Mackenzie River ferry welcomes Darcy Firth, its first Gwich'in captain

For residents of Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T., or those who regularly travel the Dempster Highway, the M.V. Louis Cardinal ferry is a staple of their summer months — but this year, they were welcomed by a new face at the helm.

This summer, Darcy Firth became the vessel's first Gwich'in captain.

"I just thought, I can't see them building a bridge here so I thought I'd try moving up the ladder, and eventually that's what I did," said Firth, as he took the ship across the river for the first run of the morning.

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During the summer and fall months, the M.V. Louis Cardinal starts crossing a one-kilometre stretch of the Mackenzie River near the community of Tsiigehtchic every morning at 8:15 a.m. It continues making crossings until just before midnight. 

Firth said he was inspired to work on the boat after meeting Inuvialuit captain Ernie Gordon. Firth spent five summers as a deckhand, then worked his way up to become first mate. Finally, in 2015, he went to Vancouver for a month to write the exams to get his captain's ticket.

Although he grew up only a short drive away, in the Mackenzie Delta community of Fort McPherson, Firth says he's come to appreciate new things about the Mackenzie River working on the ferry.

"It's really deep," he said. "At some points it goes down almost a thousand feet!"

But the best part of the job, he says, is his work environment.

"I like this job. Operating the boat, the scenery, and meeting new people. I have a nice view of the river in all directions. Nothing beats my office view."  

However, the job doesn't come without its challenges. Last August, on his first day on the job as a relief captain, the wind picked up on his last run of the evening.

"The wind was so strong it blew me into the shallow area by the shore. I got hung up for 20 minutes but I got myself out. That was my first day."  

'A smooth operator'

Lou Grant grew up in Fort McPherson with Firth, and says he's travelled across the river a few times now with his friend behind the wheel.  

"He's a smooth operator and I feel safe with him," said Grant. "Because I know he's from here and he understands the water."

Firth says the last run of the evening can sometimes be the most challenging. "Sometimes people come late [after 11:45 p.m.]. If I see someone with a bunch of kids, I talk to the guys [the crew] and we'll usually zip them across the river. Not much we can do but help them out."   

Firth says he predicts the ferry will be done for the season by the end of October, but that he'll be back at the helm next spring.