$3.1M cable ferry makes long land-and-water journey to Norway House

A 156-tonne cable ferry is making its way over Manitobaland and water to the shores of the Nelson River at Norway House, a remote community about 460 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

The $3.1-million C.F. Gilbert Laugher will link Norway House First Nation with the Jenpeg Generating Station.

• $3.1M Norway House cable ferry almost complete

The new ferry will replace C.F. James Apetagon, which has been crossing the river at Sea Falls, allowing Provincial Road 373 to reach Norway House, since 1977. For the 2016-17 fiscal year, the ferry carried 123,339 passengers and more than 61,000 vehicles,the Manitoba Infrastructure websitesays.

The new ferry's long journey started in Selkirk, where it was built, before it was moved north along the Red River into Lake Winnipeg. It then journeyed north through the lake and into the Nelson River, a distance of about 500 kilometres.

Tugboats pulled the ferry throughout the entire expedition because it has no propellers. Once at its final destination, the ferry will be pulled by cables.

The heavy ferry will be portaged about one kilometre overlandto avoid running into the rapids at Sea Falls, and once again launched in the Nelson River, a provincial spokesperson said in an email to CBC News.

When the ferry arrives, cables will be strung from shore to shore in the Nelson River and diesel-powered winches will be set up to move the ferry across the water.

The province said it could be 10 days before the maiden voyage on the ferry's permanent route.

The launch of the ferry was delayed last fall, a news release from the province said in 2016. It needed more testing so the ferry was kept in Selkirk for the winter.

The ferry is named for Norway House resident Gilbert Laugher. Hewas a ferry operator until he retired in 1993. Laugher died in 2008.