Fort Simpson ferry needs ‘extensive work,’ closing for up to a week

The ferry outside Fort Simpson will remain closed for days while “extensive work” is carried out and replacement parts flown in, the GNWT says.

The Department of Infrastructure said on Saturday it was withdrawing the MV Lafferty from service, the third NWT ferry to suffer an unplanned and extended closure this summer.

“Our maintenance crew is working hard to get the ferry operational as quickly and safely as possible and we anticipate the work to be completed within a week,” the department stated in a Saturday late afternoon update.

The MV Lafferty needs parts weighing approximately 400 lb each, the department wrote, which must be flown from Edmonton. The department said the work requires specialist technicians.

The latest incident follows the two-week June closure of the ferry on Highway 1 to Wrigley, while Tsiigehtchic’s ferry spent nearly six days out of service earlier this month.

The MV Lafferty reported a propeller problem two days ago. Whether this latest closure is related was not clear, nor whether the three ferries’ concerns are in any way connected.

The department earlier said the Wrigley ferry closure was related to “specialized work and parts” without elaborating. The Tsiigehtchic ferry had to have its fire suppression system fixed after Transport Canada inspectors failed it.

Without ferries, the NWT’s highway system does not work.

The MV Lafferty’s closure means Fort Simpson and Wrigley are no longer reachable by road while the vessel is out of service. The Tsiigehtchic closure cut off the community as well as stranding travellers trying to use the Dempster Highway to move between the Arctic coast and southern Canada.

Tsiigehtchic residents spent days sending food to travellers waiting for the ferry to resume service.

“We understand this has been a challenging season and we appreciate your continued understanding and patience during this time,” the Department of Infrastructure said on Saturday.

“Please know that the safety of our crew and passengers is our top priority.”