The water in Hay River is moving on up, and so are some of its residents.

Residents of the low-lying 鈥淥ld Town鈥� neighbourhood on Vale Island are being evacuated into 鈥淢ain Town鈥� at this hour.

Our correspondent reports that an individual who normally works on Vale Island says ice has been cleared off the highway in the area twice.

鈥淭here are a lot of people out on the banks on the New Town side watching the ice move through,鈥� Hay River Hub reporter Paul Bickford said Monday morning. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a social event. It looks like water is moving through the West Channel, but we can鈥檛 see if it is flowing through the East Channel. I also can鈥檛 tell if or how much damage has been caused since we can鈥檛 get back onto Vale Island.鈥�

A town employee told 黑料吃瓜网 the movement of residents takes place yearly. But it is taking place this year with the backdrop of other communitites dealing with high water, including Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River.

At approximately 8 a.m. Monday morning the Town of Hay River鈥檚 Facebook page, posted that the river is moving with bank to bank ice flow through town and that residents should be off Vale Island.

Registration is open at the Community Centre and evacuees are asked to call the centre at 867-874-6500 to register.

The evacuation comes as Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River manage flooding and evacuation in their own towns over the weekend.

Jean Marie River prepared for departure on Friday night, while Fort Simpson sounded the siren Sunday afternoon as water levels on the Mackenzie river surpassed 15 metres, forcing the first evacuation there since 1963.