Liidlii Kue First Nation Chief Kele Antoine has never seen the Liard River freeze so late.
“I have lived in this area for over 40 years, and I have never seen the river stay open this long,” he said. “Usually, the river freezes by mid-November, and the ice crossing is operational by late November or early December.
“The delay in the freeze is unprecedented and concerning for our community and the environment.”
The Liard River connects LKFN, wider Fort Simpson, and the nearby community of Wrigley to the highway that leads to Yellowknife or south to Alberta and B.C. In the summer months, residents of the region can cross the river by ferry. When the temperature begins to drop in the fall, the ferries are pulled from the water. Locals must then wait for the river to freeze, at which point it can be turned into an ice road that they can drive across.
This year, the ferries were hauled out of the water in early November. The river didn’t start to freeze until Dec. 2, and as of Dec. 5, was still not solid enough to bear the weight of vehicles.
The delayed freeze has cut the area off from the rest of the NWT, and the impact is wide reaching, causing anxiety to spread rapidly.
“The atmosphere around the community has been tense and anxious,” said Antoine. “Many people rely on the river crossing to access essential services, supplies and opportunities in other regions. Some people need to travel to and from Fort Simpson for medical appointments, shopping or work. Others need to visit their relatives or friends in other communities. Some people also use the river crossing for hunting, fishing, or trapping.
“Without the river crossing, we are isolated and cut off from our normal activities and the rest of the territory and this affects our physical, mental and social well-being,” the chief added. “We are grateful for the warmer weather, but we are eager to regain our mobility and independence.”
One of the most visible effects of the river’s slow freeze is skyrocketing prices. With the ferries out of the water, and the river ice still solidifying, goods must be flown into the community, which means higher price tags for just about everything.
As Antoine points out, this is particularly problematic ahead of the holiday season.
“This delay has a lot of people concerned with food prices and food quality, and with the holiday season rapidly upon us, a lot of our community members use this time to travel and shop for gifts and food,” he said. “Not to mention the ability to visit with loved ones in other communities or those loved ones who may be in hospitals for medical reasons.”
‘Didn’t look promising’
Sergei Mjatelski, the owner of Goose Flying Service, was one of the first people to notice the river was finally freezing up on Dec. 2. His company is based out of Fort Simpson’s airport, and his two Cessna 180s fly over the river multiple times a day.
He had been monitoring the state of the river for weeks, and could sense trouble brewing for a while.
“Pretty much every time we take off and land we’re flying right over that crossing, so we always have a look and see how it’s progressing,” he said hours after wrapping up one of the numerous flights he’s made over the river. “There was barely any ice on the river when we were flying around [in November]. It really didn’t look promising, but finally we’re getting some lower temperatures.”
The slow freeze of the river means more flights for Mjatelski — three to four a day — but the nine-year Fort Simpson resident is adamant he’s as eager as any of his neighbours to see the crossing open, having seen the stress and “astronomical” prices the delay has caused.
“Everyone’s really eager to see that ice road,” he said. “Having it freeze on [Dec. 2] was a big relief. I was very pessimistic just because of how little ice I was seeing on the river.”
Bridge desired
There have long been calls for the construction of a bridge across the Liard River, which would give Fort Simpson year-round access to the rest of the territory.
Antoine believes there are potential drawbacks to building a bridge, including environmental costs and the possibility of more illicit drugs entering the area. However, he counts himself among the supporters of the plan, and believes it should happen “sooner rather than later.”
“I am a supporter of the idea of a bridge over the Liard River, as long as it is done in a respectful and sustainable way,” he said. “It would reduce the uncertainty and stress that we face every year during the freeze-up and break-up periods. It would also enhance our economic and social development, as well as our emergency preparedness.
“Any bridge project must involve meaningful consultation and collaboration with our community and other stakeholders,” he added. “It must also incorporate our traditional knowledge and values, and follow the best practices and standards for environmental protection and mitigation. A bridge is not just a physical structure, but a symbol of our relationship with the river and the land.”
The minimum ice thickness needed to open the Liard River ice crossing to light traffic (vehicles weighing up to 5,000 kilograms) is 35 centimetres, according to Dustin Dewar, the GNWT’s regional manager of highway operations.
The average opening date for the crossing over the last 20 years is Nov. 29.
“It is difficult to predict with certainty how long it will take before the ice crossing reaches 35 cm thickness, as the rate of freezing is highly dependent on variable conditions like air temperature, daylight and snowfall,” Dewar said. “We recognize that these ice crossings are important to NWT communities and will continue to monitor ice conditions and commence ice bridge construction as soon as it is safe to do so.”