Watson Lakeis a town inYukon,Canada, located at mile 635 on theAlaska Highwayclose to theBritish Columbiaborder. It had a population of 1,133 in 2021. The town is named for Frank Watson, an American-born trapper and prospector, who settled in the area at the end of the 19th century.[3]
Watson Lake | |
|---|---|
| Town of Watson Lake | |
 | |
  Watson Lake Location of Watson Lake inYukon  Watson Lake Watson Lake (Canada) | |
| Coordinates:60°03′45″N128°42′25″W/ 60.06250°N 128.70694°W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Territory | Yukon |
| Government | |
| • Town Mayor | Lauren Hanchar |
| •MPs | Brendan Hanley |
| •MLAs | Patti McLeod |
| Area (2021)[2] | |
| • Land | 109.77 km2(42.38 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 1,133 |
| • Density | 10.3/km2(27/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00(MST) |
| Forward sortation area | Y0A1C0 & Y0A 0A2 |
| Area code | 867 |
| Website | watsonlake.ca |
Watson Lake is near theLiard River,at the junction of theRobert Campbell Highwayand the Alaska Highway. TheStewart–Cassiar Highway's northern end is 22 km (14 mi) west of Watson Lake. The town is also served by theWatson Lake Airport;the airport was formerly served byCanadian Pacific Air Linesand other local and regional airlines, but now byAir Northand corporate and charter services.
Watson Lake is the main centre of the small forestry industry in Yukon and has been a service centre for the mining industry, especially for theCassiar,a now abandonedasbestosmine in northern British Columbia and theCantung Mine,atungstenmine on the Yukon-Northwest Territoriesborder in theMackenzie Mountains.
Tourist attractions in Watson Lake include the Northern Lights Centre[4]and the much-imitated originalSign Post Forest.The Sign Post Forest was started in 1942 by a homesickUnited States Army Corps of EngineersG.I. working on theAlaska Highway,who put up a sign with the name of his home town and the distance. Others followed suit and the tradition continues to this day. As of August 2010 there are more than 76,000 signs of various types depicting locations across the world. The Sign Post Forest is one of four roadside attractions featured on the first series of the Canadian Roadside Attractions Series issued byCanada Poston July 6, 2009.[5]
Watson Lake and the neighbouringUpper Liardsettlement are the home of theLiard River First Nation,a member of theKaska DenaCouncil. The Two Mile area immediately north of the core of town is a concentrated area ofFirst Nationsresidents, while the town extends 8.0 km (5 mi) out to the turn-off of Airport Road. (Originally, Airport Road extended directly to the Alaska Highway, but most of it is now part of the Campbell highway.)
History
editThe Town of Watson Lake annexed Two Mile and Two and One-Half Mile Village on January 2, 2016.[6]
Geography
editClimate
editLike most of Yukon, Watson Lake has asubarctic climate(Dfc) with mild to warm summers and severely cold, snowy winters. Watson Lake experiences annual temperature average daily highs of 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) in July and average daily lows of −27.5 °C (−17.5 °F) in January. Record high temperature was 35.4 °C (95.7 °F) in July 2009 and the lowest was −58.9 °C (−74.0 °F) in January 1947. Watson Lake has more precipitation than other parts of Yukon with an average annual snowfall of 196.1 cm (77.2 in) and 262.0 mm (10.31 in) of rainfall, resulting in larger trees and a more viable forest industry.[7]
| Climate data for Watson Lake (Watson Lake Airport) Climate ID: 2101200; coordinates60°06′59″N128°49′20″W/ 60.11639°N 128.82222°W;elevation: 687.4 m (2,255 ft); 1981–2010 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record highhumidex | 5.6 | 11.1 | 11.5 | 20.0 | 34.2 | 33.3 | 41.4 | 36.8 | 26.8 | 17.6 | 11.7 | 7.9 | 41.4 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.9 (48.0) |
12.2 (54.0) |
11.7 (53.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
34.2 (93.6) |
33.9 (93.0) |
35.4 (95.7) |
32.8 (91.0) |
27.8 (82.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
12.2 (54.0) |
8.4 (47.1) |
35.4 (95.7) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) |
2.9 (37.2) |
7.3 (45.1) |
15.6 (60.1) |
22.4 (72.3) |
27.3 (81.1) |
28.6 (83.5) |
27.3 (81.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
13.2 (55.8) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
30.0 (86.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −17.5 (0.5) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
7.0 (44.6) |
14.0 (57.2) |
19.6 (67.3) |
21.5 (70.7) |
19.1 (66.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
3.7 (38.7) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−16.0 (3.2) |
3.5 (38.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −22.5 (−8.5) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
0.1 (32.2) |
7.6 (45.7) |
13.2 (55.8) |
15.3 (59.5) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−14.7 (5.5) |
−20.8 (−5.4) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −27.5 (−17.5) |
−23.5 (−10.3) |
−17.3 (0.9) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
1.3 (34.3) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.0 (48.2) |
6.9 (44.4) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−19.3 (−2.7) |
−25.6 (−14.1) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −44.0 (−47.2) |
−39.0 (−38.2) |
−34.3 (−29.7) |
−20.3 (−4.5) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
0.6 (33.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−18.0 (−0.4) |
−33.1 (−27.6) |
−40.3 (−40.5) |
−47.8 (−54.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −58.9 (−74.0) |
−56.2 (−69.2) |
−46.7 (−52.1) |
−32.8 (−27.0) |
−16.0 (3.2) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−13.9 (7.0) |
−36.6 (−33.9) |
−47.5 (−53.5) |
−53.3 (−63.9) |
−58.9 (−74.0) |
| Record lowwind chill | −66 | −63 | −51 | −36 | −16 | −5 | 0 | −5 | −19 | −43 | −55 | −64 | −66 |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 30.9 (1.22) |
20.4 (0.80) |
15.3 (0.60) |
14.1 (0.56) |
37.4 (1.47) |
54.9 (2.16) |
59.5 (2.34) |
47.6 (1.87) |
42.6 (1.68) |
37.7 (1.48) |
27.9 (1.10) |
27.9 (1.10) |
416.4 (16.39) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.00) |
4.6 (0.18) |
33.6 (1.32) |
54.9 (2.16) |
59.5 (2.34) |
47.4 (1.87) |
41.1 (1.62) |
19.5 (0.77) |
0.6 (0.02) |
0.5 (0.02) |
262.0 (10.31) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 40.6 (16.0) |
28.5 (11.2) |
19.6 (7.7) |
11.4 (4.5) |
3.7 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.1) |
1.7 (0.7) |
20.8 (8.2) |
34.2 (13.5) |
35.3 (13.9) |
196.1 (77.2) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 13.2 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 6.3 | 11.5 | 12.7 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 14.4 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 147.2 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 11.0 | 12.7 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 13.4 | 7.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 76.6 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 13.9 | 10.8 | 9.8 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 8.3 | 15.2 | 13.2 | 78.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 75.5 | 73.7 | 59.9 | 46.3 | 41.4 | 43.5 | 47.7 | 49.6 | 56.4 | 69.1 | 79.8 | 76.9 | 60.0 |
| Source 1:Environment and Climate Change Canada[7] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Météo Climat (mean maximum)[8](mean minimum)[9] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | 58 | — |
| 1951 | 238 | +310.3% |
| 1971 | 553 | +132.4% |
| 1976 | 808 | +46.1% |
| 1981 | 748 | −7.4% |
| 1986 | 826 | +10.4% |
| 1991 | 912 | +10.4% |
| 1996 | 993 | +8.9% |
| 2001 | 912 | −8.2% |
| 2006 | 846 | −7.2% |
| 2011 | 802 | −5.2% |
| 2016 | 790 | −1.5% |
| 2016(rev.) | 1,083 | +37.1% |
| 2021 | 1,133 | +4.6% |
| Source:Statistics Canada [2][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] | ||
In the2021 Canadian censusconducted byStatistics Canada,Watson Lake had a population of 1,133 living in 499 of its 564 total private dwellings, a change of4.6% from its 2016 population of 1,083. With a land area of 109.77 km2(42.38 sq mi), it had a population density of10.3/km2(26.7/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
| Panethnicgroup | 2021[2] | 2016[21] | 2011[22] | 2006[23] | 2001[24] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| European[a] | 600 | 53.33% | 435 | 55.06% | 565 | 70.63% | 515 | 60.95% | 630 | 69.23% |
| Indigenous | 455 | 40.44% | 305 | 38.61% | 205 | 25.63% | 305 | 36.09% | 265 | 29.12% |
| Southeast Asian[b] | 40 | 3.56% | 30 | 3.8% | 0 | 0% | 20 | 2.37% | 0 | 0% |
| East Asian[c] | 15 | 1.33% | 10 | 1.27% | 10 | 1.25% | 10 | 1.18% | 0 | 0% |
| South Asian | 10 | 0.89% | 10 | 1.27% | 0 | 0% | 15 | 1.78% | 0 | 0% |
| Latin American | 0 | 0% | 10 | 1.27% | 10 | 1.25% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| African | 0 | 0% | 10 | 1.27% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 1.1% |
| Middle Eastern[d] | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Other/multiracial[e] | 20 | 1.78% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 1.25% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total responses | 1,125 | 99.29% | 790 | 72.95% | 800 | 99.75% | 845 | 99.88% | 910 | 99.78% |
| Total population | 1,133 | 100% | 1,083 | 100% | 802 | 100% | 846 | 100% | 912 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | ||||||||||
Gallery
edit-
Alaska Highwaythrough Watson Lake -
Signpost forest at Watson Lake -
Ski Hill at Watson Lake -
Carmacks 583 kilometres -
Abandoned bulldozer -
Watson Lake Motors
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- ^"Watson Lake".Geographical Names Data Base.Natural Resources Canada.
- ^abcdeGovernment of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-10-26)."Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Retrieved2024-04-27.
- ^"Watson Lake History - Yukon Territory Information".
- ^northernlightscentre
- ^Canada PostDetails,Canada Post, July to September 2009, Volume XVIII, No. 3, p. 10
- ^"Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status and Names: From January 2nd, 2016 to January 1st, 2021"(PDF).Statistics Canada.November 17, 2021. p. 74.RetrievedMay 8,2022.
- ^ab"Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data".Environment Canada.Retrieved9 July2013.
- ^"Météo climat stats for Whitehorse".Météo Climat.Retrieved23 February2022.
- ^"Météo climat stats for Whitehorse".Météo Climat.Retrieved23 February2022.
- ^Ninth Census of Canada, 1951(PDF).Vol. SP-7 (Population: Unincorporated villages and hamlets).Dominion Bureau of Statistics.March 31, 1954.RetrievedFebruary 2,2022.
- ^"Table 2: Population of Census Subdivisions, 1921–1971".1971 Census of Canada(PDF).Population. Vol. Census Subdivisions (Historical). Ottawa:Statistics Canada.July 1973.RetrievedJanuary 30,2022.
- ^"1976 Census of Canada: Population - Geographic Distributions"(PDF).Statistics Canada.June 1977.RetrievedJanuary 30,2022.
- ^"1981 Census of Canada: Census subdivisions in decreasing population order"(PDF).Statistics Canada.May 1992.RetrievedJanuary 30,2021.
- ^"1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions"(PDF).Statistics Canada.September 1987.RetrievedJanuary 30,2022.
- ^"91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts"(PDF).Statistics Canada.April 1992.RetrievedJanuary 30,2022.
- ^"96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts"(PDF).Statistics Canada.April 1997.RetrievedJanuary 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.RetrievedJanuary 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.RetrievedJanuary 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.RetrievedJanuary 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.RetrievedJanuary 30,2022.
- ^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2021-10-27)."Census Profile, 2016 Census".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Retrieved2024-04-27.
- ^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2015-11-27)."NHS Profile".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Retrieved2024-04-27.
- ^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-08-20)."2006 Community Profiles".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Retrieved2024-04-27.
- ^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-07-02)."2001 Community Profiles".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Retrieved2024-04-27.
External links
edit- watsonlake.cao
Watson Laketravel guide from Wikivoyage
