The GNWT, whose final barge of the season failed to deliver critical supplies to Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay and Paulatuk last year, has something to prove to the Kitikmeot, says the president of the regionSA国际影视传媒檚 chamber of commerce.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think they have to go out of their way to demonstrate not just to Cambridge Bay but to the Kitikmeot region that theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to be able to supply the communities,SA国际影视传媒� said Jim MacEachern, who noted that some business owners have already vowed they will never again use the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Marine Transportation Services (MTS).
Substandard fuel shipped by the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 supplier, Imperial Oil, to the Hay River shipyard was loaded into two barges and one of those barges almost made it to Norman Wells before the problem was detected, forcing the vessel to turn back, Infrastructure Minister Wally Schumann acknowledged in the NWT legislative assembly on May 29.
Approximately 1.14 million litres of the fuel was deemed to be too volatile due to a low flash point, said Greg Hanna, spokesperson for the department. Initial field tests cleared the fuel for transport and a decision was made to set sail before laboratory tests came back, which later revealed the fuelSA国际影视传媒檚 deficiency, according to Hanna.
SA国际影视传媒淚f the barges had been held in Hay River, itSA国际影视传媒檚 possible the delivery of all other cargo would have been delayed further,SA国际影视传媒� Hanna stated. SA国际影视传媒淲e believe our fuel testing processes are reliable and in fact worked in this instance. No off-specification fuel was delivered to the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 community customers and no changes are planned to our testing processes and methods.SA国际影视传媒�
The GNWT has, however, asked its fuel supplier to increase its inspection of fuel. In addition, the GNWT is planning to store the equivalent of a yearSA国际影视传媒檚 shipment of barged fuel in tank farms in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk to create a SA国际影视传媒渟trategic reserve.SA国际影视传媒�
Schumann also noted that MTS will endeavour to get an earlier start on the shipping season this year, but he cautioned that ice conditions and low water levels on the Mackenzie River could cause complications.
Last yearSA国际影视传媒檚 substandard fuel cost MTS 28 days. The final barge that was destined for Paulatuk, Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 break through thick ice in early October, more than a month behind originally scheduled delivery. After some debate, the GNWT agreed to pay for a costly airlift of some goods into the affected communities, but vehicles were left in storage in Inuvik until the 2019 barging season.
In an interview with Nunavut News last October, the departmentSA国际影视传媒檚 assistant deputy minister John Vandenberg blamed shipping buoys being knocked out by driftwood and the fuel delay SA国际影视传媒� although there was no specific mention of the substandard fuel SA国际影视传媒� for MTS falling behind schedule.
Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL), the Inuvialuit-owned company that was a precursor to MTS, delivered bad gas in 2002, causing many headaches for Nunavummiut.
Kugluktuk Mayor Ryan Nivingalok said moving goods in the North is rife with obstacles.
SA国际影视传媒淪hipping in the Arctic is always going to be an issueSA国际影视传媒� ice is always a factor,SA国际影视传媒� Nivingalok said.
MTS makes sense for deliveries from the NWT and Alberta, which is where many Kitikmeot residents order their supplies, he said.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople are still carrying on. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e still going to use the shipping company.SA国际影视传媒�
However, MacEachern said some Kitikmeot clients will use only Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS) and Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc. (NSSI) going forward, even though it means shipping out of Quebec. NEAS and NSSI have proven reliable over the years, said MacEachern, who has lived in Cambridge Bay for close to a decade.
SA国际影视传媒淥ur belief is that MTS could have done far more in getting the material here and in communicating with anyone who had material on that barge (last year),SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he communication was abysmal.SA国际影视传媒�
