Wrigley (

South Slavey language Slavey ( ; also Slave, Slavé) is a group of Athabaskan languages and a dialect continuum spoken amongst the Dene peoples of Canada in the Northwest Territories – or central Denendeh – where it also has official status.Dehcho Region The Dehcho Region or ''Deh Cho'' is one of five administrative regions in the Northwest Territories of Canada. According to Municipal and Community Affairs the region consists of six communities with the regional office situated in Fort Simpson ...

of the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

, Canada. The

Slavey The Slavey (also Awokanak, Slave, and South Slavey) are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations group of Indigenous peoples in Canada. They speak the Slavey language, a part of the Athabaskan languages. Part of the Dene people, their homeland ...

Dene The Dene people () are an Indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal, subarctic and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages and it is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term ...

community is located on the east bank of the

Mackenzie River The Mackenzie River (French: ; Slavey language, Slavey: ' èh tʃʰò literally ''big river''; Inuvialuktun: ' uːkpɑk literally ''great river'') is a river in the Canadian Canadian boreal forest, boreal forest and tundra. It forms, ...

, just below its confluence with the

Wrigley River Wrigley may refer to: Companies * Wrigley Company, a chewing gum manufacturer * EG Wrigley and Company, a British manufacturer of cars, car components and mechanical parts People * Wrigley (surname), a list of people with the name Places United ...

and about northwest of

Yellowknife Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...

. Originally situated at Fort Wrigley, downstream, the community relocated to its present location in 1965, in part because it was more easily accessible due to the World War II era

Wrigley Airport Wrigley Airport is located near Wrigley, Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is t ...

built for the Canol Project and also due to the swampy nature of the land around Fort Wrigley.Wrigley at Spectacular NWT
/ref> Today the community can be reached via the

Mackenzie Highway The Mackenzie Highway is a Canadian highway in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It begins as Alberta Highway 2 at ''Mile Zero'' in Grimshaw, Alberta. After the first , it becomes Alberta Highway 35 for the balance of its lengt ...

. The population continues to maintain a traditional lifestyle, trapping, hunting, and fishing. The community was named for Joseph Wrigley who was the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

Chief Commissioner for British North America (1884–1891). The Franklin Mountains, which are also on the east bank of the Mackenzie River, overlook the community. Cap Mountain, , is the highest peak in the range and is within walking distance of the community. Although not as well known as the

Rabbitkettle Hot Springs Rabbitkettle Hot Springs is a naturally occurring hot spring located in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The springs are found in the Nahanni National Park Reserve, along the South Nahanni River. Rabbitkettle Hot Springs are situated on a lim ...

the Roche qui trempe a l’eau sulphur springs are located downstream of Wrigley.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Wrigley had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The majority of its 2016 population (110 people) is

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

and the predominant languages are North and South Slavey and English.

First Nations

Sternwheeler Mackenzie River and 3 barges at Fort Wrigley in 1946

The

of the community are represented by the

Pehdzeh Ki First Nation The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation is a member of the Dehcho First Nations in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Legally, it is a band administered under the Indian Act. The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation is located in Wrigley, Northwest Territories, Wrigley. ...

and belong to the

Dehcho First Nations The Dehcho First Nations is a tribal council representing the Dene (South Slavey) and Métis people of the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is made up of ten First Nations bands and two Métis Locals. Membership The Deh Ch ...

. The last of the

Numbered Treaties The Numbered Treaties (or Post-Confederation Treaties) are a series of eleven treaties signed between the First Nations, one of three groups of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and the reigning monarch of Canada ( Victoria, Edward VII or George ...

Treaty 11 ''Treaty 11'', the last of the Numbered Treaties, was an agreement established between 1921 and 1922 between King George V and various First Nation band governments in what is today the Northwest Territories. Henry Anthony Conroy was appoint ...

, was signed here 13 July 1921. At that time the Headman was paid $22 and $12 for everybody else.

Services

The community has one store, a

health centre A healthcare center, health center, or community health center is one of a network of clinics staffed by a group of general practitioners and nurses providing healthcare services to people in a certain area. Typical services covered are family pr ...

and a two-person

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

detachment.

Education

The community has a K-9 school, Chief Julian Yendo School with an enrolment of 24 as of 2018. After completion of grade 9 students go to the Thomas Simpson Secondary School in

Fort Simpson Fort Simpson (Slavey language: ''Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́'' "place where rivers come together") is a village, the only one in the entire territory, in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on an ...

.Chief Julian Yendo School
/ref>

Climate

Wrigley has a continental

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

( Dfc). The area combines mild to warm, short summers with long and very cold winters. The differences between the coldest and warmest month are rather extreme even by continental standards, with the January high being and the July high being according to

Environment and Climate Change Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; )Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment (). is the department of the Government of Canada res ...

. Transitional seasons are rather short.

Notes

References

{{Communities of Northwest Territories Communities in the Dehcho Region Dene communities Hudson's Bay Company trading posts Populated places on the Mackenzie River