Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1518745
SPRING 2024 • THE ASSINIBOIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 19 Arctic Buying Company utilizes all modes of transportation available to meet the needs of its customers, including land, ocean, and air transpor- tation. They use the number six highway to Thompson, rail lines from Thompson to Churchill, ships from Hudson's Bay, overland to and out of the ports at Be- cancour, Quebec, to all regions of north- ern Manitoba and Nunavut, and partner with several airlines. Initially, a lack of competitive transport pricing led ABC to create its own trucking fleet to connect with sealift, but that is slowly changing. "With the airport authority and everything happening with all the development there, that's obviously been a big plus to the Manitoba marketplace. It's created a lot more competition. You're seeing more companies come into play, giving it a try to go north. And that can only breed better things for people in the far north." Caners would love to see prioritized investment in roads that serve the north, noting that highway six often needs upgrades and repairs. He would eventually like to see the highway twinned. He also hopes to see the realization of a highway built along the hydro-fibre line from Manitoba to Nunavut. "If infrastructure can be put in place to create a permanent roadway, then it changes the dynamic, especially in rural communities, because every mile of highway you can drive versus a mile of air you have to run is always going to save money." "We're here as a resource. We're here to help. It's not just about doing business. It's about us having an impactful relationship," says Caners. "Tara is so invested in Nunavut. Her mother is an elder in Rankin Inlet and is so well respected. They're such great people and they have such desire to do more for their communities, and I feel exactly the same way." To learn more about Arctic Buying Company, visit their website arcticbuyingco.com. We started with food, and before you know it, that turned into 'Hey, can you get me a vacuum cleaner? My vacuum cleaner died.' Eventually, that turned into everything and anything. Our motto is if you can think it up, we can ship it up. Clifford Caners, CEO of Arctic Buying Company Cargo destined for schools in the North. Dorothy Tootoo, Clifford Caners, Tara Tootoo Fotheringham.