History of Northwest Territories capital cities developed community, closest to Ottawa. Fort Smith housed the civil service working in the Territories officially until 1967. The town continued to host the civil service for many years after Yellowknife was picked as capital, because the infrastructure was not yet in place in the new capital city at the time. The "Advisory Commission on the Development of Government in the Northwest Territories", commonly called the Carrothers Commission for its chair, Alfred Carrothers, was struck by the Government of Canada in 1965. The Carrothers Commission marked a significant turning point in modern Northwest Territories history. The Carrothers Commission was tasked
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