Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 18/99) - The GNWT's Department of Transportation will be studying the feasibility of connecting Norman Wells to other parts of the NWT through the establishment of hovercraft services.

On Thursday, the department's director of transportation planning, Masood Hassan, said the background work should soon be under way.

"What we plan on doing is assessing the technical, economic (and) environmental feasibility," he said. "In consultation with the community and other communities in the (Mackenzie) valley, we intend to conduct a feasibility study."

Hassan said a variety of information needs to be gathered, including the effect such a service would have on existing barge operations, what infrastructure would be required to introduce hovercrafts, determining how much freight is currently moved through the area and numerous other areas of inquiry.

Already, Hassan has made preliminary inquiries, talking to the Canadian Coast Guard -- which recently purchased two such crafts -- and finding out about costs from an Ontario manufacturer.

He also said he's looked into a hovercraft service operated now in Alaska by the U.S. Postal Service. Operating out of Bethel, a hovercraft is used to deliver mail to a variety of isolated communities along the Alaskan coast.

"The difference (between Bethel and Norman Wells) is the only alternative (in the Alaskan situation) is ... air service," he said.

In Wheatley, Ontario, Andy Stanton, president of Hike Metal Products -- who has built two hovercraft for use by the Canadian Coast Guard -- says his company could build Norman Wells a hovercraft for a starting price of about $8 million.

Asking about NWT weather conditions, he pointed out in an interview that his company's hovercrafts -- which take about a year to build -- are excellent when operating in winter conditions.

"On smooth ice with a little powder, they could do 90 miles an hour," he said, adding, they can go about 70 miles an hour on water. "They're ideal in the winter."

Stanton's hovercrafts have a length of 28.5 metres, a 12-metre beam, have a basic weight of 43,000 kg, a disposable load of 27,000 kg and can carry wheeled vehicles, equipment, cargo and people.

Hassan said his department will be working on the terms of reference for the feasibility study over the next few weeks.