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NNSL Photo/Graphic

The older of two bridges in Pangnirtung, right, collapsed last week as the earth around the Duvall River continued to erode and destabilize. - photo courtesy of Andrew Dialla

More bad news for Pangnirtung

Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 23, 2008

PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG - The situation went from bad to worse in Pangnirtung last week as the earth around the Duvall River continued to erode and destabilize.

Since heavy rains and spring meltwater caused the river to rise and scour away at its banks, sinkholes have begun appearing on the land. Large cracks have also opened up, zigzagging out from the river up to 50 metres.

"The situation is changing every minute," said hamlet SAO Ron Mongeau.

By mid-week, the older of two bridges had collapsed while the second was closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for all but municipal and emergency workers.

Residents relied on a makeshift ferry service organized by the hamlet to cross the river.

"The old bridge dropped 10 feet overnight, and it's going to continue to drop," Mongeau said. "And we're seeing a lot more erosion and earth movement around the north end of the new bridge."

Late last week, the hamlet issued a request to extend their state of emergency.

A Government of Nunavut Emergency Response Team arrived after weather-related delays, to assess the situation and provide support.

By Thursday charters began arriving carrying equipment and supplies, and culverts to create a temporary crossing were being installed, according to Mongeau.

"It's a little tricky to put those culverts into a fast-moving river," he said.

Bridge engineers and geotechnical experts were flown in, and hoped to gauge through seismic and ground-penetrating radar measurements a picture of the earth below and surrounding the river.

The water also threatened two more power poles, and an emergency team was flown in from Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC) overnight on June 18 to move them, according to QEC spokesperson Meghan McRae.

Most of the town remains cut off from sewage facilities, the landfill and water reservoir. But in spite of continuing setbacks, municipal services were ongoing, according to Mongeau.

"We are managing that because I have incredible staff who are working to make this happen," he said.

The community's two schools also reopened June 13 after being closed due to water shortages.

"But people from the other side of town aren't obligated to come in because there's no really safe way to cross," said teacher Kim Chapelle.

"I was comparing it to a drive-in movie theatre, with everyone lined up watching. Everyone goes over to take a peek every day to see how the land has changed," she said.

Students have also been asking a lot of questions about the flooding and its causes, she said.