Located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake at the mouth of the Hay River

60'51'N latitude and 115'44'W longitude

200 km southwest of Yellowknife and 134 km from the Alberta border via the Mackenzie Highway

English

South Slavey

Chipewyan

French

Origin of most barge travel in the NWT and depends on the transportation/communication industry, commercial fishing, government, commercial logging, local businesses and services and market gardening for its economy

Anglican Church

Baptist Church

Pentecostal Chapel

Pentecostal Dene Church

Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall

Anglican/Grace United Church

Assumption Catholic Church

Two grocery stores

H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital

RCMP detachment

Branches of CIBC and RBC banks

Hay River's climate is temperate at best and wide fluctuations can be expected at all times of the year. Great Slave Lake due to its size, has dramatic influences on local weather. Summers are shortened but the extended daylight makes for long, relaxing days. Winters have been known to be very cold, however most days present clear skies.

Temperature: Average annual high is 2.1°C, average annual low is -7.9°C

Warmest Month: July (average high is 21.1°C, average low is 10.6°C)

Coldest Month: January (average high is -18.4°C, average low is -27.6°C)

Annual Precipitation: 320.4 mm (12.6 in.)

Driest Month: April: 12.2 mm (.48 in.) of precipitation

Wettest Month: August: 50.5 mm (1.99 in.) of precipitation