Watson Lake is a town in Yukon , Canada, located at mile 635 on the Alaska Highway close to the British Columbia border. 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.
19-765: The Nahanni Range Road was completed in the early 1960s from Watson Lake , Yukon along the present alignment of the Robert Campbell Highway to Miner Junction (aka Cantung Junction), thence along the Highway 10 route, across the border into the Northwest Territories to the privately owned mining town, Tungsten (for the tungsten mined there), and the Cantung Mine (for Canada Tungsten Mining Corporation). The portion between Cantung Junction and Watson Lake has, since 1971, been part of
38-478: A population of 1,133 living in 499 of its 564 total private dwellings, a change of 4.6% from its 2016 population of 1,083. With a land area of 109.77 km (42.38 sq mi), it had a population density of 10.3/km (26.7/sq mi) in 2021. 2021 Canadian census The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows
57-516: A population of 35,151,728. Three provinces' and one territory's population grew faster than Canada's overall population increase: Yukon – a 12.1 per cent increase, Prince Edward Island – an 8 per cent increase, British Columbia – a 7.6 per cent increase, and Ontario – a 5.8 per cent increase. The rapid growth in Yukon is largely credited to immigration and migration from within Canada. At the other end of
76-807: Is the main centre of the small forestry industry in Yukon and has been a service centre for the mining industry, especially for the Cassiar , a now abandoned asbestos mine in northern British Columbia and the Cantung Mine , a tungsten mine on the Yukon- Northwest Territories border in the Mackenzie Mountains . Tourist attractions in Watson Lake include the Northern Lights Centre and the much-imitated original Sign Post Forest . The Sign Post Forest
95-429: The 2016 Canadian census , which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is slightly lower than the response rate for the 2016 census. It recorded a population of 36,991,981, a 5.2% increase from 2016. It will be succeeded by Canada's 2026 census . Consultation on census program content was from September 11 to December 8, 2017. The census was conducted by Statistics Canada , and
114-413: The Robert Campbell Highway (Yukon Highway 4). The Nahanni Range Road proper is entirely gravel, and is not recommended for general public use. Originally, two-thirds of the route was maintained by the Yukon government, and had campgrounds for public use. The remaining third was maintained by the mining company, open to public traffic, but with no public facilities at the town. When the mine shut in 1986,
133-483: The 2021 census are: Statistics Canada links income and related information obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency , and immigration status obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada , to the census responses. The 2021 Canadian census included new questions "critical to measuring equity, diversity and inclusivity". For the first time, questions were asked about commuting methods and
152-423: The census counted transgender people and people of non-binary gender . Canada has been noted in this instance to be the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people. The 2021 census recorded a total federal population of 36,991,981, living in 14,978,941 of its 16,284,235 private dwellings. With a land area of 8,788,702.80 km (3,393,337.12 sq mi), its population density
171-783: The census questionnaire. The questionnaires could be completed by returning the paper questionnaire, or by phone or online by using an access code provided in the mailing. Statistics Canada expected about 80% of households to complete the questionnaire online. It was also available in large-print , braille , audio, and video formats. The questionnaire questions were available in a number of languages ( Arabic , simplified and traditional Chinese, Italian , Korean , Persian , Portuguese , Punjabi , Russian , Spanish , Urdu , and Vietnamese ) and indigenous languages ( Atikamekw , Denesuline , Nunavik and Nunavut Inuktitut , Mohawk , Montagnais , Naskapi , Northern Quebec Cree , Ojibwe , Oji-Cree , Plains Cree , Swampy Cree , and Tłı̨chǫ ), but
190-648: The first series of the Canadian Roadside Attractions Series issued by Canada Post on July 6, 2009. Watson Lake and the neighbouring Upper Liard settlement are the home of the Liard River First Nation , a member of the Kaska Dena Council. The Two Mile area immediately north of the core of town is a concentrated area of First Nations residents, while the town extends 8.0 km (5 mi) out to
209-432: The questionnaire had to be completed in either English or French. The standard short-form questionnaire was to be completed by 75% of households. The other 25% completed a long-form questionnaire to collect data about the household's economic and social state, information about the occupied dwelling, and other data in addition to age, languages spoken, marital status, religious affiliation, and other basic data collected in
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#1732772647197228-718: The replacement of two bridges along Nahanni Range Road. Watson Lake, Yukon Watson Lake is near the Liard River , at the junction of the Robert Campbell Highway and the Alaska Highway. The Stewart–Cassiar Highway 's northern end is 22 km (14 mi) west of Watson Lake. The town is also served by the Watson Lake Airport ; the airport was formerly served by Canadian Pacific Air Lines and other local and regional airlines, but now by Air North and corporate and charter services. Watson Lake
247-495: The road fell into disuse and maintenance became increasingly difficult. Since the mine resumed intermittent production in 2003, the road has been restored for the use of the mining company, but general public travel is still not advised. In January 2020, the Yukon Government and the Liard River First Nation announced an agreement for a first phase of repairs. $ 17 million of federal and territorial tax funds will pay for
266-469: The short-form questionnaire. Those who completed the census questionnaire online could listen to a number of soundtracks on Spotify and YouTube prepared by Statistics Canada. Completing the questionnaire is a legal requirement, and those who refuse to do so may be fined up to $ 500. It must be completed by citizens of Canada, permanent residents, refugee claimants, and those with a study or work permit. The release dates for data by release topic from
285-731: 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.) The Town of Watson Lake annexed Two Mile and Two and One-Half Mile Village on January 2, 2016. Like most of Yukon, Watson Lake has a subarctic 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
304-430: Was 4.21/km (10.90/sq mi). Canada's most- and least-populated provinces were Ontario and Prince Edward Island , respectively. Amongst the three territories, the Northwest Territories was the largest in terms of population, while Nunavut once again became the smallest territory after briefly overtaking Yukon in 2016. The population of Canada rose by 5.2 per cent federally since the 2016 census, which recorded
323-426: 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. In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , Watson Lake had
342-628: Was contactless as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada . The agency had considered delaying the census until 2022. About 900 supervisors and 31,000 field enumerators were hired to conduct the door-to-door survey of individuals and households who had not completed the census questionnaire by late May or early June. Canvassing agents wore masks and maintained a physical distance to comply with COVID-19 safety regulations. In early May 2021, Statistics Canada began sending mailings to households throughout Canada containing instructions for completing
361-478: Was started in 1942 by a homesick United States Army Corps of Engineers G.I. working on the Alaska 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
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