‘Highlight of our community.’ Hay River wants public beach restored

On hot summer days in Hay River, locals and visitors alike flock to the public beach to sunbathe, have a picnic and take a dip in Great Slave Lake.

Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson said the beach draws people to the nearby Hay River Territorial Park Campground every year and NWT Park’s webpage on the park describes it as “perhaps the best beach in the North.”

“It really is a highlight of our community in the summertime,” she told Cabin Radio.

But the beach may now be less appealing to some as an expanse of vegetation has grown along the shore, including one of the most toxic weeds in North America.

“Our beach does not look very attractive,” Jameson said.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Development told Cabin Radio in a statement that Water Hemlock is among the plant species growing on the Hay River beach. It is poisonous if ingested, even in small amounts.

The department said “natural encroachment of the swampy ground surrounding the beach” may have allowed the plant to become more abundant, conditions which may have been accelerated by climate change.

Jameson said the town began noticing issues with the plants last year, adding that water levels have been low in recent years.

According to the territory’s latest water monitoring bulletin, following years of drought, water levels on Great Slave Lake are currently average for this time of year and higher than last year. Levels on the Hay River are also higher than last year but still well below average.

Kathy Lepine, South Slave regional superintendent for the NWT tourism department, provided an update on the beach at a Hay River Town Council meeting on June 23.

Jameson said Lepine told councillors the territory is looking at clearing the vegetation and using sand to fix the beach, giving an estimated timeline of a year for the work to be complete.

“I think she’s being cautiously optimistic but at least something is being done,” Jameson said.

The tourism department told Cabin Radio that the park is regularly maintained alongside seasonal efforts to clean up the beach and campground before it opens each year.

However long-term ways to restore the beach will take time as the department said it needs “further assessments to address the concerns.” The department said it does not currently have a timeline for that work.

The department added that information about Water Hemlock is posted for beach and park visitors. It advised people to keep children and pets away from unknown vegetation and to not touch, pick or consume unfamiliar plants.

NWT Tourism did not respond to Cabin Radio’s request for comment.