
Fort Good Hope

Fort Good Hope, formerly "Fort Hope", also now known as the "Charter Community of K'asho Got'ine"), is a charter community in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on a peninsula between Jackfish Creek and the east bank of the Mackenzie River, about northwest of Norman Wells. The two principal languages are North Slavey and English. Hunting and trapping are two major sources of income. The Church of Our Lady of Good Hope, a National Historic Site, is located in the community. The church, completed in 1885, was once home to Father Émile Petitot.
Demographics.
According to the 2016 Census the population was 516, an increase of 0.2% from the 2011 Census. In 2006 the Indigenous population was 465, of which 435 were First Nations, 20 Métis and 10 Inuit. In 2017 the Government of the Northwest Territories reported that the population was 570 with an average yearly growth rate of 0.1% from 2007.
Transportation.
The only all season access is by air, Fort Good Hope Airport, with flights operated by North-Wright Airways from Inuvik, Norman Wells and Colville Lake. The community can be accessed in summer using the Mackenzie River. There is no passenger service and the route is primarily used by the Northern Transportation Company for the summer sealift. Winter access is possible via a winter road from Wrigley located further south. The NWT government is seeking federal funding to help extend the Mackenzie Highway from Wrigley to Tsiigehtchic, where it would connect with the Dempster Highway, as of winter 2014 at least eight major river crossings are in place for the new road, some of which are in use as winter crossings.
First Nations.
Fort Good Hope is represented by the K’asho Go’tine Community Council and belong to the Sahtu Dene Council. Through the council they are in negotiations with the Government of Canada for a land claims settlement.
Education.
Fort Good Hope currently has three institutes providing some form of education. For pre-school, there is the Fort Good Hope Daycare. Elementary, junior high and senior high school students attend Chief T'Selehye School and an Aurora College Learning Centre located in the town allows students to qualify for admission to Aurora College and meet other college and university admission requirements.
Climate.
Fort Good Hope experiences a subarctic climate (Dfc), with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. The highest temperature ever recorded was on 20 June 1911, 11 July 1920 and 5 July 1998. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 31 January 1917 and 4 February 1947.