Neighbourhood Profiles: Frame Lake South
Frame Lake South is Known For:
- Looks and feels like a typical suburban neighbourhood in other cities
- Larger-than-average lots with bigger back yards
- Many young families (there are two elementary schools in the neighbourhood)
- Low-traffic, family-friendly streets and cul-de-sacs
- Extensive informal trail network at Parker Park – great for dog walking and nature walks
- Very close to grocery stores, hospital, recreational facilities and a couple restaurants
- Main traffic arteries: Finlayson Drive, Range Lake Road, Woolgar Avenue.
History
When Yellowknife outgrew the downtown and downtown-adjacent neighbourhoods, it expanded westward, and Frame Lake South was first up. Built from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, its growth was driven by public-sector expansion – Yellowknife had only recently taken over as the capital and seat of the territorial government in 1967.
One of the characteristics that makes this neighbourhood unique is that when it was developed, there were enough lots available over a long enough period of time that several builders made names for themselves building exceptional homes. One such builder was Char Developments.
Frame Lake South is often referred to simply as “Frame Lake,” which can be confusing because the lake itself is not in the neighbourhood. Because the name doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and because it’s such a big neighbourhood, many newer Yellowknifers refer to it by its sub-areas, like the Finlayson Area, the Bromley area or the Hordal/Mandeville area.
Housing
Frame Lake South has probably the most balanced mix of housing formats in Yellowknife – manufactured, stick built and townhouses. The only type of housing it does not have is condominium apartments, although it does have an abundance of rental apartments, both public and private.
Home Prices
Homes in Range Lake fall in the middle range of pricing in the city. In 2023, 57 homes sold with a breakdown as follows:
- 42% manufactured homes with a median sale price of $398,250
- 37% stick-built homes with a median sale price of $649,000
- 19% townhouses with a median sale price of $367,500
Amenities
Groceries: Very convenient. No more than a 3-minute drive from most homes, and walking distance from some. Rochdi’s Independent Grocer, Yellowknife’s largest grocery store, is in the Frame Lake neighbourhood.
Schools: St. Joseph’s School (K-7) and N.J. MacPherson (K-5) are in the heart of Frame Lake, on Range Lake Road. Both Yellowknife high schools are pretty far away – about a ten minute-drive.
Recreational Facilities: Great proximity to recreational facilities. The Multiplex and Fieldhouse are situated along the eastern edge of the Frame Lake South neighbourhood, right across the street from Bromley Drive.
Restaurants: Some good options for restaurants within the neighbourhood – the Copperhouse in particular. And several fast food options including Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC, Booster Juice.
The Furthest You’ll Drive: Old Town is about a ten-minute drive away, but otherwise Frame Lake is very centrally located. If you work downtown you’ll want to head to work early if possible because this is a large neighbourhood with lots of government employees.
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