Another ferry season has come and gone for residents in the Dehcho Region. The MV Lafferty closed for the season Sunday night and is expected to be hoisted out of the water by its crew this afternoon.
The Liard River crossing connects Fort Simpson and members of the Liidllii Kue First Nation to NWT Highway 1. It also connects other Dehcho communities like Wrigley, Nahnni Butte, Sambaa Ke’ and Fort Liard to Highway 1.
Now residents who make their way to Fort Simpson can only cross the Liard River before it freezes by helicopter.
Yesterday former NWT Premier and Chief Jim Antoine shared a video on twitter of the river in front of his home community.
Dehcho today in front of Liidlii Kue, more ice thicker and larger today at -7c pic.twitter.com/xptnTYskpE
— Jim Antoine (@northdegaa) November 4, 2019
Great Slave Helicopters charges $265 per person according to a recent post on social media from their base manager. They operate from 9 am till 5 pm, weather and daylight permitting, and only fly passengers across, not their vehicles.
Fort Simpson Bulletin on Facebook.
Last year the chopper company came in handy for elder Roy Mouse who lives on the East side of the Liard River. The company was praised for giving him a lift across to pick up his prescriptions.
The Department of Infrastructure’s 20-year average opening of the Liard River crossing is November 29th.
