Second phase of Hay River harbour restoration project set for next summer

The Northwest Territories Department of Infrastructure hosted a public information session Wednesday night on Hay River's harbour restoration project, which is set to enter its second phase next summer. 

The event, which was attended by a handful of people, gave residents the opportunity to get updates on the project and ask questions.

The project began this summer after years of complaints that the channel was too shallow and difficult to navigate. In 2022 both a Coast Guard ship and a commercial fishing boat got stuck on a sandbar in the harbour.

The harbour was last dredged in 1997. 

According to information shared at the meeting, the work is split up into two phases.  

The first phase, which was delayed by the wildfire evacuation this summer, was completed on Oct. 7. 

Crews completed an emergency navigational channel in the harbour 30 metres wide and 2.4 metres deep, making a passage that had become dangerous with the buildup of sediment a lot safer for tugs, barges and other vessels.

Mark Cronk, with the Department of Infrastructure, said he's looking forward to the channel being a safer place for everyone using the harbour.

"With the collapsing water levels and the accumulation of sediment over the last 20 years since the end of the dredging program ... It's just a very difficult channel to navigate out of."

The second phase, which is expected to begin in July 2024, will see the removal of the remaining sediment. Approximately 200,000 cubic metres of sediment must be removed to allow vessels to safely navigate the channel.  

In the meantime, Cronk said the GNWT is making a number of changes to increase the efficiency of their sediment removal work in the 2024 season, including bringing in larger dredging equipment and dredging on side-by side barges. There were will also be additional fuelling stations set up. 

Cronk said relying on local knowledge is an important aspect of the project. 

"They certainly know the area and the conditions better than we do," he said.