Hay River, NT residents packed the Hay River Museum Society Annual General Meeting on May 25, 2026, showing strong community backing for the town’s heritage projects. A new 11-member board was elected, and members got updates on finances, operations, and the ongoing renovation of the historic Bay Building, now known as the Hay River Heritage Centre.
The heritage centre has been closed since devastating flooding in 2022 damaged its foundation. Board Chair Tom Lakusta said floodwater rose to floor level that year, wrecking the stilts that held up the wooden structure. Most exhibits were put into storage. Since then, the society has pulled in more than half a million dollars in federal money to fix the site, with about $294,000 coming from Canadian Heritage and another $300,000 from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. The total fix is pegged at close to $1 million.
A new flood-resistant foundation was poured in December 2025, giving the building a solid base. The society now aims to reopen the doors by August 2026. The building, an old Hudson’s Bay Company store built in 1949, has served as a heritage centre since July 1, 2000.
At the meeting, members also learned about plans to bring the Radium Franklin tugboat, built in 1951, to the museum. The society wants to turn the vessel into a permanent exhibit on marine transportation along the Mackenzie River system. The board features a mix of returning members and new faces, including Chad Kruger, Aela Beaulieu, Lorie-Mae Steinwand, Sherri Tambour, and Terry Tregidgo.
Judy West-Pratt, the museum’s seasonal manager, who came out of retirement to see the renovation through, said the strong showing at the AGM tells her the town is behind the project. “I’ve been with it and I want to see the project completed, then I’m done and back to being full-time retired,” she said.
