Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 08/99) - Trucks from the south full of food, building supplies and other essentials are crossing the Mackenzie River again.

The Merv Hardie ferry at Fort Providence started crossing the river at noon Tuesday, shuttling trucks, supplies and travellers to the northern bank.

"The water came up steady all day yesterday, but it was hard to monitor the levels because of the fog," said Les Shaw, director of marine services for the Department of Transportation.

"When the fog lifted, we put the ferry in and cleared the ice out of the landings with a backhoe. We were at it most of the night."

The ferry was shut down Nov. 20 after an ice jam at the mouth of the Mackenzie caused dangerously low water levels.

Shaw said the ferry is running on a 24-hour basis, but operations may be shut down due to heavy ice or fog, or if the water level drops again.

"We're moving people across as fast as we possibly can," he said.

"The truckers already know and are lined up (at the crossing)."

Yellowknife businesses are already trucking in supplies faster than you can say Merv Hardie.

Karl Lust, owner of Johnson's Building Supplies in Old Town, said he has two truckloads of lumber and building supplies on the way.

"I'm just about completely out of lumber and plywood," he said. "I've got lumber, drywall, insulation, plywood and different types of supplies on the way."

Yellowknife's grocery stores also have goods on the way.

Range Lake Extra Foods manager Glen Meek said all the goods, including perishables, that were stuck on the other side of the river are now being trucked to the store.