Work begins on fibre line
Good progress made so far installing link to the south
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Thursday, June 11, 2015
INUVIK
The initial construction season on the Mackenzie Valley Fibrelink (MVFL) project last winter went well, according to project managers.
Politicians, aboriginal leaders and dignitaries view the start of the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line on Jan. 14 in Inuvik. - NNSL file photo
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Work began in several sections along the proposed route for the fibrelink, including from Inuvik south along the Dempster Highway. Sean Dean, a GNWT employee helping to manage the project, said June 4.
Approximately 430 kilometres of the 1,154 were installed, mostly in the north and middle sections of the route.
"We had several active crews this year, including one heading from Inuvik south," Dean said.
"There was one from Fort Good Hope south, and one from Norman Wells north."
Most of those areas are the more challenging ones, while the south sections follow the road serving that part of the Mackenzie Valley.
Dean said this summer, more work will take place along the southern sections served by the Mackenzie Valley road, with another winter season to follow.
"The next construction season is expected to begin in late-June 2015 on the all-weather road between Wrigley and McGill Lake," he said. "The winter work will occur between Wrigley and Tulita and Fort Good Hope and the Gwich'in-Sahtu border."
The link is scheduled to be in operation by September 2016.
The estimated cost of the project is $60 to $70 million.
Dean said many people might have noticed the clearing being done along the side of the highway over the winter. That's the route being followed by the fibre link down to Tsiigehtchic, where it will turn sharply through the Gwich'in Settlement Area and head toward the Sahtu and Fort Good Hope.
Other crews had been working in that area as well as near Norman Wells, Craig said.
"The project team will be engaging the communities along the all-weather road to discuss construction plans in more detail, including a schedule of activities, traffic control plans, drilling plans, and opportunities for local workers and suppliers," Dean said. "There will also be fibre placed on existing power poles in Inuvik, Wrigley and Fort Simpson this summer."
In the seasonal summary report, project proponents Northwestel, Ledcor Developments Ltd. and LTS Infrastructure Services Limited said the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link project offers "significant benefits to communities along the Mackenzie Valley route (Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Tulita, Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope) as well as the entire NWT."
The benefits include improvements in the delivery of "health, education and social services as the MVFL system will provide significant increases in bandwidth that will allow the GNWT to enhance their government programs and services along the Mackenzie Valley."
The MVFL is also expected to attract more interest in the "development and the growth of the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility (ISSF), Aurora Research Institute and the NWT resource industry."
In general, the link will also enhance infrastructure in the area, offering faster, more reliable and potentially cheaper Internet access that could be especially important to health care.
Seventy-five people were employed in the field crews, with 112 people in total hired. More than 21 local contractors and suppliers were hired.
"I would certainly take the (first season of construction) as a success," Dean said.
