SA国际影视传媒楢 crisis situationSA国际影视传媒�

If the Mackenzie Valley Highway isnSA国际影视传媒檛 built soon, Norman Wells Mayor Frank Pope doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 see how communities in his region will be able to resupply.

In March photos provided by Rosanne Taneton, the ice road to Deline was shown to have melted to being nearly undrivable. The road was closed on March 20.

SA国际影视传媒淭he rivers are getting lower every year and resupply is becoming more and more difficult, especially when it comes to diesel fuel and resupply of groceries and stuff,SA国际影视传媒� said Pope.

To make matters worse, this past winter road season was disastrous compared to previous years, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淣ormally the heavy traffic is hauling up into here for eight weeks, nine weeks if you get a good cold winter. This year, I don't think we even got four weeks of resupply.SA国际影视传媒�

Pope said many people take advantage of the winter road to drive south to shop and get out of town for a while. This past season, he said, a trip that would normally take seven hours took 20. Excavators were dispatched to haul vehicles up hills.

And those were the lucky onesSA国际影视传媒攖here are a lot of trucks parked in Yellowknife still, said Pope, belonging to people who couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 finish their trips home to the Sahtu and had to fly from the capital.

Unseasonably warm weather this past March forced intermittent restrictions and early closures for many of the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 winter roads.

Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor told News/North, at the time, that this eventSA国际影视传媒攁n atmospheric pressure ridge that funneled warm temperatures up from CaliforniaSA国际影视传媒攚as difficult to link directly with climate change.

Large temperature fluctuations and unpredictability, though, are forecast to increase as the climate warms.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think ISA国际影视传媒檇 probably go as far to say itSA国际影视传媒檚 a crisis situation,SA国际影视传媒� said Pope, SA国际影视传媒渆specially for places like Colville Lake, Deline.SA国际影视传媒�

If the winter road season remains unreliable, and water levels remain low or get lowerSA国际影视传媒攚hich may happen when B.C.SA国际影视传媒檚 planned Site C dam on the Peace River is built, noted PopeSA国际影视传媒攖hen Sahtu communitiesSA国际影视传媒� already tenuous seasonal transportation system is on shaky ground.

Norman Wells mayor Frank Pope says serious investment needs to be made into the Mackenzie Valley Highway and road infrastructure to assist Sahtu region drivers.

SA国际影视传媒淚 tell ya, if we don't get this Mackenzie Valley Road completed at least as far as Norman Wells in the next couple of years, this crisis could become even more devastating,SA国际影视传媒� said Pope.

The Department of Infrastructure did not answer 狈别飞蝉/狈辞谤迟丑SA国际影视传媒檚 queries regarding these concerns by press time.

The Mackenzie Valley Highway Project has been tiptoeing forward over the past few years, with the construction of the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway and then a $180-million federal investment last year to conduct studies and undertake a few bridge and access road projects.

Infrastructure Minister Wally Schumann told the legislative assembly in March that the GNWT had conducted initial public meetings on the project in Norman Wells, Tulita, Wrigley and Fort Simpson.

SA国际影视传媒淒iscussions focused on the way forward for environmental reviews and permitting of this project, and how to maximize benefits to the people of the region,SA国际影视传媒� said Schumann.

Pope said the time for action is now, not only for the road but for mitigating the effects of climate change already being felt in the region.

SA国际影视传媒淲e find that some of the riverbanks in the community are starting to deteriorate very greatly and weSA国际影视传媒檙e planning to do some studies on that and try to figure out the remediation plan on some of the areas that are close to our public roads,SA国际影视传媒� said Pope.

He said he hopes these issues will get the air time they deserve in this fallSA国际影视传媒檚 territorial and federal elections.