Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 5, 2007

INUVIK - Communities of the High Arctic are experiencing some inconvenience, due to Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) delays.

The company's ships usually function on a tight five-month schedule, which is the only time Arctic ice recedes enough to allow shipping.

In Aklavik, a barge with 200 tons of freight was scheduled to dock in early October but could not cross ice in the Peel River.

As a result, the ship turned back towards Inuvik and NTCL loaded the perishable goods on DC-3 planes for delivery.

On Oct. 25, Aklavik mayor Knute Hansen said residents were still waiting on construction materials and other non-perishable goods.

The NTCL barge is usually scheduled to arrive in Aklavik between Sept. 16 and 30.

"There are six housing units that are going to be built in Aklavik, there are companies waiting so it's really putting a damper on the construction season," he said.

Hansen added construction in winter is more difficult and expensive, especially when Aklavik has temperatures below - 40c.

"If you do construction in the winter you have to provide heating, and I hope the Housing Corporation will take this into consideration for their contractors," he said.

Hansen said the hamlet would be sending a letter to NTCL, expressing concerns over the delays.

However he added residents were thankful to receive their food and said he appreciated the difficulty and expense of organizing an airlift.

"I have to pat NTCL on the back for knowing to get those groceries in," he said.

Aklavik's Gwich'in Chief Charlie Furlong said NTCL is usually reliable, except for this year.

"There's a lot of disappointment in the community. The store shelves were pretty empty prior to the barge coming so close to the community and turning around," he said.

Furlong added that construction delays might cause unemployment among local builders.

"The band had a contract to build a duplex, and now that will be put on hold until spring because the material won't get here. That means loss of employment for a lot of the boys. It's going to be a dead winter in terms of construction," he said.

NTCL delays have affected all shipping communities this year, including Tulita, Kugluktuk, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, Hay River and Inuvik.

NTCL spokesperson Sunny Monroe said mechanical problems had caused the original delays.

"At the start of the season, NTCL got started late because of some delays in the shipyard. We didn't start in June as we usually do. We started in July. Because our schedule is so compressed - we have to get to places before freeze-up and can't leave until the ice is gone- it made things very difficult."

"There was a delay and it caused a backup all along the system," she said.

She added some NTCL ships were also delayed by ice in the late season, making late delivery impossible.

One example Monroe mentioned was Fort Good Hope.

She said a late tugboat was scheduled to reach Fort Good Hope on Oct. 22, but was turned around by the Coast Guard.

The ship is usually scheduled to arrive in mid-September.

"The Coast Guard said the ice was too bad and there would be no more shipping that year," she said.

As a result, Monroe said, the freight was delivered to Norman Wells where it currently sits.

As was the case for Aklavik, Monroe said an airlift of perishable goods was planned.

She added NTCL is talking to residents about plans to deliver non-perishables by winter road.

NTCL's last barge of the season docked in Tulita on Oct. 25.

Monroe said the company has a good record, but fell victim this year to unexpected delays in an unforgiving climate.

"Because of some delays in some sectors, it meant we could never catch up on the season," she said.

Norman Yakeleya, who was elected to cabinet as NWT minister of transportation on Oct. 17 did not return calls before press time.