Yellowknife in 2050: What you told us you want to see

The City of Yellowknife is surveying residents on what the territorial capital should “look and feel like in 25 years.” So we asked you for your thoughts.

The city’s community plan is receiving an update in the months ahead, guiding things like where housing is built and how issues like climate are factored in.

“Imagine Yellowknife in 2050,” the city has branded the exercise.

One note before we get to your submissions: the city has changed the dates of some of its in-person sessions since we last reported on this.

You can find the latest dates on the city’s website, as well as other ways to send your feedback.

Now, here are the some of the ideas you sent to Cabin Radio about Yellowknife in 2050. Remember: we said you could be serious or you could have fun with it.

Anna’s vision

“Our city is a tight-knit and friendly community, where the northern lights dance in the sky above us – proof that our skies are clear and free from light pollution,” a resident identifying themselves as Anna wrote.

“Families still choose to raise their children here, unlike many other northern cities where the birth rate is going down. There are endless outdoor activities year-round – whether it’s hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing, or just enjoying the peace of nature. The waters around Yellowknife Bay are clean and refreshing. The city is growing, decorated beautifully, and impresses every tourist who visits.

“We have locally run tours and attractions available all year long, with great places to stay and explore. Our airport is on its way to becoming international, like in Nunavut.

“Downtown feels as clean as Calgary’s, safe and full of life. It’s a place where people gather, walk, and enjoy the vibrant local energy. Tourism is booming, and the city is also earning strong income from many different industries. Yellowknife is becoming a hub for developing smart technologies built to thrive in cold, rugged environments.

“This is a northern city with a bold, beautiful future – where nature, innovation, and community come together.”

A Franklin Hill chairlift

“I want to see plenty of single-family housing for young families, as any thriving community needs youth to be the next generation,” Amelia Cox wrote.

“I want to see a healthy community with lots of parks and green space within the city, in an effort to encourage healthy activity during the week, not just through weekend adventures.”

Libby Macphail wrote: “Would love to see a renaming and complete redesign of Franklin Avenue by 2050. For the renaming part, maybe a name like Treaty Trail and make sure that the project includes all Indigenous peoples in the NWT, acknowledging Yellowknife’s history as a capital city.

“I can imagine separated bike lanes, wide sidewalks, but still a total rollercoaster of a time down the hill to Old Town no matter what we try to do. Maybe install a chairlift for pedestrians, like at a ski hill?”

Up with housing, down with Airbnbs?

Lois Little described the Yellowknife of 2050 as a “capital city in the northern boreal, known throughout the circumpolar North as a progressive community of communities.”

Little imagines a city with a population “interconnected through sustainable economic activities; strong, caring public services; affordable and climate-sensitive housing for all; and a people-centred public government that always works in tandem with Indigenous governments and the well-being of current and future generations.”

A resident named Margaret wants Yellowknife in 25 years’ time to have safe bike lanes, minimal garbage, strictly implemented city bylaws like snow removal, and more downtown patrols.

“I value the city recreational facilities that we have now. I would like to see remediation of the William McDonald field and track,” Margaret continued.

“Especially, I would like to see preservation of green space e.g. Willow Flats, Tin Can Hill and utilization of existing vacant space, e.g. 52 Avenue and 49 Street. There are many lots through town that are cleared and vacant as well as houses that are unoccupied.”

Lastly, Margaret hopes the likes of Airbnbs don’t expand too far into the city’s residential neighbourhoods, citing 50A Avenue as, in her view, an example of this going wrong.

“There are at least three on the street at present. The properties are not well maintained outside. This street used to be a family-friendly street with long-term occupants,” she wrote.

More views

Jenilyn Santos wants better healthcare, more affordable housing, “our own colleges and universities,” less consumption of plastics, stricter law enforcement and “strict implementation of garbage disposal, most especially the decomposing materials.”

“I love the simplicity of our community,” Santos added, describing the vibe the city should retain in 25 years’ time.

Soham Srimani suggested an “improved downtown look and feel, clean and safe streets, more stores and restaurants.”

Helen hopes for “a friendly, safe community living a peaceful, quiet life in harmony with the natural beauty of our region.” Joseph called for a “tourist city, featuring all tourism activities in a unique manner.”

“It would be awesome if there was more pet-friendly housing, and more affordable rent, too,” Nicole wrote.

“The city has cool things to do and yes, it’s tourist-friendly, but the lack of housing can cause crippling anxiety, especially for people arriving for work they already secured.”

Not everybody envisaged the brightest of futures for the city.

A resident identifying themselves as Joel wrote: “We get empty storefront after empty storefront. We knock down old buildings and don’t replace them with anything. The city is rotting away a piece at a time.”

“I envision it as Gotham City after Batman went underground,” Hunaifa wrote. “That or we’ll go back to being a mining town. There is no in-between.”

Lastly, DEO wrote: “What Yellowknife? The way the world is going now, we’ll be lucky if we still have a planet by then.”