President's Message

In the vast wilderness of the Canadian Arctic, there are many transportation and logistical challenges. This is a land of long winters and extreme subzero temperatures. There are few all-season roads to connect the widely scattered, sparsely populated settlements and remote worksites of Nunavut and Northwest Territories. Aviation and marine transportation are key elements in building a vibrant economy in this remote region.

During the 1990s, NorTerra grew using sound business principles to become one of Canada's top 500 companies. Building with corporate profits and private sector financing we diversified into southern Canada and then expanded our role as a major provider of northern infrastructure by acquiring Canadian North Airlines.  Doing good business and making strategic investments have established NorTerra not only as a leader in the Arctic, but also as a major conduit to the southern business world for the people of the North.

And that brings me to the other great part of the NorTerra story - our beneficiaries, the people we serve and represent. They are the Inuit of Nunavut and the Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic. We use the term beneficiary because through the two corporations I mentioned earlier, these people own the NorTerra Group of Companies.

Our objective is to assist Inuit and Inuvialuit beneficiaries become meaningful participants in the economies of the Arctic and Canada as a whole. We do this in part by owning and operating the transportation infrastructure that connects them with each other and the rest of the world; when the people of the North own their infrastructure, they control their economic destiny. Our business ventures also create employment opportunities for our beneficiaries and we've expanded these through our new recruiting and career development program.

There is a multitude of career and training opportunities offered throughout the NorTerra Group of Companies which currently comprises five companies.  As well as NTCL and Canadian North, we also own Weldco-Beales Manufacturing Inc., Canada’s largest supplier of heavy equipment attachments and telescopic truck mounted cranes; a logistics company, Braden Burry Expediting (BBE), and a chain of industrial supply stores under the brand, Northern Industrial Sales.

Our vision as we move ahead in the 21st century is to continue as a major player in Canada's Arctic, demonstrating leadership, business excellence and growth. Our infrastructure investments provide us with stability, profitability and a solid base for expansion.  As NorTerra Inc. grows, it will build shareholder value with each step ensuring traditional Inuvialuit and Inuit values are part of the corporate culture throughout the NorTerra Group of Companies.

We'll keep telling our story with pride, particularly to the people we serve, so they will be inspired to join us and help write the chapters to come.