TUKTOYAKTUK - Long distance phone lines in Tuk have been down for nearly a week as NorthwesTel crews wait out a blizzard before they can repair the damage to two towers in and outside the community.

Tuktoyaktuk Mayor Merven Gruben: businesses are now sharing cell phones to make required long distance calls. - NNSL file photo

Local phone and cell service are still working, but fax lines are also out of commission and many government agencies on the same server, including Mangilaluk School, are without Internet access.

Crew members have been in the community since Saturday Jan. 30, but have not been able to restore service, which Anne Kennedy, NorthwesTel spokesperson, said cut out because high winds shifted equipment at the tower last week.

"Our efforts have been severely hampered by the weather," Kennedy said Wednesday, just as the blizzard warning was lifted in Tuk.

On Monday a radio technician arrived from Fort Nelson, B.C., with some replacement equipment, but that didn't fix the problem.

"Yesterday we were able to replace some of that equipment but it didn't solve the problem so what we've got going is a couple of different solutions simultaneously."

Meanwhile, NorthwesTel has distributed 25 prepaid cell phones for use around the community, including at the health centre, hamlet office and some government departments.

Mayor Merven Gruben said, via cell phone connection from Tuk, that businesses are now sharing the cell phones to make required long distance calls, and he's grateful NorthwesTel provided them, but he said "it's getting a little ridiculous."

"It's not acceptable, not in this day and age," he said. "A lot of other people had their own cell phones and the Internet still works, but it's just crazy."

"There's never been a real critical emergency so, so far so good. Let's just hope it stays that way."

Gruben said when service is restored he thinks there should be an investigation into what happened.

"There's going to be a huge investigation as soon as we get this done. This is not acceptable - it's never going to happen again."