In 'strategic move,' Yukon's Kluane Freight Lines joins with major transport company
Starting this week, a trucking company owned by the Dawson City based Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation is in a joint venture with the Manitoulin Group of Companies.
The Chief Isaac Group of Companies has sold a 49 per-cent share of Kluane Freight Lines to Manitoulin, a major North American transport company, said the president of Chief Isaac, McGarry Selbee.
Kluane Freight Lines has been struggling financially for past few years so turning the management of its operations over to the far larger Manitoulin will help it survive, Selbee said.
"The other thing this alignment gives us is, you can now get freight from anywhere in Canada to Dawson City on one carrier, before we did this, that was not possible," he said.
Kluane has only been serving points between Edmonton and Dawson City.
Selbee said with gold mines expected to open in the Mayo and Dawson City areas, Manitoulin and Kluane are well placed to compete with southern competitors.
"There's some businesses down there that are hungry and would love to get up here and get a piece of what's happening in the Yukon," he said.
"So you know this was a really on our part was a strategic move to align with a carrier that's already here that really knows the North well," said Selbee.
Selbee said six employees are remaining at the Kluane Freight Lines depot in Dawson City.
Its depots in Whitehorse and Edmonton are closing, with 13 affected workers moving to Manitoulin's facilities.
