A full-time staff person is to be hired for a new office, expected to open in early March. Digaa Enterprises will be purchasing a small office trailer and transporting it to Fort Providence.

The bridge corporation will then rent the space, according to Michael Vandell, president of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation.

"We're going to hire somebody from the community to work under Andrew Gamble, who is the project manager. Hopefully (the trainee) will take over his position," said Vandell.

The money for the office rental will be taken from the funding for a feasibility study, which was provided by the GNWT and federal government, he noted.

The Deh Cho Bridge Corporation is overseen by a committee comprising Vandell, Sam Gargan, Albert Lafferty, Susan Christie, Wayne Vandell and Cliff McLeod.

The bridge corporation has reached an agreement in writing with NTCL on the height and width of the bridge, according to Vandell.

"The momentum is going now," Vandell said. "And people are just getting tired of the ferry getting worse and worse and it's hard to make ice (for the ice bridge). So that momentum is picking up pretty good."

The Fort Providence Combined Council Alliance -- representing the Deh Gah Got'ie, Fort Providence Metis and the hamlet -- also signed an memorandum of intent with the GNWT in November. The agreement sets out some parameters for the project.

The bridge corporation continues to seek funding from the federal government, however, Deh Cho MLA Michael McLeod said.

Applications for various permits are being filed and an environmental assessment is being initiated, he noted. It's projected that the $55 million structure will be complete by 2005.

"Things are going good," said McLeod. "I'm quite happy. It's moving at a fairly good rate."