Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Mar 03/99) - Northerners working together to make the best of the economic climate and resources available to them was one of the main reasons behind the announcement Peter's Expediting Ltd. (PEL).

Based in Baker Lake, it has finalized an agreement to sell 35 per cent of its company to Braden Burry Expediting (BBE) of Yellowknife, a leader in the expediting field.

The remarks were made by BBE president Gordon Stewart in an interview with the xxxKivalliq News shortly after the sale was announced.

Stewart said BBE is delighted with the three partners behind PEL, Peter Tapatai, Frank Tootoo and William Tapatai. He said BBE is extremely happy with the trio's knowledge of the land around Baker lake and the area surrounding it.

"It's my understanding that, in addition to the mining business, they've operated the agency for Skyward, been involved with exploration and with overland hauling and they've had 100 per cent Inuit employment from Baker Lake during the past three years and that's very important to us," said Stewart.

PEL is a small expediting and logistics company with a history of success in serving exploration and mining companies in the Baker Lake area. The company's largest client is Cumberland Resources Ltd., which operates a gold-exploration program at its Meadowbank site, about 70 kilometres north of Baker Lake.

PEL major shareholder Peter Tapatai said the new partnership will assist the company in expanding its services and acquiring new skills while, at the same time, providing BBE with access to new markets.

"It's a win-win situation for both companies," said Peter Tapatai.

"We will receive the benefit of sophisticated systems BBE has developed for the expediting industry and BBE can expand into the Nunavut market with a majority Inuit-owned company."

Stewart said the partnership between the companies will become official following regulatory approval by the Alberta Stock Exchange, where BBE stock is traded under the trading symbol BBE.

"These guys behind Peter's Expediting Ltd. are really upbeat, positive and hire local people and that's what we see as the real benefit to all of this," said Stewart. "We're a Northern company and, as far as I know, the only one listed with the Alberta Stock Exchange with its head office in the NWT.

"We're dealing with Northerners who are really interested in helping and benefitting their fellow neighbours and that's what this is all about. We have to start working with and expanding the resources we have in our little area of the world and making the best of it."