The Hay River Museum Society announced on May 17, 2026, that it is moving forward with plans to bring the historic Radium Franklin tugboat to the Hay River Heritage Centre as a permanent outdoor exhibit. The project aims to preserve a significant piece of northern river heritage for the community.
The Radium Franklin is a 21-metre tugboat built in 1951. It was originally operated by the Northern Transportation Company, known as the Radium Line, and served to tow barges loaded with uranium ore from Port Radium on Great Bear Lake. While the vessel spent decades in service related to mining, a 2005 study by Atomic Energy Canada declared it uncontaminated.
The boat has been stored at the Marine Transportation Services shipyard in Hay River for more than four decades. To bring the vessel to the museum, the Hay River Museum Society has submitted a funding proposal to the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. The society is seeking 70 to 80 percent of the estimated $150,000 required to stabilize, refurbish, and transport the boat.
If funding is approved, site preparation and repairs will take place throughout the summer and fall of 2026. The tugboat is expected to be moved to the museum grounds during the winter of 2026-27 with technical support from Marine Transportation Services. The society also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Western Arctic Marine Training Centre to help promote the maritime history of the region.
The addition of the Radium Franklin comes as the Hay River Heritage Centre prepares to reopen following catastrophic flooding in May 2022. The centre has been closed for more than three years, but with support from federal funding, including contributions from Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, it is currently undergoing repairs that include a new flood-resistant foundation. The facility is targeting an August 2026 reopening.
