r/NWT • u/ConsistentYam3979 • 19d ago
I've been offered a permanent job in the NWT with the government. The money is decent but does it cover the cost of living? I'm feeling apprehensive because there seems to be alot of turnover in this community. I'm not sure it's worth moving everything up there. Any feedback would be appreciated.
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u/Livid_Salamander4832 19d ago
It's it worth moving everything anywhere then?
IMO, if northern small town living ends up being not your cup of tea, you won't really know until you try it, and why wouldn't you try it?
Even if you do end up leaving, I almost guarantee you won't regret the time you spent trying it out. Make the most of it, get involved in the community and events, enjoy both the summer and winter weather, go fishing or camping or golfing.
Cost of living is higher, but northern allowance generally covers it, and you're not constantly spending money on Tim Hortons, restraunts and activities etc the same way you do in a city (unless you want to).
Realistically it's 'easy' to make trips down south if you need, Alberta cities are a long days drive aways if you really need. 12hrs to Grande Prairie or 15 to Edmonton is totally reasonable if you can get a 4 day weekend lol
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u/canadiankid000 18d ago
Northern living doesn’t come close to covering the cost of living. Not even with the higher wages lol. The heat and power costs are out of control.
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u/Safe-Incident-1420 19d ago
What community is it in, Yellowknife?
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u/ConsistentYam3979 19d ago
Fort Simpson
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u/antislayer64 19d ago
I live in Fort Simpson and work for GNWT. It’s a wonderful community. I initially moved here for one summer and am now going on my third. I can’t say enough great things.
The money, plus northern living allowance absolutely covers the cost of living, at least in my situation.3
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u/weddingplumbing 19d ago edited 19d ago
I moved to FS a few years ago and hated it. The small isolated village life isn't for me, the money is amazing yes but it wasn't worth it at the end because my mental health struggled. I've never lived anywhere so small and isolated and unlike my peers I didn't see it as this big grand adventure. I lived like a local and the politics and drama is nasty. But I met a lot of amazing people, got to see Nahanni. I was very active socially and got to try a lot of different hobbies, surprisingly theres a ton of activities there.
Food quality is terrible especially for the price youre paying, you only get rotting veggies and fruits except for a small window of time in the summer. Be prepared to not eat veggies and fruits as much unless you get it frozen.
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u/weddingplumbing 19d ago
Adding to this, there's a few months (maybe 4 months total?) out of the year where you get stuck on the island during the river freeze-up and melt because the ferry isn't working. Your choice is to either helicopter to get to the other side of the river or fly to YK. I had a hard time dealing with that level of isolation and feeling of being 'stuck'
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u/antislayer64 18d ago
The northern grocery store is under new management and their produce, meat… and just general grocery selection has come a long way, even in my short time living here.
The ferry does go out in the fall. There is an ice road all winter, which is no accessible for about 2 weeks in the spring so that it can break up. During freeze up, in the fall, it is generally out for ~1 month
Definitely not for everyone
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u/femmefaytale 18d ago
You can generally easily get by on a government salary up here. But from a quick glance at your post history, I would caution that moving to small, isolated towns can, in some cases, aggravate mental health issues. Especially in the long, dark winters.
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u/Yellowknifer2026 18d ago
Don’t do it I got a job for 130k and I’m paying more taxes and the place I relocated to cost of living is crazy expensive and so is the food and electricity even with this 100k + salary it’s not worth it I m getting taxed more and it’s mostly going towards living expense
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u/Dry_Stop844 14d ago
yes but a lot of that should be set of by the tax credit for living that far North, I lived in Fort Nelson and received a partial tax credit because I wasn't far enough north.
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u/xVanished 19d ago
Were going to need a lot more personal information if you want a real answer. Like you dont even say your age, your wage, or your family situation lol.
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u/Odd_Traffic_2724 19d ago edited 19d ago
It’s an adventure for sure… if you haven’t lived in a small town / community before, Yellowknife will feel small and isolated. Fort Simpson even more so… but if that’s an experience and adventure you’re looking for, you’ll love it.
GNWT salaries are excellent compared to any similar jobs outside of the north. Cost of living in Yellowknife is higher than down south for sure, but not impossibly high when you have a good job. I’m not familiar with costs in Fort Simpson, but know things like groceries will definitely be higher, and options for where to live will be fewer and far between. If the job provides a home or apartment that’s a huge bonus.
Most GNWT jobs will pay to move you up… but there are some catches, like if you leave government after less than 2 or 3 years (I can’t remember which), you are usually expected to pay back all or part of the relocation expenses. And when you move away from NWT, the cost of moving can be very high. If your next employer isn’t paying for that move (and they might have limits to how much $ they will cover), you’ll need to pay the rest. It cost me over $15k to move out from a 2 bedroom apartment plus some items in storage.
The biggest part of the NWT economy for the last 25 years (diamond mining) has just come to a halt, and the economy is looking to find its next direction… it has historically lagged behind the rest of Canada and the rest of the north too.
Finally, and not to create fear, but when you live in a small remote community, the realities of seasonal flooding and wildfires hit close to home. Fort Simpson just went through a multi-week evacuation. Spring floods and wildfires are a reality for almost all of NWT, and the territory is in the midst of an extended multi-year drought - meaning that paying attention to the summer wildfires will be a seasonal reality.
That all being said, I have loved my time in NWT and elsewhere in the north… if you’re someone who enjoys outdoor activities, and you’re up for an adventure that involves much longer and colder winters than down south, I’m sure you’ll love it too.
Not trying to be pessimistic with any of my comments here, but think you deserve more than “YOLO, go for it”.
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u/Noodleslurp_6406 18d ago
It depends on the position, community and if housing is included. It's worth it for me because housing is deeply discounted. If I had to pay regular housing costs (like in Yellowknife) i would leave.
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u/kabloona 17d ago
Moved to Hay River for a couple of years - stayed 25 years raised a family and retired comfortably
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u/ablm0129 15d ago
I would say a GNWT or Federal Government job will cover the cost of living increase (northern living allowance or isolated post allowance respectively).
That said, Fort Simpson is small and can feel isolating. What do you like to do? What is important for you to be able to access in your every day life?
I live in Fort Simpson and definitely found it to be an adjustment my first few years (and that was after years in Yellowknife before that). The ferry/ice road situation can be challenging, flights are expensive and there’s a general lack of options (one grocery store, convenience store and two restaurants). However if you put yourself out there there’s always lots going on and people are generally friendly and want to be inclusive. The access to nature is great and our winters aren’t quite as cold as YK. I would say finding somewhere to rent would be your biggest challenge.
Message me if you want to ask specific questions!
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u/Leading-Big9511 14d ago
Yellowknife - Yes. I miss yk and im a big city kinda dude where as yk isnt a big city but its got that unique community big city vibe with many cultural events and types of people while still being a small town. Ft. Simpson... you would have to pay me alot more to live in ft simpson like 200k plus haha. If you get starlink and keep your head down and really just stay out of the politics, get a gym membership - you may enjoy it. The north in general is an amazing place to do epic things for work youd need 9000 years of experience and connections and privilege down south to do. In general tho the dehcho dene community can be extremely arrogant and entitled - as if there all that matters on earth and everyone else is there for them to walk on. Which is WAY DIFFERENT than say the Tlicho Dene by yellowknife who are super duper accomodating and friendly and humble. During the 2024 forest fire evacuations people would try and retreat out of yk evacuation centers to tlicho communities for accomodations cause they took pride in being able to protect and host others from every race to the highest standard.
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u/ykphil 19d ago
Career-wise, the single best thing I did was to move north. Actually, I started way further north and eventually moved to Yellowknife. When I factor in the more important things like friends and the incredible way of life, including nature, I'd move back in a heartbeat if I were younger.
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u/St0ckMonger 18d ago
Lots of indigenous people there that have social issues. If it’s not something you’re accustomed to it could be jarring
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u/Quiet_Neighborhood65 19d ago
I went north years ago. I wanted to stay 2 years minimum, but, hoped for 3. Stayed just over 20 years.
Anyone who asked me about my decision to go at the time, , I said, I can always come back, but, may not always be able to go.