-=> Quoting Steven Horn to Jim Weller <=-

 JW> I think we will see one soon. A privately owned toll bridge with no
 JW> government funding involved. There is a proposal being looked at
 JW> that sounds doable.

 SH> Who has those resources?

The Fort Providence Combined Council Alliance composed of the Hamlet of
Fort Providence, the Metis Council and the Deh Gah Got'ie First Nation
hope to raise the money through a combination of land claims monies,
Federal Funding and GNWT grants to form a capital base and bank
financing or bonds for the bulk of it.

The project would cost $55 million, so it would have to generate at
close to $5.5 million a year to work. 

The GNWT has agreed to fund $1.4 million a year which equals the amount
it will save by not maintaining a ferry and an winter ice bridge. The
organization proposes to charge $5 per tonne on commercial vehicles and
let passanger vehicles cross for free. That would work out to $325 per
tractor trailer, 12000 loads a year. Our largest trucking company says
that $5 is tolerable as it will save on warehousing, seasonal overtime
and helicopters. Their rates would have to go up about 1%. Our stores
and businesses could practice just in time inventory management and not
have to stockpile and therefore recapture the 1% and more.



Cheers,

YK Jim


... Since I quit the statistics class I'm at least 62% happier.
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