Bulletins

Fort Smith, NT, October 25, 2024 – Parks Canada and the NWT Department of Infrastructure have established a satellite internet link at a roadside pull-off that will allow motorists to access wifi-enabled phone and text services where no cellular service is available.

NWT Highway 5 passes through northern Wood Buffalo National Park. There is no cellular service along the highway for hundreds of kilometers, meaning travelers were unable to check in with friends and families or report emergencies or road issues for several hours as they passed through the park.

The new service is available at no charge to all members of the public and is located at the grade shed roadside pull-off about 100 kilometers west of Fort Smith. This location was chosen as it is close to the centre of the cellular-free area, and the site offered a convenient and safe pull-off area for motorists.

Parks Canada worked with the NWT Department of Infrastructure to create the service. The GNWT is providing the site and the power, while Parks Canada is providing the hardware and the internet account.

Users will need to be fairly close to the grader shed to use the service. The account can be accessed with the password: highway5.

For further information, contact:

Jean Morin, Program and Policy Advisor, Emergency Management
SWNWT Field Unit
Parks Canada
jean.morin@pc.gc.ca / Tél cell: 867-872-0714