The Radium King was built in 1937 to haul ore on the Mackenzie River, and her tributaries.

This included uranium used in the US atom bombs of World War II. Later in her active career she hauled barges on Great Slave Lake.

The Radium King, and a sister ship, the Radium Queen, were built in the Manseau shipyards in Montreal.

The shipping season was short during the working lifetime of the Radium King.

In 1942 she was to be the last vessel to make the round trip down the Mackenzie River, and had to leave on August 17, in order arrive back on time.

On November 16, 1945, the Radium King and the Radium Express were caught by freeze up in Yellowknife.

The Edmonton Journal reported in 1953 that the Radium King was the first vessel to cross Great Slave Lake—arriving in Yellowknife on June 8.

While the lake's ice had broken up, it hadn't moved out.

Northern Transportation added additional vessels to her fleet, many of which, like the Radium Charles and Radium Yellowknife also bore the prefix "Radium", and the line was known locally as the "Radium Line".

In 1956 the Radium King survived the explosion of mining supplies on a barge she was towing.

The Radium King was restored, and turned into a museum.

In 2005 Atomic Energy of Canada published a study of the toxic legacy of the mining of radioactive ore at Port Radium.

  • Pictures of the Radium King.