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Enforcing the rules

More than coffee and stories

Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Liard (Feb 01/02) - The weigh scales in Fort Liard, less than 40 kilometres from the British Columbia boundary, is a welcome sight to weary truck drivers.

"I always have fresh coffee on for the truckers ... they can stop on by and talk about the weather," said Keith Bonnetrouge, a highway transport officer for the Department of Transportation.

Of course, a warm beverage and casual conversation only account for part of a trucker's stop. Bonnetrouge, who has been stationed in Fort Liard for the past year and a half, issues drivers the necessary registration permits, logging permits, permits for trucks that are overweight and for those carrying wide loads.

He also conducts mechanical inspections and checks to ensure that truck drivers are not exceeding the legislated number of working hours in a day or a week.

Bonnetrouge works a 40-hour week himself, juggling his shifts among mornings, afternoons and evenings and occasional weekends. The weigh scales -- one of three in the NWT, with the others located in Enterprises and Inuvik -- are open year-round.

"But this, by far, is my busy season," he said. "Once all the winter roads and ice bridges are all up that's when the you get a lot of the oil industry moving."

He still goes on highway patrols, too, periodically making a return trip to Fort Simpson.

Bonnetrouge became familiar with his job through a Metis Nation internship program in Hay River. His 10-month placement was with the Department of Transportation. He took advantage of the in-house training, worked at the Enterprise weight scale and rode shotgun on highway patrols.

"It tickled my fancy ... I was really enjoying my chance with them, so I worked even harder when it came to the tests they gave me with the training," he recalled. "It just seemed like quite the interesting job to be in."

When the internship ended, Bonnetrouge jumped at an offer to work on a casual basis at Enterprise weigh scales in 1998, which eventually led to his current position.

"I don't see myself moving away or going on to something else when I love the job," he said.