Inuvik (Oct 30/06) - In 1943, when Canadian forces waged a campaign through fascist Italy, there were many rivers to cross.

These were obstacles overcome without cranes, heavy machinery or even the luxury of time.

Floating bridges can be installed by boats, and support heavy equipment. Could they be used to span the Peel River near Tsiigehtchic? - photos courtesy of Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering/DND photo archive

One example is the Battle of Leonforte, where the 3rd Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers built a 50-foot bridge under enemy fire in a few hours.

Now, Derek Lindsay, newly elected mayor of Inuvik, has said this World War II technology might be useful on the Dempster Highway.

On Oct. 16, as he awaited the results of Inuvik's election at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall, Lindsay mused that a pontoon bridge or "Bailey bridge" - an interconnected series of platforms designed to let vehicles and troops cross rivers - might provide a link between the Inuvik and the Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River sides of the Dempster Highway.

It is not a campaign promise, he said, but simply a suggestion.

"The military can build those quickly, it's what they do," he said.

"If you can pass a tank over such a bridge, or 1,000 men walking at once, we can surely pass heavy trucks and people's cars."

Chief Peter Ross of Tsiigehtchic said there has been talk of a bridge for years, but no concrete offers from territorial or federal governments. "Oh, it's just rumours, nothing really," he said on Oct. 15, adding he had not heard of any plans in recent memory.

Some people in Tsiigehtchic thought a floating bridge sounded like a good idea, but were skeptical.

"Is that safe?" asked hamlet receptionist Carol Ross on Oct. 17. "If so, that sounds cool."

Captain Ulpiano Honorio, at the Canadian Forces' School of Military Engineering in Gagetown, N.B., said the installation of a pontoon or Bailey bridge on the Mackenzie River would be extremely difficult.

Honorio helped assemble military bridges in Bosnia.

The Department of Transportation estimates the span at 900 metres, further than most military projects.

"One hundred metres is undoubtedly quite a gap for a pontoon bridge. Especially if the water has current. And if the current moves too fast, then it's out of the question," he said.

Honorio added, however, that many Bailey or pontoon bridges are permanently installed over smaller Canadian rivers, since the design is safe, strong and relatively cheap.

In Fort McPherson, mayor Rebecca Blake said she'd welcome a bridge spanning the Peel River, which is considerably smaller than the Mackenzie River.

If the Peel River had a bridge, Blake said, the town would have access to goods during early winter and spring, and stores wouldn't need to stock up.

Furthermore, since Tsiigehtchic and Fort McPherson are linked by the Dempster Highway, goods obtained could serve both communities.

"The Peel River is shorter across, so it might be more feasible to make that bridge here (than over the Mackenzie River), " she said.

But while Lindsay definitely likes the idea of a bridge, he has not made any official recommendations or calls yet.

He said it's just an idea, which might encourage a military presence in the North and help stranded people in communities.

"The military could assemble this thing in only a few hours," he said. "That's what they're trained to do. Only instead of packing it up after they're done, they could just leave it here."