It took 24 trips by Hercules
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Pelly Bay (May 21/01) - It took 24 trips by a Hercules aircraft to top up the community's tanks.
Now, residents of Kugaaruk/Pelly Bay should have enough gasoline and diesel fuel to last until the resupply vessel arrives this summer.
The final price tag on the mission -- for a total of 298,000 litres of gasoline and 297,000 litres of diesel -- cost the government of Nunavut $488,079.
Hamlet senior administrator Quinn Taggart said it's hoped the fuel will be enough to last until the resupply.
"If we get another cold snap, we're going to be in trouble. If weather continues to improve at the rate it has been, we should be fine," said Taggart, adding that the hamlet's fuel needs for the ongoing bridge and road project were taken into account when planning the mission.
This is the second year in a row such a resupply had to take place.
Brent Boddy, the director of public works and services in the Kitikmeot region, said plans to enlarge the hamlet's tank farm are under way.
"The design will go ahead next year and construction is scheduled for completion in 2004-2005," said Boddy from his office in Cambridge Bay.
Though currently equipped to hold 1.3 million litres of fuel, Kugaaruk's construction activity and population boom mean the hamlet is going through 1.6 million litres of diesel annually.
Boddy said the new farm will boost capacity to 2.2 million litres and will cost an estimated $4.5 million.
The new facility is expected to accommodate Kugaaruk for the next 10 years. It's designed for easy expansion should additional storage capacity be needed.
The resupply was completed on May 8.
