Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Whitford yesterday, regarding the Fort Providence ferry. The Fort Providence ferry was taken out
of service on Friday, November 19 at 4:45 pm. Operation resumed at 2:00 am the following morning and is continuing, despite the extremely low water. The low water level has been caused by an ice dam upstream of the crossing which is preventing the flow of water into the river. At places, gravel bars are beginning to show through the surface. Load limits on the ferry have been reduced to 45 kilograms and may drop to 25 kilograms later today if the water level does not improve. Low water conditions are common at this time of the year, although this year they appear to be more extreme than usual. Intermittent disruptions can be expected to occur, both from low water conditions and from the presence of floating ice. The department expects that the ferry will operate into January, by which time the ice bridge will be constructed and capable of carrying full loads.