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KIVALLIQ - Expanding into Manitoba to make shipping materials easier for Kivalliq consumers is a logical progression for Braden-Burry Expediting (BBE).

The Yellowknife-based company has been in business since 1977.

The vicepresident of business development for BradenBurry Expediting, Stuart Russell, says the company's goal is to connect customers directly to their orders through onestop shipping. - photo courtesy of Stuart Russell

During that time, it has connected its own supply train or corridor between Edmonton and Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit and Ottawa.

Stuart Russell, vice-president of business development, said part of the company's mandate has always been to build north-south corridors.

He said BBE marshalled all the freight for the Agnico-Eagle mine in Baker Lake this past year.

"The process we found with the industrial cargo didn't work very well there because we weren't involved in it," said Russell.

"We had people from Edmonton managing the project, but we didn't have our own people on the ground.

"We had a strategic plan to set up in Winnipeg, so we thought this is what we do anyway.

"We're marshalling freight through the location to get it down to the Manitoba corridor, and there's all sorts of needs in communities with industrial projects that we could set up the same way we've done in other situations."

BBE offers to connect Kivalliq to Winnipeg directly, saving customers the hassle of ordering their goods and then arranging to have them trucked from Winnipeg to Thompson, Man., shipped by rail to the Port of Churchill, and then on to their community on a Northern Transportation Company Ltd. barge.

Russell said BBE has heard many comments from community leaders about the challenges of getting materials through the Churchill gateway.

He said businesses, residents and government can all benefit from BBE's expansion into Manitoba.

"We're a 100 per cent aboriginal-owned Northern company and we saw a business need to put this program into place.

"We act as a freight forwarder in that we hire the trucks, train or marine division to deliver the goods.

"Someone can call us about materials they bought and want delivered to Rankin Inlet.

"We would make the transportation arrangements to get it there in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, whether it's 1,000 pounds or 100,000 pounds."