| Fort Resolution | |
| Native Name: | Denı́nu Kų́ę́ |
| Settlement Type: | Hamlet |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Northwest Territories#Canada |
| Coordinates: | 61.1717°N -113.6717°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type1: | Territory |
| Subdivision Name1: | Northwest Territories |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | South Slave Region |
| Subdivision Type3: | Territorial electoral district |
| Subdivision Name3: | Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh |
| Subdivision Type4: | Census division |
| Subdivision Name4: | Region 5 |
| Established Title: | Hamlet |
| Established Date: | 5 January 2011 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor & Chief |
| Leader Name: | Mayor-Patrick Simon, Chief-Louis Balsillie |
| Leader Title1: | Senior Administrative Officer |
| Leader Name1: | Tom Beaulieu |
| Leader Title2: | MLA |
| Leader Name2: | Steve Norn |
| Area Land Km2: | 455.22 |
| Elevation M: | 160 |
| Population Total: | 470 |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Population Density Km2: | 1.0 |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | −07:00 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −06:00 |
| Postal Code Type: | Canadian Postal code |
| Postal Code: | X0E 0M0 |
| Area Code: | 867 |
| Blank Name: | Telephone exchange |
| Blank Info: | 394 |
| Blank2 Name: | Prices |
| Blank3 Name: | - Living cost |
| Blank3 Info: | 142.5 |
| Blank4 Name: | - Food price index |
| Blank4 Info: | 144.0 |
| Blank5 Name: | Climate |
| Blank5 Info: | Dsc |
| Footnotes: | Sources: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre,[1] Canada Flight Supplement 2013 figure based on Edmonton = 100[2] 2015 figure based on Yellowknife = 100 |
Fort Resolution (Denı́nu Kų́ę́ (pronounced "deh-nih-noo-kwenh") "moose island place") is a hamlet[3] in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is situated at the mouth of the Slave River, on the shores of Great Slave Lake, and at the end of the Fort Resolution Highway (Highway 6). It is the headquarters of the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation, whose Chief is Louis Balsillie.
It is the oldest documented European community in the Northwest Territories, built in 1819, and was a key link in the fur trade's water route north. Fort Resolution is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada as the oldest continuously occupied place in the Northwest Territories with origins in the fur trade and the principal fur trade post on Great Slave Lake.
Fort Resolution's Deninoo School offers K-12 schooling. The town also has a hockey arena, community hall, a nursing station, a youth centre, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a bed and breakfast, a 'Northern' general store, a convenience store, one diner, and two gas stations. Fort Resolution Airport services charter and medivac flights only. The oldest building in town is the historic Roman Catholic Church, built in the early 19th century; there is also a Protestant church in the hamlet. The beach along Great Slave Lake is a prime spot for summer swimming, bird watching, fishing or relaxing. Local people engage in fishing, hunting, and trapping year-round.
The nearby site of Pine Point was once a thriving lead mine. When the value of lead plummeted in the 1980s, the Pine Point Mine closed, and the township was evacuated. Pine Point houses were sold cheaply, and many of the buildings were then moved to Fort Resolution (including the hockey arena), Hay River and Northern Alberta.[4]
Deninoo Days in late August celebrate the beginning of moose hunting season with parades, traditional races, games and talent competitions. Recreational opportunities include camping, canoeing and fishing (self-guided, or available through several outfitters). Little Buffalo River Crossing is a nearby territorial park, with historical and natural attractions, accessible by road and featuring a campground with 12 sites.[5]
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort Resolution had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 452.87km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[6]
In 2016, the majority of its population, 430, was listed as Indigenous. The majority of townspeople are of Dene (320) and Métis (105) descent. The predominant languages are English, Chipewyan and Michif.
Fort Resolution is represented by the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation and are part of the Akaitcho Territory Government.[7]
David Graeme Hancock, Q.C., 15th Premier of Alberta, 23 March–15 September 2014[8]
Fort Resolution has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with short, mild summers and long, cold winters lasting from October through April.
On January 8, 1936, Fort Resolution recorded a temperature of -59.4°C (-75°F), which is the coldest temperature recorded in the Northwest Territories.[9]