The Hayes River has played a profound role in Canada’s history. Ancient campsites and pictographs testify to its importance as a route for Manitoba’s First Nations long before Europeans arrived. The Hayes River was the main route from York Factory on Hudson Bay to the interior of western Canada for fur traders, settlers, and explorers from 1670 until 1870, and played a key role in the integration of the Aboriginal way of life with the fur trade.
The Hayes remains much as it was when the fur traders travelled on its waters, unaltered by dams and development. It is still an important transportation route and a source of traditional harvesting for First Nations peoples. For adventurous paddlers, its pristine wilderness, the First Nations communities along the river, and archaeological sites, including the remains of early fur trade posts, provide a link to its legacy as a trade and travel route.
In 2006, the Hayes River was designated a Canadian Heritage River. The entire 600 km Hayes River route from York Factory on Hudson Bay to Norway House on Lake Winnipeg, including the Echimamish River, remarkable for its two-way flow system, and 43 km of the Nelson River, is designated to the CHRS. Commemorative plaques were installed at York Factory and Norway House.
Hayes River commemorative plaque at York Factory (July 2023)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N57.00317, W92.30225
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: York Factory Depot Building (Hayes River, Northern Manitoba)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Norway House Plaques (Norway House, Northern Manitoba)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bloodvein River - Canadian Heritage River
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Red River - Canadian Heritage River
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Seal River - Canadian Heritage River
The Canadian Heritage Rivers System
This page was prepared by Sheila Grover and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 22 October 2023
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
