RANKIN INLET - Rankin Inlet residents are angry over the delay of barge deliveries to the Kivalliq by the Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL).

Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL) manager of business development Martin Landry says NTCL is working around the clock to speed-up barge deliveries to the Kivalliq. - photo courtesy of Martin Landry

The latest schedule released by NTCL has Aug. 24 as the date Rankin will see its first barge, and Aug. 27 for Arviat, Aug. 29 for Whale Cove, Aug. 30 for Chesterfield Inlet, Sept. 4 for Baker Lake and Sept. 8 for Coral Harbour.

NTCL manager of business development Martin Landry said the company is bringing in a second vessel to speed-up deliveries.

He said a tug left Marystown, N.L., on Aug. 12 to replace one that failed an inspection earlier this season.

"We have another tug we'll be mobilizing shortly for the first delivery into Rankin, so we'll have two tugs doing the route," said Landry.

"Our Kivalliq manager, Elizabeth Copland of Arviat, is doing a good job of keeping customers informed.

"But, until the replacement tug was confirmed, there was a lack of information as to what was going on.

"We didn't want to tell people something and then not be able to follow through."

Landry said priority will be given to community construction projects on the first barge to Rankin.

He said after that, priority will be given based on the date cargo was booked.

"The earlier you booked, the more priority you will get, with the exception of vehicles.

"We're also looking at the option of chartering tugs to speed up the program.

"Mining companies have lulls in their activity cycles and, if they're able to release a tug to us, that would speed up the current posted delivery schedule.

"We're constantly trying to improve this schedule and we are talking to our customers, despite the fact some people feel they need more information."

Barge delivery can't come soon enough for Rankin business owner Ron Roach.

Roach said things were so bad in Rankin, most contractors couldn't get a drop of drywall compound.

He said the barge delay has affected many areas of the community.

"I can't understand why they (NTCL) left everything until the last minute and scheduled such a late inspection date," said Roach.

"I'm going to start pricing things out of Montreal because this is like baseball, and NTCL has had its three strikes and now it's out.

"You want to use NTCL because it has reasonable rates and uses a deck barge, so you can wrap goods without the added cost of sea cans or crates.

"But that's no good to you if you can't get your merchandise on time."

Roach said this is the third year NTCL has promised better service and, if anything, it's worse.

He said also frustrating is the lack of communication to let customers know what's going on.

"These delays have cost me about $25,000 in sales at my store.

"It's an outrageous situation again this year and it's simply not acceptable."

Former Coral SAO Rob Hedley is also growing increasingly frustrated with each passing day.

Hedley booked a new truck in May, just days after NTCL began accepting freight.

He said he did everything right in the process, and still has no idea when he'll see his new vehicle.

"NTCL's prioritizing does not come as good news to me because I've had my truck sitting in Churchill for months," said Hedley.

"When we tried to get a hold of someone to find out what was going on in Churchill, they wouldn't answer the phone or had no information to give.

"To Elizabeth Copland's credit she was about the only one who would answer the phone and she, at least, explained the sequence of events that caused the delays.

"I went with NTCL because it was going to have the first barge here and now I feel like I'm stuck."

Hedley said his main worry is the longer his truck sits in Churchill, the greater the chance of it being damaged.

He said other than buying a home, purchasing a vehicle is one of a person's single biggest investments.

"I put a large investment in NTCL and it hasn't come through, so I will never use that company again.

"I understand building material has to get here, construction time is limited and contractors are losing money, but I was given no consideration by NTCL and the way it's handled individual customers is not acceptable.

"When I was Coral SAO, I attended a Kivalliq mayor's meeting a couple of years ago and a number of NTCL reps were there.

"They put on this big show about how they were committed to the region and had learned from past mistakes, but now I feel I was conned."

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