Ceremony opens ice bridge
Liard River crossing opened last week with traditional fare
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, December 4, 2014
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
In conversations through late November, one cold subject becomes a hot topic.
Tobacco was placed on the Liard River ice crossing near Fort Simpson on Nov. 26 as part of a ceremony to officially open the route to traffic. From left are Loren Ducharme from Rowe's Construction, Jerry Antoine, Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche and John Suwala, the Department of
Transportation's manager of highways in Fort Simpson. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo
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It seeps into many conversations, from the judo instructor who wonders if the children he's teaching will be able to attend a tournament in Hay River, to the resident who wonders when he'll be able to head south to start Christmas shopping.
The topic, of course, is the ice crossing.
In this case, it's the Liard River crossing outside Fort Simpson.
"It's one of the few times that you've got 1,100 people wondering the same thing," said Owen Rowe of Rowe's Construction, whose crews prepare the crossing each year.
For those few weeks between the end of ferry service and the opening of the crossing, the village is cut off except by airplane or helicopter.
Work on the crossing begins once the ice has stopped moving.
It usually takes between 10 to 16 days from when work starts to when the crossing opens to traffic. Rowe says most of his crew working on the crossing have been with him for 20 or so years.
"They're very good at their jobs," Rowe said. "It's tough work out there."
"It's a pivotal moment for us," John Suwala, the Department of Transportation's manager of highways in Fort Simpson, said about opening the crossing.
That pivotal moment happened Nov. 26 this year, when the Liard River ice was deemed ready for light vehicle traffic.
To mark the occasion, the Department of Transportation, Rowe's Construction and elder Jerry Antoine held an opening ceremony as the sun rose above the treeline.
After a ribbon cutting by Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche, the elected representative moved out onto the ice with Antoine, Suwala and Loren Ducharme from Rowe's Construction.
Each person placed a traditional offering - a small amount of tobacco - on the ice.
"The intention is to show our respect," Suwala said about the small event that marks the reconnection of the village to the outside world by road.
Menicoche and the others then crossed the river, completing the official opening.
Mayor Sean Whelly said getting used to the lack of a way out by road comes with living in the village.
"It's just the flow you have to get used to here in Fort Simpson, it's part of the charm I guess," he said.
Businesses, he said, know to plan ahead by ordering extra supplies.
Come spring, the reverse will take place, with talk turning to when the crossing will close and when the ferry will return.
"It's kind of the quieter time. It's just us here in Fort Simpson," the mayor said, adding that the village uses the spring thaw to tidy the community ahead of the arrival of tourists.
But he does say that for some people, those weeks when a river crossing isn't an option does bring some anxiety should an emergency arise that requires them to travel.
He said he typically doesn't think much about the lack of a crossing during freeze-up or break up after living here for more than 30 years.
"It's just part of the cycle of what happens here," he said.
