weather here.
2. Anything you would like me to take care of as person coming from a climate which is always 30+ degree to a climate of 40 Negative
3. I am wildlife photographer, do you get good wildlife out there?
Thanks in advance!!!
jayson
27. Jan, 2011
hey shane ,im glad i stumbbled upon ur site.i too would like to seperate myself from the madness of the world and live up north.i live in ontario now and have a great job here .im just wondering how jobs are up there.would it be hard to find one….im 35,single man with no kids….is the cost of living crazy overthere.if u have any answers for me u can reach me on facebook at jayson simard,just so u get the right 1 my profile pic is me sitting on a motorcycle.thanks bud
Adrian
22. Feb, 2011
Jayson,
Not sure if Shane sent you a response privately, but the cost of living, which is high, is usually more than covered by the higher salaries. Yellowknife was recently reported as the 4th most affordable (out of 25 or so) Canadian community based on average house price divided by average income. There are other things to consider, such as the high cost of heating, but we consistently rank 2nd or 3rd in Canada for disposable income (which is income minus cost of living). Tons of great opportunities in Yellowknife. For more info check out:
http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf
Nic
02. May, 2011
Great info. Shane, Thanks.
We are driving up to Yellowknife this June (12th)
We are driving a Kia. ( I know…too cool…)
Good shape, new seasonal tires, oil and tranny changes and new front brakes…
Is gas hard to come by up at the south end of the lake area?
And…What is the road like instead of the ferry?
Any tips?
Thanks for your time. Great site. Glad I found it!