Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Rae-Edzo (Dec 06/99) - Ferry fallout continued north of the Mackenzie River last week as Rae-Edzo had to be bailed out of a fuel crisis.

Luke Grosco, manager of F.C. Services, said he ran out of gasoline Tuesday, because his supplier ships fuel out of Red Deer, Alta.

"We got a shipment yesterday and today (Wednesday and Thursday)," Grosco said. "We've been buying our fuel and gas from Esso (in Yellowknife)."

Grosco said the hamlet will have enough gas and heating fuel for the next few weeks.

Chief Jimmy Bruneau school and the Rae senior citizen's home, which were running dangerously low on heating oil, now have full tanks, Grosco said.

"That's what I've been doing all day, delivering fuel," he said.

"I'm the only game in town for heating fuel."

Eric Bussey, director of emergency services for the department of municipal and community affairs, said MACA was involved in connecting the two companies.

"I can't take the credit, though," he said. "Esso worked it out with the local supplier."

Shawn Delaney, an agent at the Esso-affiliated Northshore Petroleum, said Northshore supplied Rae with about 50,000 litres of heating oil on Thursday.

Grosco said he's glad to have the fuel, but he was forced to raise his prices. Gas has gone up seven cents, to 87.6 cents a litre, while heating fuel has gone up a nickel, to 47.6 cents.

Buying fuel from another distributor is expensive, he said.

"I had to (raise prices.) It's the only way I can survive," he said.

"If I don't mark up, I might as well work the till myself all day and send my staff home."

Delaney said Northshore is selling the fuel to F.C. Services at the same price as it sells to its Yellowknife customers.

"If we sold it any cheaper in Rae than we did in Yellowknife, we would be undercutting our Yellowknife customers," he said.

"We're not prepared to do that."

The two-week ferry closure started with an ice jam at the mouth of the Mackenzie.

The water dropped so low the ferry hit the bottom of the river during its last crossing.

Les Shaw, director of marine services for the Department of Transportation, said the ice jam is no longer the problem.

"The river rose about two feet, half a metre, on (last) Saturday, so the water is finding its way around the jam," Shaw said.

Shaw said there are no practical, artificial ways of making the water levels rise.

"The problem is now the lake. It's 20 centimetres below normal for this time of year."

Shaw said the ferry is in working condition, despite rumours there is a hole in the hull.

"We put a crease in the hull the last run," he said.

"It's like putting a dent in the side of your car."

He also said the ice crossing cannot be built because the main channel of the river is still open.

Shaw said flooding or spraying the ice bridge will not work without colder temperatures.

The continuing closure has been affecting more than fuel supplies north of the Mackenzie.

Building supply companies and contractors in Yellowknife are running out of material, especially lumber, because it is too expensive to fly it across the river.

However, contrary to a report in Friday's Yellowknifer, Beaver Lumber is not running out of supplies.

Beaver's Chuck Corothers said the store has plenty of lumber, paint and other building supplies because they keep a large inventory in Yellowknife.

"One of the advantages of going to a bigger facility is we have more space," he said.

"We keep a large inventory at all times, while smaller companies get what they need from Edmonton."

Even though some building supply companies are running low, residents should not panic about electricity.

Leon Courneya, president and CEO of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, said there was no cause for alarm.

"We're monitoring the situation, which is the prudent thing to do," Courneya said. "But at this point we are not extremely worried about it."

"Right now, because the loads (of fuel) are down somewhat in Yellowknife from prior years, (electricity) is delivered primarily through hydro from Snare and it's a high water year, so we're not that concerned."

Fort Providence also has fuel for its power generators, according to Jim Thom of Northwest Utilities.

As for groceries, milk and other perishables, grocery stores in most communities are flying products in.