Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 03/99) - The man in charge of the Mackenzie River ferry crossing in Fort Providence says, contrary to popular belief, the Merv Hardie ferry does not have a hole in its hull.

"Everyone keeps telling me I have a hole in my ferry," Les Shaw, director of marine services at the Department of Transportation, said. "There's no hole."

Shaw said the ferry did hit the bottom of the river during its last run two weeks ago.

"There were two cars on the ferry, and all we did was put a crease in the bottom of the hull," he said. "It's like having a dent in the side of you car."

Shaw said the ferry is in operating condition, and the crew is on site, waiting for the water level to rise.

"The only thing holding us back is low water levels," he said.

Shaw said he could not guess when the ferry would be operating again, because there is no way to know when the water levels will rise.