I'm guessing "Yuma" is just a pop culture reference I don't get. I do get geography though, so the only other one I missed was Yellowknife. Besides the native Inuits, Eskimos, etc. does any substantial population even live in the Northwest Territories?
The Inuit live mostly in Nunavut. Eskimo is a term used only in Alaska. The Dene nation lives in the North West Territories along with other native and non-native people.
Maybe "Russian city with coldness records, namesake of a Risk area" would be a better clue for Yakutsk (even if Verkhoyansk is colder, it's not nearly as big of a city and it doesn't even match with the theme of the quiz, nor the second part of the clue).
Got all 17 on the first try. Managed to remember Ypres from a Charlie Brown episode I watched when I was younger, but I have no clue about the actual significance of the battle.