Hay River Reserve
Community Name: Hay River Reserve
Traditional Name: K'atlodeechee First Nation
Electoral District: Deh Cho
Member: Michael McLeod
Member of Parliament: Dennis Bevington
Senator: Nick G. Sibbeston
Community Leader: Chief Alec Sunrise
P.O. Box 3060
Hay River, NT X0E 1G4
Phone: 867-874-6701
Fax: 867-874-3229
E-mail: hrdb@cancom.net
Location: The Hay River Reserve is on the south shore of Great Slave Lake on the mouth of the Hay River at 60'51'N latitude and 115'44'W longitude and is 200 air km southwest of Yellowknife and 134 km from the Alberta border via the Mackenzie Highway.
Population: 298 (2004 Census)
Languages: South Slavey, Chipewyan, English
Access: The community is both accessible by road and air year round with scheduled air service operating daily via the town of Hay River.
History: The area now known as the Hay River Reserve was traditionally used by the Dene as a summer fish camp and abandoned in the winter months for more plentiful hunting lands. Chief Chiatlo established the first permanent settlement on the Hay in the 1890's. Soon after, the Anglican Mission built a church and mission school in the area, while the Roman Catholic Church, trading posts and RCMP added many people to the community over the next years. In the early 1970's, Chief Daniel Sonfrere began negotiations with Canada for the establishment of a reserve, creating the first reserve in the Northwest Territories. In 1963, flooding caused much damage to the Old Village area on the east bank, and energies were directed into developing a new area less prone to flooding. The 'New Village' now boasts a supermarket, gas bar, band office building, school and gym, senior's complex, alcohol/drug treatment center and improved housing.