Yellowknife and town hall. The first mayor of Yellowknife was Jock McNiven. In September 1967, Yellowknife officially became the capital of the Northwest Territories. This important new status sparked what has been coined as the third boom in Yellowknife. New sub-divisions were established to house an influx of government workers. In 1978 the Soviet nuclear-powered satellite Kosmos 954 crashed to Earth near Yellowknife. There were no known casualties, although a small quantity of radioactive nuclear fuel was released into the environment, and Operation Morning Light—an attempt to retrieve it—was only partially successful. A new mining rush and fourth building boom for
Coat of arms of Yellowknife Coat of arms of Yellowknife The coat of arms of Yellowknife is the full armorial achievement as used by the municipal government as an official symbol. The government of Yellowknife utilizes multiple versions of the coat of arms for various applications. In the 1950s Yellowknife held a competition to design a coat of arms which was won by Netta Pringle who had lived in Yellowknife during 1954 and 1955. The coat of arms consists of a mine headframe, flanked by a miners' pick and shovel and a maple leaf, with the northern lights above. Above the shield is a half-midnight