Christmas present to Churchill? Companies building ice road hope to be done by Dec. 25

The ice road being built between Gillam and Churchill is about two-thirds complete, and the companies behind the build say they hope to be done before Christmas.

"I kind of want to bring this as a Christmas Present to Churchill," said Mark Kohaykewych of Polar Industries. "I want to roll in there before the 25th."

Polar Industries, Fox Lake Cree Nation and Churchill's Remote Area Services have been working for several weeks building a 300-kilometreice road between the town of Gillam and Churchill. With the northern port's railroad line washed out and while line owner Omnitraxand the Federal government wrangle over who should fix it, the three groups launched a plan to bring fuel, perishable food and supplies to the beleagueredtown.

Polar Industry crews are about two-thirds of the way through the build, said Kohaykewych.

"We went up on Friday just to see the progress of what my crew was doing and I was pleasantly surprised," he said. "We've probably got about 110 kilometresleft to go."

The biggest challenge facing the crews so far is simply waiting for things to freeze, he said. "Navigating through some of the open water, some of the creeks. Just building ice bridges, and time.

"You're pushing snow over it, then you've got to let it freeze, flood, create ice. For my crew up there and myself, we're not very patient up there, let me tell you that. Trying to wait for ice to freeze up properly is like watching paint dry for most folks."

Crews are sleeping in trappers cabins and all are pulling long shifts to get the work done, said Kohaykewych.

He said the long hours are worth it.

"I think at the start, a lot of people were skeptical about this and as we get closer and closer and sharing our progress, the response is overwhelming. I didn't realize how much of an effect we'd actually have on the town."

Despite their success and confidence they'll finish the road before Christmas, Kohaykewych said their budget is "shoestring" and he's hoping for government help.

"So, if anybody out there can assist us to put pressure on some government agencies to get some funding and assistance here, and get this done on a non-shoe-strong budget, we'd greatly appreciate it."