Out of commission Riverhurst ferry affecting local residents

The ferry in Riverhurst Sask. has been out of commission since the beginning of spring. Its absence is affecting local residents and businesses that rely on the ferry on a day-to-day basis.

The ferry is a 24 hour, 1.5 km long service that connects Highway 42 between Riverhurst and Lucky Lake.

Carol Wilson has put golfers onto Sage View Golf Course in Riverhurst the last 7 years and said the golf course has seen less traffic so far this season.

“Our parking lot would probably be three quarters full,” said Wilson. “Right now on a day like today on a beautiful day with no wind.”

Wilson adds that people call Sage View daily and ask if the ferry is running.

“They asked me continually; ‘Is the ferry running?’ ‘Is the ferry running?’” Wilson explained.

“No, it's not.”

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Blaine Trumeley lives on the west side of the lake and had to commute around the lake to golf.

“Less than half an hour with a ferry ride to come golfing,” he said. “But we had to drive an hour and a half at $2 a litre of fuel.”

Trumeley added that the barrier will restrict how much time he spends golfing.

“We have always been able to come and go as we please,” he said. “This case here this year, due to low levels in Diefenbaker Lake, no ferry.”

Wilson pointed out that its not just recreational activities the closure is affecting.

“Farmers in this area that make their living, giving us food that have land on both sides of the lake have an enormous impact,” she said.

Doug Wakabayashi is the executive director of communications for the Ministry of Highways and said the Riverhurst side is shallow and crews are working on solutions.

“We've been attempting to dredge but without much success,” he said. “So we're going to need the water levels to rise on that side of the lake. We have seen the water level starting to slide or to rise further upstream.”

The ferry is Saskatchewan’s largest and can hold up to 15 cars with a load limit of 90.7 tonnes.

It does not operate in the winter.

The ferry carries around 30,000 vehicles a year.

For now the ferry sits on the west side of Lake Diefenbaker and will not be making any journeys to the east side until run off from Alberta or significant rainfall increases the water level.