Passengers on N.W.T. ferries must stay in vehicles

Passengers travelling on ferry crossings in the Northwest Territories this season will have to stay in their vehicles, according to a news release Wednesday from the territorial government.

The change is one of a few adjustments the government has made to ferry services, which are not yet operational for the season, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

All ferries will continue to operate on-demand at their regular hours, but the number of people on those ferries — as well as how they're allowed to move about the boats — will be different. 

Honk for washroom request

The M.V. Lafferty ferry on the Liard River — which has an approximate capacity for 14 vehicles, according to an archived version of the Department of Infrastructure's website — will now only take 10 people at a time. 

The M.V. Johnny Berens ferry on the Mackenzie River/N'Dulee, which has an approximate capacity for eight vehicles, will also only take 10 people.

The C.F. Abraham Francis ferry on the Peel River historically had the capacity for eight vehicles and will take now 20 passengers.

Meanwhile, the M.V. Louis Cardinal ferry on the Arctic Red River and Mackenzie River, which typically took about 16 vehicles, will be able to take 25 people in total. 

All passengers will have to stay in their vehicles during the crossings. If they need to use the washroom, they have to honk their horns to request access, the news release says. 

The release also says ferry workers will enhance cleaning and sanitizing throughout the day between crossings. Passengers waiting on the shore are asked to maintain physical distance. 

The only ferry running as of May 20 is the M.V. Lafferty, but the others will run as soon as water and ice conditions are safe, the release says.

In April, the federal government announced a prohibition on all non-essential operations for ferries that carry more than 12 passengers, until June 30.

Those ferries that still operate must "immediately reduce by 50 per cent" the number of passengers allowed on board, and implement new cleaning standards and procedures.

In responding to the federal announcement, the N.W.T. government said it should be easy for passengers to stay in their vehicles while aboard a ferry, given the short duration of ferry crossings in the territory.