Yellowknife (May 12/04) - Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op is out of gasoline and some of the city's other operations could be without fuel as soon as next week if the Merv Hardie ferry doesn't get in the water.

The ferry started running on May 17 last year, but Department of Transportation spokesperson Bob Kelly didn't want to speculate on when the ferry would get going this year. The last ferry sailing was Jan. 9.

Weather in the North has not helped speed up a launch date for the Merv Hardie ferry. Usually a broken weather record is a good thing, but from Fort Simpson to Yellowknife the records are for low temperatures. Fort Simpson froze a 100-year-old temperature when the hamlet dropped to -11C on May 9. The old thermometer mark was -9.4C, set in 1898. Yellowknife went even further, chilling the city with -20C airs and breaking a 1979 mark of -17.9C in the process. Environment Canada says there's a warming trend over the next 30 days for southern NWT.

The latest the ferry resumed sailing in the past 15 years was in 2002, when the Merv Hardie began service May 22.

The ice bridge closed April 13, 10 days earlier than in 2003. It opened to light traffic on Dec. 9 and to all traffic Jan. 9.

The Co-op's tanks ran dry at about noon Tuesday, said Bonnie White, manager of the Co-op gas bar.

While suppliers such as Petro Canada and Imperial Oil still have gas, the Co-op buys its gas from Federated Co-ops in Edmonton.

Brian Harrison, owner of Matonabee Petroleum, the Petro Canada agent in the area, thinks that even though the Co-op is out of gas, it's important for people not to panic.

"Hoarding will only cause more of a problem," Harrison said. He is not worried about his gas supply as long as the ferry gets in the water within the next two weeks.

The uncertainty also has other gas retailers concerned.

"If the ferry will not be ready this week or next week, we will have a big problem in Yellowknife," said Ed Zaragoza, owner of the Winks/Husky gas bar.

Winks/Husky buys its gas from Petro Canada, Zaragoza said. He's telling customers to conserve gas if they can.

The situation's not so bad for those using propane.

Ken Yoder, manager of Superior Propane, said the company brings in a two- to three-month supply before break-up on the Mackenzie and still has at least a month's supply at the minimum.

The construction industry is waiting anxiously for the ferry's first trip.

Havat Construction president Eric Sputek said his company will have to decide within the next two weeks whether or not to fly in crews and materials that are ready to go.

"We made a decision to fly some of the stuff the other day because we needed it," Sputek said. "But when you need something by air, you have to be prepared to pay for it."

Flying in materials and personnel is many times more expensive than moving the same things by truck, Sputek said.

And some pieces of construction equipment are too large to be transported by air, delaying the start of some projects until the ferry starts running, said Janet Robinson, risks manager with RTL Robinson Ent. Ltd.

At the new Extra Foods, store manager Rob Byers said the store has access to anything that might be needed in an emergency, though he did acknowledge there is a limit to how much can be brought in.

"It's a little more difficult, but we're up for the challenge," Byers said. "We're trying to keep as well stocked as we can."