The George Black Ferry has been operated on the Yukon River at Dawson since the 1960s. The maintenance of the aging vessel is increasing over the years; it needs to be replaced. The YukonU Research Centre considers that the ferry season, normally corresponding to the ice-free season, could be extended if the future ferry could be adapted to navigate in partial ice conditions.
This research project involved the development of a simple river ice formation model to evaluate current and future ice conditions on the Yukon River at Dawson in order to quantify the possible gain in the ferry season if the new vessel could be operated in moderately intense ice runs (drifting ice slush with moderate consolidation, or freezing bonds) or in the presence of largely dispersed, small, solid ice floes (broken ice sheets).
Project results show that the gain in the ferry season could be non-negligeable. However, costs, technical feasibility, and regulation must also be taken into account.
Turcotte, B., 2026. Exploring the benefits of an ice-adapted ferry at Dawson – Yukon River ice conditions assessment. Presented to the Transportation Engineering Branch, Department of Highways and Public Works, Government of Yukon. YukonU Research Centre, P. 80.