Nechako

LanguagesFN PopulationTotal PopulationPopulation % First Nation
  • Nedut’en
  • Danez_gé’
  • Dakelh
  • Witsuwit'en
  • Łingít
11,97839,80030.1%

Regional Description

Located in the northwestern part of the province, Nechako stretches from the B.C.–Yukon border in the north down to the central “Lakes” area of the province and is separated from the northeastern section of the province by the Rocky Mountain Trench. It is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the temperate rainforests of B.C.’s North Coast Region and the coastal “panhandle” of southeastern Alaska.

While it is the largest development region, encompassing 194,024 square kilometers of land, it is also the least populated; Nechako is home to under 40,000 residents, more than 30% of whom are First Nations. There are few large population centres in the region, except in the far south along Highway 16 (Smithers, Houston, and Burns Lake).

The Nechako region is comprised of the Traditional Territories of the Sekani and Kaska Dene in the north and the Dakelh, Wet’suwet’en further south. The land is generally mountainous, with many large lakes and rivers that have sustained a traditional economy and trade system since time immemorial.

See the Nechako map