Hay River, Northwest Territories

(CC) Image: George Swan
Hay River's connection to the Arctic Ocean down the Mackenzie River.

Hay River, Northwest Territories is a community in Northern Canada. It is located on the South shore of Great Slave Lake at the mouth of the river after which it is named.

Hay River is the Northern terminus of the North American railway grid. It is the site of an intermodal terminal, where cargo destined for more northerly communities is transferred to barges to be further shipped by water. After the Spring ice breakup the Mackenzie River is navigable, and provides a transportation link to the Arctic Ocean. A fleet of tugboats based in Hay River serves much of the Western Arctic.

Hay River was first connected to Southern Canada by the Mackenzie Highway, which was originally a gravel road. In 1964 its rail link to Edmonton was completed.