Sahtu leaders to push for winter road connecting Fort Good Hope to Inuvik, N.W.T.

The Sahtu Secretariat Inc. (SSI) will advocatefor a winter road that connects Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., to Inuvik.

The idea was presented at the recent SSI annual general meeting by Paul T'Seleie, a Fort Good Hope resident. He argued that the road could connect the entire territoryin the winter months and could make for easier access to goods.

"We don't have much options with the no barging now, and surging costs of things," he said, referring to this year's cancelled bargesbecause of low water on the MacKenzie River.

"Having a winter road from both north and south that connects both regions, I think it reduces driving distances... we could take advantages of Inuvik too."

It's about 320kilometres, as the crow flies, from Fort Good Hope to Inuvik, whereasFort Simpson, in the opposite direction, is around700 kilometresaway, and Yellowknife isanother630 kilometresfrom there.

T'Seleie adds it could also benefit the Beaufort Delta by offering a shorter drive to southern N.W.T.This would be by following theusual Mackenzie Valley winter roadinstead of takingthe Dempster Highway through the Yukon and into northern B.C.

At the annual meeting last month in Fort Good Hope, SSI directors voted in favour of a resolution to advocate for the winter road.

Charles McNeely, the SSI chairperson, says the road would follow a route that was used to buildthe fibre optic line.

"When they put the fibre optic line in, and actually some of our beneficiaries from here used that road to go to Inuvikso itcould be done."

As for next steps, McNeelysays SSI will discuss the idea with N.W.T. government.

Affordability crisis

The idea of the winter road comes as the community looks for temporary solutions to an ongoing affordability crisis caused by a lack of barge shipments.

"Everything is flown in, so the prices are way, way up ... Some families are having a rough time because the cost is so high," said Fort Good Hope elderFrank T'seleie.

At the Northern Store in Fort Good Hope, a case of Pepsi costs about $30, a can of beans is over$7 and a large bottle of water costs $7.99.

Comparatively, in Yellowknife that same case of Pepsi costs about $9, the beans will cost you just under $2 and a larger bottle of water costs $1.79.

Food is expensive, residents say, but fuel is nearly unaffordable.

"Right now that's one of the biggest issues we're having," said Fort Good Hope Chief Collin Pierrot.

The winter road isn't the only highway that localleaders are advocating for.SSI and other leaders in the Sahtuare lobbying the N.W.T. and the federal government to make theMackenzie Valley Highway a reality.

"Everybody up here is screaming for the highway," Pierrot said.

The Mackenzie Valley Highway is an idea that's been discussed for over half a century, and some progress has been made on it in the last several years.

Buteven the most optimistic scenario has the highway not being completed until the late 2030s.