Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters (CFNA HQ) Yellowknife is a

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

unit located in the city of

Yellowknife Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

. Situated in Evans Building of the city of Yellowknife,Archived - Canadian Forces Northern Area
/ref> it is the headquarters for

Joint Task Force North Joint Task Force North (JTF North), formerly Joint Task Force Six (JTF-6), is a multi-service operation by the United States Department of Defense for counterdrug and anti-terrorist operations. JTF-North is headquartered at Biggs Army Airfie ...

,Joint Task Force North
/ref> part of

Canadian Joint Operations Command The Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC; ) is one of the two unified commands of the Canadian Armed Forces, the other one being the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. CJOC was announced in May 2012 as the result of the cost-cuttin ...

responsible for Canadian Forces operations and administration in

Northern Canada Northern Canada (), colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada, variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada#Territories, terr ...

and the

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

. There are 52 military and civilian personnel from 1 Canadian Rangers Patrol Group headquarters and 314 military and civilian personnel from Joint Task Force North currently stationed in Yellowknife responsible for coordinating military operations across of land in the Northwest Territories and

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

.$50M military defence building expected in Yellowknife by 2024
/ref>Canadian Forces to expand its presence in Yellowknife
/ref> Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters Whitehorse has a similar responsibility in

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

. As of 2021 the current base Commander is Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout.

History

The Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters Yellowknife was established on 15 May 1970 to assist and maintain

Canadian sovereignty The sovereignty of Canada is, in legal terms, the power of Canada to govern itself and its subjects; it is the ultimate source of Canada's law and order. Sovereignty is also a major cultural matter in Canada. Several matters currently define Cana ...

north of the 60th parallel and support

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

operations in the north.

Associated units

CFNA Yellowknife is home to:Detachments and Units
/ref> *

1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group The 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group is a patrol group of the Canadian Rangers. The Rangers have provided a visible military presence in isolated, coastal and northern communities for over 65 years and continue to serve as the military's "eyes, ...

440 Transport Squadron 440 Transport Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Armed Forces under the Royal Canadian Air Force. It is part of 8 Wing and works closely with Joint Task Force (North) in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Based at Yellowknife Airport and o ...

*Yellowknife Company,

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry), or L Edmn R, is a Primary Reserve infantry unit of the Canadian Armed Forces based in Edmonton, Alberta. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment is part of Land Force Wes ...

*Area Support Unit (North)

Future headquarters expansion

In 2018,

Department of National Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

spokesman Andrew McKelvey announced a new building project. Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters Yellowknife will see the construction of a building for some of the technical services elements of the

Area Support Unit, and the 1st Canadian Rangers Patrol Group. The overall project is estimated to cost between $50 and $99 million and will include: *offices *an assembly space, which will double as a

drill hall A drill hall is a place such as a building or a hangar where soldiers practise and perform military drills. Description In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, the term was used for the whole headquarters building of a military reserve unit, ...

*warehouse *garage space Construction is expected to start in the 2020-2021 time frame, with opening anticipated by 2024.

References

External links

Canadian Forces Northern Area440 Transport SquadronCanadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC)The Yellowknife Company / Loyal Edmonton Regiment and 1 Field Ambulance Detachment Yellowknife
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yellowknife Canadian Forces bases in the Northwest Territories