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After weeks of planning and preparation, a three-man crew lifted thousands of kilograms of ice and truck from the Des Rocher River before the river ice melted.
The truck fell through the ice on Jan. 2 roughly 80 metres off the Fort Chipewyan winter road. The driver was not injured.
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But hoisting the truck was no easy task for the crew. It took roughly three weeks to stabilize the surrounding ice so the crew could work safely. A warmer winter meant the ice was not strong enough to support the cranes or heavy machinery usually used for these jobs.
After weeks of planning, crew lifts truck from frozen river in nerve-wracking job fortmcmurraytoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fortmcmurraytoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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March 3, 2021 Chief Allan Adam, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (Courtesy of Nick Kendrick/Green Planet Energy Analytics/Green Energy Futures)
The tanker trucks normally come by the dozen over the winter road from Fort McMurray, Alta., during the few weeks the ice can hold their weight. They make the 4½-hour northbound trek laden with the same fossil fuel they burn stuff that Fort Chipewyan, Alta., has long used to generate its electricity. But this summer, the 800-resident hamlet downstream from Alberta’s oil sands expects to shutter its diesel plant for the first time, and instead power its lights and TVs through the warm season with solar energy.
Fort Chipewyan renews calls for all-weather road as winter road season gets shorter prrecordgazette.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from prrecordgazette.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Jaryn Vecchio
The Fort Chipewyan Winter Road is temporarily closing due to the current warm weather.
The unusually high temperatures are causing ice to melt, specifically around the east crossing over the Des Rocher River.
The RMWB says reopening the road is their top priority, however, they don’t have a timeline on when they can do so safely.
When it does reopen, only essential travel should be on the road.
This includes vehicles delivering supplies to the rural hamlet and those traveling to access essential services.