Norman Wells

Community Name: Norman Wells
Traditional/Former Name: Legohli (where is the oil)
Land Claim Area: Sahtu
Electoral District: Sahtu
Member of the Legislative Assembly: Norman Yakeleya
Member of Parliament: Dennis Bevington
Senator: Nick G. Sibbeston
Community Leader:


 His Worship Mayor Dudley C. Johnson
 Town of Norman Wells
 P.O. Box 5 
 Norman Wells, NT  X0E 0V0
 Phone:  867-587-3700
 Email: townmgr@normanwells.com

Location:  Norman Wells is located at 65'17'N and 126'50'W longitude, 80 km northwest of Tulita and 684 km northwest of Yellowknife. The community is located at the north bank of the Mackenzie River and views the entire width of the Mackenzie Valley from the Franklin to Richardson Mountains.

Population:  800 (NWT Bureau of Statistics, 2010)

Languages:  North Slavey, English

Access:  The community is accessible by air from Yellowknife and Inuvik year round and bulk supplies and food are barged in during the summer months. A winter road links the community to Wrigley.

History:  The famous explorer Mackenzie found the first traces of oil during his travels up the River and in 1911 traces of an oil bearing formation were found. By 1937 Imperial Oil Ltd. was well established in oil exploration and two years later a refinery capable of producing aviation fuel was constructed. The Canol Project, including a pipeline between Norman Wells and Whitehorse, was designed to supply fuel for the American war effort in the Pacific between 1942 and 1944.

Today oil drilling and exploration continues to be a backbone of the Norman Wells economy. A well-developed service industry also provides services to residents and visitors to the region.