Sombra's Bluewater Ferry is closed indefinitely after ice extensively damaged the raised road leading to its dock and Canada Customs office Thursday morning.
Manager Morgan Dalgety says the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Samuel Risley was escorting four freighters down the St. Clair River just before 9am, when an ice field broke free.
"The ice was jammed north of our dock, where it has been for over a week and them pushing through this ice, broke it free and pushed it sideways across the channel into our dock," says Dalgety.
He says it completely destroyed their causeway, putting them out of business.
"We had engineers out here this morning. We're looking at probably a year to rebuild after we get all of the permits and certificates."
Dalgety claims a complete rebuild could run as high as $4-million.
"There is no insurance for a causeway like that, it's not insured," he says. "This is going to have to be something that hopefully the Coast Guard will step up and help out with and were going to have to get a hold of our MP's for federal grants because Bluewater Ferry is not going to be able to foot this bill on its own."
Dalgety says the whole incident was captured on video by a Canada Customs camera -- which he has requested a copy of.
