Nahanni Butte looks to build bridge over Liard River

The manager of the Nahɂą Dehé Dene Band in Nahanni Butte says building a bridge across the Liard River is one of the community’s top priorities.

While a winter road allows access to the community of about 100 people in the colder months, residents must use small boats to traverse the river once the ice thaws.

Band manager Soham Srimani said the Nahɂą Dehé Dene Band has completed a feasibility study for the project, which would cost about $150 to $200 million. Srimani said conducting a detailed design study would help narrow down the true cost.

He said the bridge would lower the cost of bringing in groceries and other goods.

“People are driving from Fort Nelson to Nahanni Butte river crossing, then they are loading and unloading those grocery supplies to a boat, and then coming to this side again, unloading from the boat, loading into a truck, and then coming to the general store building and then unloading there,” said Srimani, describing a grocery trip to northern BC and back.

“Just imagine the logistical nightmare, how much effort – physical effort – people need to put in to ensure the community has its grocery supplies.”

A bridge would also help if the community’s airstrip is threatened during an emergency, Srimani said.

“If my airport is under risk and people are not able to get on the plane, [the] only option for them to evacuate is with a boat,” said Srimani.

“I think that will take time – not lot of people have boats, so the bridge will solve the problem in the longer run.”

The band is exploring funding options to help pay for a detailed design study.

If funding is secured, Srimani said, the study could be completed in two to three years along with required environmental assessments.

From there, he estimates it could take about five years to get the capital funding required to build the bridge.

“[For] that kind of massive capital project, we obviously need territorial government and federal government to support us,” he added.