Ice road truckers to haul freight to Churchill

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This article was published 19/10/2017 (2378 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It may not be the ideal solution for the people of Churchill, but later this winter they can count on help from the original ice road truckers.

Winnipeg-based Polar Industries, partnering with the Fox Lake Cree Nation and Remote Area Services from Churchill, plans to haul freight from Gillam to Churchill on a do-it-yourself winter road.

Mark Kohaykewych, president of Polar Industries — featured on History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers reality TV show — said the hope is to haul about 250 loads this winter to the Hudson Bay town that’s been cut off from rail service since spring. They expect to be able to pull sleighs loaded with from 10,000 to 15,000 pounds of cargo to start with, and increase up to 80,000 pounds per load once the ice road is well-packed.

“I’ve never backed down from a challenge,” Kohaykewych said. “We’re confident we can get this done.”

Kohaykewych said they have three alternate routes already mapped out and plan to do the groundwork to build the road before Christmas and get convoys moving in January, depending on weather conditions.

He said they plan to deploy about 12 to 15 vehicles on the project. They will include challengers, large track tractors that are good in the snow with light, wide track pads and Delta 3s, wide-track vehicles commonly used in the oilpatch with extra-large tires.

He said they estimate the 300-kilometre route from Gillam to Churchill will take about 30 hours to travel with three-vehicle convoys leaving every day.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to keep up with the demand,” Kohaykewych said.

“We have customers in hand and we’re talking with various Churchill operations who will need help.”

Kohaykewych, who is originally from Churchill, has been working on the project for several months with Churchill Mayor Mike Spence. He said they are prepared to finance the project themselves along with Fox Lake, but hopes the province will help out at some point.

“This effort is to provide much needed goods and supplies to the community in the short term,” said Fox Lake Chief Walter Spence. “Fox Lake continues to support the Churchill community and Mayor Spence’s efforts to have the rail line repaired and back in operation as quickly as possible”

If there is anyone out there who could pull off something like this, it is Polar Industries. It’s the longest-featured company on Ice Road Truckers and one of the 100 fastest growing companies in the country.

“This is not unfamiliar territory. We have gone into places like Peawanuck and Fort Severn (on the Hudson Bay coast in Ontario) and that’s a 450- to 500-kilometre stretch of strictly bush travel,” Kohaykewych said.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca