Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 09/00) - The barges are finally in. After a slight delay, orders have been arriving throughout the Kivalliq region.

An ice-clogged Churchill port made it impossible for the tug boat and barges to get out of northern Manitoba early last month -- putting everything behind schedule by more than a week.

Since the ice has cleared, however, NTCL has been making up time by maintaining a continuous cycle of sending loaded barges out while reloading the empty ones.

"From now until we're finished it's a continuous cycle of loading and shipping," said Eva Treloar, NTCL's Churchill terminal manager.

A fleet of four barges and one tug, the M.V. Keewatin, service the seven communities in the Kivalliq region.

Last week the first barge of the season arrived in Rankin. Almost a full day was spent discharging fuel to the tank farm before it moved to the other side of the bay to unload freight. A second barge was with the tug, but it was destined for Whale Cove.

Since then three sealifts have moved into the community's bay, filled mainly with private orders for companies in town.

The Northern Store received 19 sealift containers full of goods for the winter season on a ship from Montreal.

"It's mostly dry goods like furniture, snowmobiles, appliances, dry groceries, nothing perishable," said grocery manager Terry Kent.

"We've hired about 50 extra staff just to help with the unloading of the containers and putting things away."

Northern has three warehouses that they use to store their inventory and Kent says the unloading of the ship alone is usually done within a full-day.

Along with inventory for businesses, several individuals and families received their barge orders as well.

The decks were filled with vehicles and crates destined for houses in the community.

Building supplies for summer construction projects were also onboard the boat.

Rankin is expecting another barge order later in the summer.