Officials in Norway House, Man., have declared a state of emergency after losing their ground link to the rest of the world.

The community of 6,000, located about 460 kilometres north of Winnipeg, uses a ferry to move food and other supplies in and out in until the Nelson River freezes enough to allow heavy truck traffic.

Normally when the river channel first begins to freeze, an excavating device is used to break up the ice ahead of the ferry.

But Coun. Mike Muswagon told CBC News an inexperienced operator did not use the excavator on Saturday, and the ferry became lodged in the ice.

It has since frozen solidly into place.

"The ferries are a direct link and our lifeline to outside for our groceries, for food and for fuel and everything else," Muswagon said Tuesday.

"One gas station has already run out of fuel in the community, and we're depleting our resources that we have right now, in terms of fuel and gas and groceries."

A long line of cars and semi-trailers carrying supplies are waiting on the far side of the channel while workers try to break up the ice enough to get the boat moving.

The state of emergency gives the local government the authority to issue orders to prevent or limit loss of life or damage to property or the environment.
 
Supplies in the community will run out by Thursday. If the ferry still isn't freed by then, the band plans to ask the province to fly in supplies, which could cost thousands of dollars more than expected.