SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff called Monday's rally in Yellowknife one of the "coldest" he's attended in Canada thus far in his campaign but was warmed by the attendance of more than 200 party boosters outside city hall.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff speaks to a crowd at a BBQ held at Somba K'e Park outside city hall Monday. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Ignatieff poked fun at the Conservative Party's insistence at making their party supporters register by name, phone number and address to attend the Stephen Harper gala the previous night at the Great Slave Helicopters hangar.

"Did anyone check your identity? Did anyone check your Facebook page? We welcome people who support other parties ... We're all Canadians here," he said.

Ignatieff highlighted the importance of health care in the North, education and preservation of aboriginal languages during the rally.

"You have to have a federal government that doesn't think you can run this place or any place from Ottawa," he said.

"We need schools here. We need health care here. We need commitment to infrastructure here."

After the rally, Ignatieff and Western Arctic party candidate Joe Handley told Yellowknifer should ferry service at the Mackenzie River face a prolonged outage due to low water levels after breakup, a Liberal government would lend a helping hand to residents short on gas and supplies.

"In that circumstance, if supplies were interrupted we'd step in and help," said Ignatieff.

"I think the federal government, one would take the view that we take in the respective emergencies and nature disasters. The government plays a role, steps up with provinces and territorial governments in those circumstances."

Handley said he hoped such a situation would not occur. It's expected this will be the last year Yellowknife will endure an uncertain link to the south via the Merv Hardie ferry. The GNWT Department of Transportation has warned ferry service may start late this year because of continued low water levels from last year when the ferry was unexpectedly shutdown for nine days in November, leading to a gas panic as supplies dwindled.

"Because people have stored quite a bit of fuel here now, we're optimistic it won't happen, but if it did, then I think we'd have to appeal for some federal assistance," said Handley, who as premier pushed the construction of the much maligned Deh Cho Bridge, which despite cost overruns and design problems, is nearing completion.

Green party candidate Eli Purchase was on the scene to meet the Liberal leader and ask him where his stance was on green initiatives in the NWT and about how Northern communities ought to deal with climate change.

"He didn't give me as detailed an answer as I was hoping for ... But just to be able to walk up to the leader of another party and have a bit of a talk with him was really refreshing," said Purchase.

After his speech to the public, Ignatieff mingled with the crowd, shaking hands and answering questions as people ate hamburgers and bannock.

Ignatieff arrived in Yellowknife late Sunday night and attended the BBQ shortly after taking part in a tour of the Det'on Cho mine training facility where he also met with Dene chiefs. The Liberal leader left Monday to head to Winnipeg and continue on to Toronto.

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