Northern Manitoba: Thompson, Flin Flon, The Pas and beyond
Northern Manitoba runs on a handful of highways. PTH 6 is the main route north from Winnipeg to Thompson; PTH 10 serves The Pas and Flin Flon. Past that, provincial roads such as PR 391 toward Leaf Rapids and Lynn Lake and PR 280 toward Gillam carry freight to mines, hydro projects and communities, and winter roads open seasonal access to places with no all-season road at all.
Churchill has no all-season road. Freight for Churchill and points on the Hudson Bay coast typically goes by truck to a railhead on the rail line, such as The Pas or Thompson, and continues by rail, or moves by sea in the open-water season. We plan the truck leg so it lines up with the next connection.
Nunavut and NWT resupply freight
Most Nunavut communities and many projects are resupplied by the summer sealift. Ships load at southern ports, including the Montreal area and Churchill for the Kivalliq region, and booking and cargo cut-off dates come months before the sailing. We truck equipment and materials to the port in time for the cut-off.
For the Northwest Territories, road freight moves north through Alberta to staging points like Hay River and Yellowknife. From there, summer barge service and winter ice roads reach remote communities and mine sites. The window for each is set by the season, so planning starts early.
Northern Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec
We also book freight for mining and resource projects in northern Saskatchewan, Northwestern and Northern Ontario (Red Lake, Pickle Lake and the far north), and northern Quebec (Chibougamau, Matagami and the James Bay region). Road conditions, bridge limits and site rules vary a lot, and we plan each move with the carrier.
What we move north
- Mining equipment and components: drills, crushers, haul-truck parts and plant equipment
- Work-camp modules, site offices and other modular buildings
- Steel, lumber and construction materials for project builds
- Tanks, containers and generators
- Heavy equipment for road building and site work
Most of this rides on flatbeds, step decks or lowboys and RGNs, and a lot of it is oversize.
Planning around seasons and site access
- Spring road restrictions: lower allowed weights on many northern roads during the thaw
- Winter roads: typically open for a short stretch mid-winter; dates depend on ice and change every year
- Sealift cut-offs: freight has to be at the port by the booking deadline, not the sailing date
- Site access: gravel roads, bridge limits, gate hours and site rules for drivers
- Unloading: is there a crane, loader or forklift on site, and who runs it?
Weather and road conditions in the north can delay any move, so build some buffer into required-on-site dates.
What to send for a northern freight quote
- Final destination and any staging point, port or railhead
- Required-on-site date, or the sealift or winter road cut-off
- Dimensions and weight of each piece
- Unloading equipment at the site and road conditions on the way in
- A site contact for delivery
Send it through the quote form or call or text 204-361-6765.
