Fort Good Hope, formerly known as Fort Hope and Fort Charles, is a charter community nestled in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Also known as the Charter Community of K'asho Got'ine, it is situated on a peninsula between Jackfish Creek and the east bank of the Mackenzie River, approximately 145 km northwest of Norman Wells.
The community is home to about 500 residents, primarily indigenous. The two principal languages spoken are North Slavey and English. The local economy is largely driven by hunting and trapping. According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort Good Hope had a population of 507 living in 195 of its 231 total private dwellings, a slight decrease from its 2016 population of 516. The indigenous population in 2006 was 465, of which 435 were First Nations, 20 Métis, and 10 Inuit.
Established as a North West Company fur trading outpost in 1804 (or 1805), the settlement was known mainly as Fort Good Hope, but also as Fort Hope and Fort Charles. The outpost was relocated several times from the current site. The fur outpost ended in 1918 and transitioned into a Hudson's Bay Company retail operation, now known as Northern Stores.
The only all-season access to Fort Good Hope is by air, via the Fort Good Hope Airport, with flights operated by North-Wright Airways from Inuvik, Norman Wells, and Colville Lake. The community can be accessed in summer using the Mackenzie River, and in winter via a winter road from Wrigley located further south.
Fort Good Hope is represented by the K’asho Go’tine Community Council and belongs to the Sahtu Dene Council. Through the council, they are in negotiations with the Government of Canada for a land claims settlement.
The community boasts a full postal service located in the Northern Store, satellite television, two radio stations, and 4G cellular service as of August 20, 2013.
While there is no hospital in Fort Good Hope, basic care is provided by the local community counselling centre. Urgent care can be assessed at Sahtú Got'iné Regional Health and Social Services Centre in Norman Wells, and critical care requiring hospitalization is provided at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife (via air ambulance). The RCMP Fort Good Hope detachment provides general policing in the community, and fire services are provided from one fire station near the RCMP detachment.
Fort Good Hope experiences a subarctic climate, with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. The highest temperature ever recorded was 37.4 °C (99 °F) on 8 July 2023, and the coldest temperature ever recorded was −56.1 °C (−69 °F) on 31 January 1917 and 4 February 1947.
The Church of Our Lady of Good Hope, a National Historic Site, is located in the community. Completed in 1885, the church was once home to Father Émile Petitot, adding a touch of historical significance to this charming community.
