Hay River is situated on the southern shore of Great Slave Lake, one of the largest lakes in the world, and when the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post in this strategic location in 1868, it was nicknamed the 'hub of the north'.

Thousands of years ago, the town was inhabited by the Slavey, Dene First Nations nomads. Today it is the headquarters of the Great Slave Lake commercial fishing industry, and a hub for river transportation. Residents are fans of their serious water sports, as well as golf on their local course in the summer.