N.W.T gov't says barge season this year could still be a possibility, despite low water levels

CBC

12-06-2025

The N.W.T. government says there's still a chance the summer barge season on the Mackenzie River could go ahead this year, but they're still waiting for the Canadian Coast Guard to give the green light.
The latest Department of Environment and Climate Change report say water levels on the Mackenzie River and Great Slave Lake remain " well below average."
"We're kind of in a marginal zone there, which would entail a possibility of putting the buoys in," said Terry Camsell, director of Marine Transportation Services, referring to water levels near Fort Providence, a key stretch for barge traffic.
Camsell updated a committee of MLAs Wednesday on the plan for this year's barge season. He said the water system has recovered somewhat from the historic drought of the past few years, but it's still suffering from its after-effects.
In the last two years, low water levels worsened by severe drought have forced multiple barge cancellations, which deliver essential supplies and fuel to communities not readily accessible during this time of the year.
Camsell said last week that the coast guard sent a vessel to check water levels near Fort Providence, and they said it looked "OK."
"So as long as that holds, and for several weeks, they'll be able to put the buoys in," Camsell said.
Buoys are needed to guide marine vessels safely, especially through the rapids by Fort Providence — a critical area for vessels to pass through in order to get to the Sahtú.
Camsell said that later this week the coast guard will survey another spot further downstream on the Mackenzie River near Beaver Lake.
"So that gets us over the first hurdle and we'll be able to deliver to the Sahtú region if they can put the buoys in," Camsell said.
If the barges are cancelled, Camsell said, they're nearly done formalizing a backup plan to use the N'Dulee ferry crossing near Wrigley as a base to ship supplies from.
Though it still needs final authorization from the coast guard, Camsell said they "feel confident" to be able to enact that plan.
Hay River or Tuktoyaktuk
Camsell said Fort Good Hope should still get barge deliveries this summer.
He said low water levels at the ramparts near Fort Good Hope make it very difficult for barges to traverse, so they're still not sure if barges will ship out of Hay River or Tuktoyaktuk.
Camsell said the good news is that the coast guard has sent a vessel from Inuvik to check if they can place buoys.
"They feel they can put the buoys into Fort Could Hope from the Delta. So we can supply Fort Good Hope even if the ramparts are closed off," Camsell said.
If Hay River isn't an option, he said they'll send fuel and cargo from Tuktoyaktuk instead, and serve the Inuvialuit Settlement Region as well.
'We can't control Mother Nature'
Infrastructure Minister Vince McKay said the backup plans should help deal with any of the uncertainties that come with working in the North.
"We all know that we can't control Mother Nature, so we prepare those the best we can and wait to see how the season goes," McKay told MLAs Wednesday.
Sahtú MLA Danny McNeely said in the briefing that he is glad to see the department exploring a contingency plan, but it's still subject to a third party — in this case, the coast guard.
McNeely said a lot of goods were already trucked to the Sahtú communities on the winter road, but that's only a temporary solution.