Why are N.W.T. ferries having problems this summer? Part of it is bad timing, minister says

Three of the N.W.T.'s four territorial-run ferries have experienced closures in the last few weeks because of mechanical issues. 

The M.V. Lafferty, which crosses the Liard River just south of Fort Simpson, is the latest to have problems. Its hours had been reduced last week for maintenance, when the N.W.T. government said a bigger problem with one of its engines was discovered. 

It's expected to reopen on Sunday. 

The M.V. Louis Cardinal, which crosses the Mackenzie River near Tsiigehtchic, was out of commission for five days earlier this month because of an issue with its fire suppression system, while the M.V. Johnny Berens which crosses the Mackenzie River on the way to and from Wrigley was closed for two weeks in June. 

The spate of closures raises an obvious question: why are nearly all of the territory's ferries having problems this year? N.W.T.'s Infrastructure Minister says it's a fact that's not lost on her. 

"It was actually, quite literally, the same … public communications document that went out saying that the one ferry (the M.V. Louis Cardinal) was back, when we were talking about the fact there'd be these rolling closures on the Lafferty," Caroline Wawzonek said. 

Why was each ferry closed?

The M.V. Lafferty's situation, said Wawzonek, is a bit different than the other two ferries that were closed. Wawzonek said there was a problem with an engine, and a part needed to be replaced earlier than expected. 

The problem was identified after the ferry's hours had been reduced by two hours per day for overnight maintenance.

The other two ferries, however, were in the midst of maintenance when Transport Canada came to do an annual inspection, said Wawzonek. In one case, the fire suppression system was being prepared for work and in the other, the same system had been disassembled so it could be moved to a different location on the vessel, she said. 

"Transport Canada comes in and says, 'gosh, you know, here we are, another fire suppression system not fully assembled," she said. They "required us to obviously finish that work and get it done." 

Wawzonek said both the M.V. Louis Cardinal and the M.V. Johnny Berens had passed territorial inspections already, and were operating while that maintenance was happening. Her understanding is that on both vessels, nothing was broken. 

She also said there "maybe" wouldn't have been closures had Transport Canada arrived two weeks later, but said that was "kind of speculative." 

"I don't want to use that at all as any sort of excuse or lessening of a sense of responsibility." 

Aligning expectations and inspections

What Wawzonek is taking away from all this is a need to align territorial and federal inspections "so that when … Transport Canada comes on site, everything is ready and there isn't a gap in time between when we've inspected them [and] when they get there." 

Certificates from Transport Canada allow a ferry to operate for one year. An N.W.T. cabinet communications person said the federal body inspected the M.V. Lafferty on June 11, the M.V. Johnny Berens on June 12, the M.V. Abraham Francis — which crosses the Peel River near Fort McPherson —  on July 3 and the M.V. Louis Cardinal on July 4. 

At the end of each ferry season, the spokesperson said a list of work identified during the season is put together and the work is carried out in the spring. There's also a list of items that need to be certified every year, they said. 

There are also daily inspections during the on-season. 

Are there other options?

Wawzonek said she didn't know whether the M.V. Merv Hardie, which used to cross the Mackenzie River before the Dehcho Bridge was built, could be used to help resolve ferry problems. 

Another bridge, meanwhile, is one solution Fort Simpson Mayor Sean Whelly has long wanted the N.W.T. government to pursue. He said the ferry closure has trapped tourists in his community and grocery stores are struggling to bring in food — putting those supplies on a helicopter isn't easy or cheap, he pointed out. 

"We don't need a Dehcho Mackenzie River-size bridge here. A much smaller bridge could work," he said. 

But Wawzonek said the short answer, when asked whether the N.W.T. government was considering bridges at any of the three ferry crossings, was "no." 

"Not right now," she said, saying the cost of building one was "not insignificant."

"Even if you build a bridge, how big of a bridge do you build? What size? What width?" she said. "The bigger it gets, the more expensive it gets. There's not an easy solution to providing transportation networks in the North or in any rural region across anywhere in Canada."

Returning to the topic of the ferry problems, Wawzonek agreed they are "happening all at the same time, one on the heels of the next," and she acknowledged the "pretty significant challenges" ferry closures put on communities' food and supply chains. 

"As for why … all I can speak to, systemically, is what we can we do going forward so that we don't ever wind up back in another sailing season like this one."