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With the federal government promising major investments in northern infrastructure, the town of Hay River, N.W.T., wants to ensure it’s included in talks before decisions are made.<\/p>\n
Deputy mayor Keith Dohey says he and other town representatives attended last month’s town hall meeting<\/a> in Yellowknife with officials from the Department of National Defence (DND). The meeting was held to talk about plans to modernize Yellowknife’s North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) site, and followed a multibillion-dollar announcement<\/a> earlier this year about plans to expand Canada’s military footprint in the North.<\/p>\n Dohey called the meeting “a prime opportunity for us to showcase what we have, and to ramp up some of these things that had been sort of scaling down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was reassuring, actually to hear from everyone that we spoke with that this is an all-hands-on-deck, kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we need to take advantage of as a whole \u2014 rather than trying to be every man for himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Dohey said Hay River officials were at the meeting to talk about what the town could offer. He said that could include excess power for projects in the community, the marine education facility in town, local manufacturing, and barge transportation.<\/p>\n Hay River is home to Marine Transportation Services’ (MTS) main terminal and shipyards. Dohey said when it comes to transporting fuel and other materials, the barge service through Hay River is the efficient option.<\/p>\n \u201cIt makes sense. It’s a lot more economical to haul on a barge than it is to try to do it truck by truck, on thousands of kilometers of highway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Dohey says the barge service would be even more efficient with a functional rail line from Enterprise to Hay River. CN Rail decided last year to end that service after the 30-kilometre section of railway was damaged by wildfire in 2023. The N.W.T. government is currently appealing that decision<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the broader context of the North, it’s a small piece of infrastructure that needs to be replaced, that is potentially a critical lifeline to a lot of these projects,\u201d said Dohey.<\/p>\n MTS has faced less predictable barge conditions in recent years, with lower water levels affecting the shipping season. In a statement to CBC News, the territory’s Department of Infrastructure said that so far, things are looking better for this season.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile assessments for the upcoming season are still underway, current conditions are more favourable than at this time last year, and MTS is optimistic about the potential for a safe and successful navigation season,\u201d a spokesperson wrote.<\/p>\n Hay River is also home to the Western Arctic Marine Training Centre (WAMTC), which is just down the road from the MTS facility and the Coast Guard river base. The centre, funded by Transport Canada, opened in 2023 and offers training for careers in marine transportation.<\/p>\n![\"Tug](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777984704_537_default.jpg\")
A barge servicing the N.W.T.’s Sahtu region pictured leaving from Hay River in 2025. (GNWT Infrastructure\/Facebook)<\/p>\n