Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 30/01) - Nobody knows the hassles of ferry delays at the Fort Providence Mackenzie River crossing better than Doug Bryshun.
Bryshun lives on the south side of the river and works in Fort Providence, on the north side.
He went to work Monday and hasn't been home since because ferry service was halted by a jam of large ice pans from upstream lakes.
"We need a bridge," said Bryshun. "All we can do is keep trying to bring this place into the 21st century."
A line of transports remains idle on the Yellowknife side of the bridge, making brisk business at the Big River Service Centre.
South Slave delegates to the Dene Nation Leadership Assembly were helicoptered across the river Tuesday for this week's meeting in Fort Providence.
People intending to travel North to Yellowknife from communities such as Fort Simpson made unplanned detours into Kakisa for lodging due to the shutdown.
Les Shaw, director of the territorial marine services division, was unavailable for comment. Staff would not estimate how long the service delay would last.
Attempts to scout the jam from the air were thwarted by fog and bad weather. Those monitoring the jam indicated yesterday the ice jam had tightened up and service would not resume.
