Internet outage in Yellowknife may be result of ‘criminal act’: RCMP

An RCMP patrol vehicle. (CKLB file photo.)

RCMP say someone may have intentionally knocked out the internet and phone signal in Yellowknife over the weekend.

On Saturday, landlines, cellphones and internet services were down for most of the city and some surrounding communities.

In a news release, police say a “criminal act” likely occurred that morning, July 13, between 7 and 7:45 a.m. near Highway 3 between Yellowknife and Behchoko.

Now police are asking people come forward if they have information, including drivers along the highway that morning and who may have had a dashcam on.

“We take threats to our critical infrastructure very seriously. This senseless vandalism had far-reaching implications which affected the safety and comfort of the majority of NWT residents,” said Staff Sergeant Dean Riou in the release.

Anyone with information on this suspicious activity is asked to call Yellowknife RCMP at 669-1111, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a tip at nwtnutips.com, or text nwtnutips and your message to 274637.

About the Author

Francis Tessier-Burns
Francis was a reporter with CKLB from January 2019 to March 2023. In his time with CKLB, he had the immense pleasure and honour of learning about northern Indigenous cultures.