Fort McPherson

Community Name:         Fort McPherson
Traditional/Former Name:  Teet'lit Zhen (at the head of the waters)
Land Claim Area:            Gwich'in
Electoral District:           Mackenzie-Delta
Member of the Legislative Assembly:  David Krutko
Member of Parliament: Dennis Bevington
Senator:                            Nick G. Sibbeston
Community Leader:        His Worship Mayor Bill Prodromidis 
                                  Hamlet of Fort McPherson
                                  P.O. Box 57 
                                  Fort McPherson, NT  X0E 0J0
                                  Phone:  867-952-2428
                                  e-mail: hamlet@internorth.com

Location:  Fort McPherson is located on the east bank of the Peel River at 67'26'N latitude and 134'53'W longitude. The hamlet is 121 km south of Inuvik on the Dempster Highway and 1107 km northwest of Yellowknife.

Population:  823 (2004 Census)

Languages:  Gwich'in, English

Access:  The community is accessible by road from Inuvik year round (except during break-up and freeze-up) and is accessible by road from Dawson City/Whitehorse year round.

History:  The Hudson Bay Company established a post at the current location in 1840 and eight years later the area was after Murdoch McPherson, the chief trader for the company. Four years later a Loucheux Indian village moved to the area and Father Grollier set up an Anglican Mission in 1860. In 1903 the RCMP built a detachment post and regularly handled the patrols through the MacKenzie Mountains via the Peel River from Dawson City to Fort McPherson. In 1911 Inspector Fitzgerald and three others perished while on patrol there. The Loucheux maintained their traditional hunting lifestyle well into the 1960s. Today the economy is based on hunting, trapping and oil exploration. The Tet'lit Co-op offers retail services to local residents. The community is also home to the Fort McPherson Tent and Canvas Company that produces canvas bags, packs and tee pees.