Montreal sealift irritates Kivalliq

Patterk Netser, the MLA for Nanulik, says Kivalliq residents aren’t pleased with their Montreal-based sealift service.

For decades, Kivalliq communities received their annual summer re-supply from Churchill on barges owned by the Northern Transportation Company Ltd., which shipped both fuel and dry cargo.

But in 2003, NTCL pulled out of dry cargo re-supply in the Kivalliq, after losing the eastern Arctic fuel re-supply contract to the Woodward Group of Companies from Labrador.

This week, Netser said his constituents aren’t happy with the change.

“If you’re ordering lumber and renovation supplies, it is more expensive. Everything has gone up since we started receiving goods and supplies from Montreal. We’re from the Keewatin. I’m not sure why the representatives didn’t go to our communities to consult about the re-supply by ship,” Netser said.

Levinia Brown, the minister of Community and Government Services, said a private consulting firm will report to the government next January or February on the results of “satisfaction survey” they’ve done with Kivalliq dry-cargo customers.