Carmacks is a village in Yukon, Canada, on the Yukon River along the Klondike Highway, and at the west end of the Robert Campbell Highway from Watson Lake. The population is 588 (Canada Census, 2021), an increase from the Census of 2016. It is the home of the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation, a Northern Tutchone-speaking people.
Carmacks | |
|---|---|
 Carmacks as seen from the Yukon River bridge with the river in the foreground. | |
  Carmacks  Carmacks | |
| Coordinates: 62°05′20″N 136°17′20″W / 62.08889°N 136.28889°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Territory | Yukon |
| Area | |
| • Land | 36.87 km2 (14.24 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 588 |
| • Density | 13.3/km2 (34/sq mi) |
| • DPL[2] | 206 |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| Climate | Dsc |
| Website | Official website |
History
editThe name of the community comes from George Washington Carmack, who found coal near Tantalus Butte (locally called Coal Mine Hill) in the early 1890s. He built a trading post near the present site of Carmacks and traded with locals before opening a coal mine in the south bank of the Yukon River. The focus of his entrepreneurial energy switched a few years later when he or his wife, Kate Carmack, discovered gold with her brother, Keish (Skookum Jim), and Dawson Charlie (Tagish Charlie) at what was to become the Discovery Claim, near Dawson City, which started the Klondike Gold Rush. Carmacks incorporated as a village on November 1, 1984.
Geography
editThe community consists of the Village of Carmacks and the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation.[citation needed] Carmacks Landing Settlement is within the Village of Carmacks.[3]
Carmacks is situated at the confluence of the Nordenskiold and Yukon rivers, approximately 180 km (110 mi) north of Whitehorse and 360 km (220 mi) south of Dawson City on the North Klondike Highway. It is the site of one of the four bridges over the Yukon River. The Campbell Highway also intersects the community and carries on to Faro, Ross River and Watson Lake, providing a gateway to the Canol Road and some of Yukon's most spectacular scenery.
Climate
editCarmacks has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with short but mild summers and long, severely cold winters.
| Climate data for Carmacks Climate ID: 2100301; coordinates 62°06′54″N 136°11′31.1″W / 62.11500°N 136.191972°W; elevation: 12.2 m (40 ft); WMO ID: 71039; 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1963–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.5 (49.1) |
13.0 (55.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
23.3 (73.9) |
35.0 (95.0) |
35.3 (95.5) |
34.2 (93.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
27.0 (80.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
12.8 (55.0) |
10.2 (50.4) |
35.3 (95.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −16.4 (2.5) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
16.5 (61.7) |
21.4 (70.5) |
22.5 (72.5) |
19.9 (67.8) |
13.7 (56.7) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−14.3 (6.3) |
4.6 (40.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −21.8 (−7.2) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
0.7 (33.3) |
8.3 (46.9) |
13.5 (56.3) |
15.3 (59.5) |
12.8 (55.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
−13.8 (7.2) |
−19.3 (−2.7) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −26.7 (−16.1) |
−23.4 (−10.1) |
−18.1 (−0.6) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
0.0 (32.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
7.9 (46.2) |
5.6 (42.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
−23.6 (−10.5) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −57.8 (−72.0) |
−57.2 (−71.0) |
−50.0 (−58.0) |
−33.4 (−28.1) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−16.5 (2.3) |
−32.5 (−26.5) |
−46.7 (−52.1) |
−54.4 (−65.9) |
−57.8 (−72.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −53.0 | −50.7 | −47.5 | −31.7 | −15.7 | −4.1 | −2.1 | −3.4 | −14.5 | −26.5 | −47.4 | −51.5 | −53.0 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 15.4 (0.61) |
10.2 (0.40) |
10.3 (0.41) |
7.1 (0.28) |
23.5 (0.93) |
31.7 (1.25) |
57.4 (2.26) |
44.9 (1.77) |
24.9 (0.98) |
22.5 (0.89) |
20.5 (0.81) |
18.8 (0.74) |
287.1 (11.30) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.00) |
0.1 (0.00) |
2.7 (0.11) |
23.9 (0.94) |
— | — | — | — | — | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
— |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 16.7 (6.6) |
10.8 (4.3) |
10.2 (4.0) |
— | 1.2 (0.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
— | — | 20.5 (8.1) |
— | — |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 9.2 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 4.4 | 8.3 | 10.1 | 13.2 | 11.1 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 108.3 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.0 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.87 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 7.7 | 5.1 | 4.1 | — | 0.53 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | — | 8.9 | — | — |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[4] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 404 | — |
| 1991 | 349 | −13.6% |
| 1996 | 466 | +33.5% |
| 2001 | 431 | −7.5% |
| 2006 | 425 | −1.4% |
| 2011 | 503 | +18.4% |
| 2016 | 493 | −2.0% |
| 2021 | 588 | +19.3% |
| Source: Statistics Canada [5][6][7][8][9][1] | ||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | — | |
| 1986 | 124 | — |
| 1991 | 106 | −14.5% |
| Source: Statistics Canada [10][11] | ||
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Carmacks had a population of 588 living in 263 of its 302 total private dwellings, a change of 19.3% from its 2016 population of 493. With a land area of 36.87 km2 (14.24 sq mi), it had a population density of 15.9/km2 (41.3/sq mi) in 2021.[1]
As a designated place in the 2021 census, Carmacks Landing Settlement had a population of 206 living in 86 of its 95 total private dwellings, a change of 22.6% from its 2016 population of 168. With a land area of 2.41 km2 (0.93 sq mi), it had a population density of 85.5/km2 (221.4/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
Carmacks has a 91.4% First Nations population the majority of which belong to the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nations. The local language of the LSCFN community is Northern Tuchone, which is carried on both by the elders and taught to all students at the local Tantalus Elementary/high School.
| Panethnic group | 2021[14] | 2016[15] | 2006[16] | 2001[17] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||
| Indigenous | 420 | 73.04% | 340 | 70.83% | 325 | 76.47% | 295 | 68.6% | ||
| European[a] | 120 | 20.87% | 115 | 23.96% | 95 | 22.35% | 135 | 31.4% | ||
| Southeast Asian[b] | 25 | 4.35% | 20 | 4.17% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 2.33% | ||
| South Asian | 0 | 0% | 10 | 2.08% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| African | 0 | 0% | 10 | 2.08% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| East Asian[c] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 2.33% | ||
| Middle Eastern[d] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Latin American | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Other/multiracial[e] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Total responses | 575 | 97.79% | 480 | 97.36% | 425 | 100% | 430 | 99.77% | ||
| Total population | 588 | 100% | 493 | 100% | 425 | 100% | 431 | 100% | ||
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | ||||||||||
Economy
editThe area around Carmacks has abundant mineral resources, including coal, copper, and gold. Various mining activities are taking place on mineral sites around Carmacks. There is a small zinc-copper mine in production near Carmacks operated by Western Silver and a gold property northwest of Carmacks currently in the exploration stage operated by Northern Freegold Resources based out of Whitehorse.
Attractions
editThe Carmacks Recreation Centre is at the east end of River Drive between the nursing station and visitor centre, and is a community focal point for youth. There is a youth drop in daily with activities often funded by Yukon grant programs. The gymnasium is host to adult floor hockey and other sports. The Recreation Centre also holds a skating rink, fully loaded fitness gym and a full kitchen for all occasions.
Infrastructure
editCarmacks is served by the Klondike Highway by cars and Carmacks Airport by air.
It has been proposed as a hub for an extension of the Alaska Railroad, and historically for an extension of the White Pass and Yukon Route from Whitehorse.
Sports
editEvery February, Carmacks hosts a checkpoint for both the long-distance Yukon Quest sled dog race and the Yukon Arctic Ultra foot/ski/bike race.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
- ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
References
edit- ^ a b c "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Yukon". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
- ^ "Census Subdivision 6001012: Carmacks, VL" (PDF). Statistics Canada. November 16, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
- ^ "Carmacks Yukon Territory". Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Yukon Territory)". Statistics Canada. August 15, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Yukon Territory)". Statistics Canada. August 20, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Yukon)". Statistics Canada. July 25, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Yukon)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. September 1987. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1992. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ Ninth Census of Canada, 1951 (PDF). Vol. SP-7 (Population: Unincorporated villages and hamlets). Dominion Bureau of Statistics. March 31, 1954. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ "1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order" (PDF). Statistics Canada. May 1992. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-10-26). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2021-10-27). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-08-20). "2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-07-02). "2001 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-27.