.
Search
Email this articleE-mail this story  Letter to the EDITORWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad

Fuelling support

NTCL looks to Kivalliq hamlets

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Sep 04/02) - The Northern Transportation Company Ltd.'s first stop on a seven-community Kivalliq lobbying tour got off to a rocky start last week.

NTCL representative Tommy Owlijoot appeared before the Rankin Inlet hamlet council. He told council NTCL is seeking the Kivalliq's support in convincing the Nunavut government to, once again, award the fuel resupply contract to the shipping company.

He said if NTCL loses the fuel resupply contract, its days of doing business in the Kivalliq are numbered.

"We need the region's support to convince the Nunavut government not to separate bulk fuel from dry cargo goods," said Owlijoot.

"Prices would have to go up with dry cargo only and we realize, if we lose the fuel, we'd pretty much be out (of business in the region). I don't know where we'd go, but it won't be here."

Nunavut's director for the petroleum products division, Susan Makpah, said the transportation portion of the fuel resupply has gone to tender and doesn't close until Oct. 15.

"We haven't received any proposals for the transportation side of the fuel resupply because it's still open for so long," said Makpah.

"NTCL is probably looking for the region's support because it's had the contract for such a long time."

Hamlet council was not sympathetic to Owlijoot's pleas for support.

Coun. Justin Merritt told Owlijoot that Kivalliq consumers are tired of hearing about NTCL's negotiations with Gardewine North on shipping rates from Winnipeg to Churchill, Man.

He said Kivalliq residents have been asking for one rate out of Winnipeg for more than five years.

"We want to see NTCL get its own house in order if it's going to receive any support from us," said Merritt.

"We'd like NTCL to tell us why it can't get its own trucks, bring the cargo to Churchill or Thompson, erect a warehouse and then ship the cargo to us."

Merritt said if NTCL does leave the region, Kivalliq hamlets will have their dry goods shipped out of Montreal.

"Even with their policy of cubing cargo, it would still be cheaper than the rates we're paying now. Really, the only problem with shipping out of Montreal is that we'd only get one shipment a year."