York Landing was established and settled by the Cree people of the York Factory Indian Band in the summer of 1957. The Cree community was relocated by the Government of Canada from their traditional homeland and territory located where the Hayes and Nelson Rivers spill into Hudson Bay. York Landing is located on the north bank at the mouth of the Aiken River. The Aiken River spills into Split Lake which is part of the lower Nelson River system. The community is approximately 690 kilometres north of Winnipeg and approximately 116 kilometres north east from Thompson, Manitoba.
The community is accessible by scheduled air service with Perimeter Airlines from Thompson. A ferry service operates from late May to mid October twice daily six day a week (Ferry Schedules). It connects the community to the all weather road network via Split Lake, Manitoba. The ferry ride takes approximately two and a half hours. A winter road is constructed yearly from Split Lake and is open from mid January to late March.
York Factory First Nation is signatory to the 1910 adhesion to Treaty 5 which was signed on August 10 in York Factory.
The community of York Landing is situated on 2,390 acres which received official reserve status under the Indian Act on April 1990. On-reserve population is approximately 400 with an off-reserve population of 737.
Hydro electric projects have had a significant physical, social, cultural and economic impact on the way of life of community residents. The community has been affected by both the Lake Winnipeg Regulation and Churchill River Diversion projects. As a result of these impacts, the York Factory First Nation is party to the Northern Flood Agreement along with the Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, Cross Lake First Nation, and Norway House First Nation. The agreement was signed in 1977 with Manitoba, Canada and Manitoba Hydro. It addresses remedial and compensatory measures for project impacts.