A 156-tonne ferry built to serve the link between Jenpeg Generating Station and Norway House First Nation is on its way north after a year-long delay.
A provincial spokesperson tells CTV News the C.F. Gilbert Laugher left Selkirk Wednesday guided by tugboat. It’s travelling up the Red River, over Lake Winnipeg and along the Nelson River before it arrives at its final destination.
The $3.1-million ferry is replacing the aging C.F. James Apetagon, which has been in service since 1977.
The ferry was expected to be delivered last summer, but required further testing and stayed in Selkirk over the winter, a government news release stated in September 2016.
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The spokesperson said after the vessel left Wednesday it encountered another delay, and potential challenges with the ferry’s journey north are not over.
The ferry is currently docked near Hecla while a mechanical issue with the tugboat is worked on and logistics are worked out, the spokesperson said.
Once resolved, the vessel will continue to the north end of Lake Winnipeg near Seafalls, where it needs to be moved overland.
Movement of the vessel is also dependent on weather, the spokesperson said, and conditions on the north basin of Lake Winnipeg can change rapidly.
The spokesperson said the cable vessel has no self-drive system, and cables will pull it across the Nelson River once it reaches Norway House.
The vessel name honours Gilbert Sandy Laugher. He was born in Norway House in 1928.
Laugher operated lake vessels for much of his life and was well-respected. The First Nations communities he served nominated Laugher in recognition of his outstanding service, the release said.
Laugher passed away in 2008.
