A second resupply trip to the Sahtu region SA国际影视传媒� which some residents in the region adamantly demanded SA国际影视传媒� is underway, according to Marine Transportation Services (MTS).
The vessels left port on July 28 after accepting cargo up until July 23.
"The second MTS tow for the Sahtu has departed Hay River," the GNWT stated. "It is carrying 529 tonnes of dry cargo and over 2.5 million litres of fuel for Tulita and Norman Wells."
The first trip to the Sahtu was an eight-day voyage.
Officials came under fire earlier this year after residents of Tulita, Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope were given four days on June 26 to get their summer cargo shipments to Hay River, where the barges are based. Infrastructure Minister Vince McKay later apologized to residents for the short notice, noting MTS only received notice about sailing conditions from the Coast Guard on June 25.
Many people in Norman Wells told NNSL at the time that the short window basically made it pointless to order freight, as the costs of shipping cargo last-minute effectively nullified the cost savings of using a barge instead of air freight.
Following the backlash, a second sailing date was scheduled for Tulita and Norman Wells, but not Fort Good Hope.
Cargo is still being accepted in Hay River for two trips to Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈, with the first acceptance date having passed already on July 6 for a July 31 sail. A second trip setting out Aug. 15 is accepting cargo until July 31.
Extremely low water from ongoing droughts upriver in Alberta have limited the time barges can ply the Mackenzie River safely. Combined with a reduced ice road season due to milder winters, resupplying remote communities in the NWT has become an increasing challenge.
Farther north, MTS now anchors a barge in Tuktoyaktuk after failing to make a delivery to Sachs Harbour in 2022 due to a vandalized fuel line, which prevented the barge from leaving Hay River in time. Since then, deliveries to Beaufort Sea communities have operated normally. Shipments are still being accepted for the Tuktoyatuk barge until Aug. 12 SA国际影视传媒� that barge is scheduled to make stops in Ulukhaktok, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk and Kugluktuk.
A deadline for cargo bound for Aklavik as yet to be determined.
