“Super” Dave Campbell hitches a ride during this year’s ice checks.

It’s that time of year again! Finally, the chill of winter is starting to recede and with it the ice on Brabant Lake. Although we got a little later start than usual this year,

NRT managed to get everything into Seabee Gold Mine with time to spare. And, of course, nobody got wet!

The ice road is such a staple of the season, here at NRT, that it is easy to take it for granted. But we at the Trailblazer would like to take a moment to shine the spotlight on the fantastic crew that makes this, and every year safe, fun, and successful.

You may not be aware of it, but the ice road season starts

long before the first truck rolls tentatively out onto the frozen highway. Let’s take a look at what it takes to build and maintain the ice road; let’s thank the team that keeps Seabee supplied and the drivers safe and dry!

Soon after Brabant Lake has completely frozen over, Claude Resources’ man David Olsen gets out with his skidoo to map out a centre-line for the future road. Olsen puts the centre-stakes in and does the initial ice-checks, testing for the quality and thickness of the ice. He gives this information to Wayne Grewcock at NRT’s La Ronge office, so that Wayne can begin his own preparations.

Trailblazer Spring 2014

Another “Super” Season: Many thanks to our Ice Road crew!

Partnership at Work

A Note from the Editor: Hello, and welcome to the new look and layout of NRT’s Trailblazer!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Sarah Jensen. I am the writer and editor for this newsletter. It is my goal to provide you with articles and information relevant to northern Saskatchewan and the trucking industry, along with a healthy dose of light-hearted fun! I try to stay on top of news at NRT; my husband is an owner/operator for NRT and you’ve probably seen my dad around the office. But if you have story ideas or feature suggestions, I would love to hear them.

We would like to offer a share of the spotlight to you, the reader! Do you have a great picture of an NRT truck or driver? Or maybe a great shot of northern Saskatchewan’s diverse landscape and wildlife? We want to share it!

What do you think of the new look of the Trailblazer? Please send your questions, suggestions and feedback to nrt.trailblazer@outlook.com. Or if email is not your style, leave a note for me with Jenny Cook or Jessica McMillan in the front office, and they’ll be sure to pass it on. I hope you enjoy the changes!

Once there are twelve to fourteen inches of good ice, Claude Resources’ snow-cats go out to clear the snow from Seabee to Brabant. It is important for this to be done early in the season, because snow insulates the ice and it can become soft and thin under that “warm” blanket of powder. Ideally, the snow-cats are able to clear a road that is 120 ft wide, giving a nice large margin of good ice for our trucks to drive on.

Once the snow has been cleared, Olsen continues to monitor the thickness of the ice. When there is enough ice to support the weight of a grader, the grooming of the portages begins. Snow must be cleared, as well as any new growth or dead-fall on the trails. We want those portages in ship-shape before our drivers come through!

With the snow cleared and the trails groomed, it’s time for NRT to step in. This year, Wayne Grewcock and “Super” Dave Campbell made their first trip out to check the ice on January 14th. Wayne and Super are the ones in charge of ensuring that the ice is safe for NRT’s drivers; no silver trucks on Brabant until Wayne gives the go-ahead! This is not a job that they take lightly.

“The safety of our guys is the most important thing,” Wayne explains. He and Super are out three days a week, for twelve to fourteen hours a day, cutting holes in the ice and checking for potential problem areas. “If you start the road right, 99% of the time you’ll end the road right.”

They start the day in La Ronge, before the sun comes up, so that they can be on the ice at daylight. Super gets the saw going and starts his first cuts. He makes three to

four cuts across the width of the road, checking thickness against a bar on the saw-blade. On day one, he makes these cuts at 300m intervals, next day at 200m intervals, and so on. By the end, the ice has been checked every 100m for thickness and for quality.

“It’s not a bad job,” Super says. “You get lots of fresh air! But it was cold all this year, we didn’t have a nice day. Minus thirty-five, minus forty, every day. And then there’s the wind. But it’s different!”

Fresh air, indeed! I’m glad Super likes the job, because it might be a tough position to fill, otherwise. He’s outside all day in that weather, hauling around a huge ice-saw and riding in the back of a pickup truck.

“You have to understand Dave’s humility,” Wayne stresses. “This is not an easy job. It’s long days. Cold, hard days. He

No Time to Waste! Seabee gold mine has a very limited window of time to get all their supplies in for the year.

pretends it’s easy, but it’s not.”

It takes about two days to go all the way across the lake. Super and Wayne keep track of every cut they make in a book, so that they are sure they haven’t missed anything. This year, there were a few bad spots on Brabant that required extra checks. Every year, Wayne is careful to concentrate on problem areas.

“Some places will have twenty-four inches of ice,” he explains, “and then right next to that you’ve only got eighteen because of the current running underneath.” Before Wayne gives the okay to open the road to NRT traffic, he and Super Dave have made over 2500 measurements!

So what’s the magic number? How many inches of ice does there need to be before Wayne will give the okay? Sorry, that’s a trade secret. Wayne doesn’t like to advertise the thickness of the ice; he never marks the sticks with ice measurements like you might see on other ice roads. Why?

“There’s more to safety than just the inches of ice,” Wayne says. “There are different kinds of ice. Hard, blue ice has different weight restrictions than soft, white ice. Thickness alone doesn’t indicate safety.”

“We rely on ice checks to quantify it,” Glen Ertell, NRT’s Branch Manager, agrees. “We reference those numbers against the Saskatchewan Highways chart for best practices. It’s a guideline. We also need to consider weather conditions, the quality of the ice, not just the thickness.”

Before the first NRT trucks start out, Wayne and Super put out kilometre markers and flag bad areas on the portages.

They continue to do this all season, so that drivers can be informed and confident when driving the sometimes steep, tight curves of the portages.

When Wayne gives the okay, the first trucks out are light loads. Just because the ice is thick enough, doesn’t mean you can drive anything you want on the road. As the first, lighter trucks begin crossing, the road will flex. The ice cracks and refreezes and becomes stronger. Wayne will run load limits for the first two weeks, approximately, before full weights are allowed on the road. And, as always, any overweight loads are left to the very end.

It is Shirley Rempel’s job, as the special ice road dispatcher, to try to juggle the mine’s priority loads with the weight limits so that Seabee doesn’t have to wait any longer than necessary for their stuff, and NRT’s drivers are kept safe while bringing it to them. This can be a very difficult task as new loads become available every day, the mine’s priorities can change, and there are a limited number of drivers available for ice-road work. I wonder if Shirley can juggle bean-bags as well as she juggles trailers?

This year, January 25th was the first day of truck traffic on Brabant Lake, about two weeks behind last year’s schedule. The last load, a hefty 120,000 lb piece of equipment, went across on April 5th, marking the end of the ice road season. Why wait until the very end to take in the heaviest items?

“The end of the season is when the road is the strongest,” Wayne explains. “It’s been built up by all the traffic. The road has been cracking and refreezing and getting thicker with every load. And as temperatures warm up the ice becomes more flexible; when it’s cold out the ice can be brittle.” Also, after a heavy load goes into the mine, there

Light Loads First! Shirley organizes the loads so they get progressively heavier as the season goes on.

Who says size doesn’t matter? Sounds like the words of a person with an inferior chainsaw!

is a hold on ice traffic for twenty-four to thirty-six hours to allow any cracks in the ice to refreeze.

So the 2014 ice road season has been another success for Wayne Grewcock and Dave Campbell, but they’ll be quick to point out that NRT’s accomplishment is a team effort.“Wayne (Dalshaug) and Harold Brand are out there marshaling 24/7,” Wayne tells us. “They’re making sure everyone is being safe and drivers have the support they need. We don’t allow drivers to meet on the ice, trucks wait for each other on portages. There’s a certain amount of risk on the ice road at all times, so we do everything we can to lessen the risk.”

Newly minted NRT President, Dave McIlmoyl, agreed. “On an ice road, you don’t get any prizes for pushing the limits,” he says. And NRT’s ice road policies are designed with that in mind.

The ice road marshals keep track of who is on the ice at all times, as drivers are out of radio range of one another from one end to the next. Wayne and Harold scoot around in NRT pick-ups, keeping tabs on everything. Trucks are spaced at least 1km apart on the ice road, and are limited to 15km/hr speeds. No trucks are allowed to meet on the ice. If there are hold ups or problems, they can run into the mine to notify Seabee of any scheduling changes. Plus, they always make sure there’s coffee on at the shack at Brabant, so that our bleary-eyed drivers can start their early days off right!

It’s not just NRT’s team that makes the ice road season a success, either. Claude Resources’ team at Seabee is an excellent partner.“Everyone from Manny and the kitchen staff to the guys

waiting around to unload our trucks,” Wayne reminds us. “They all treat us very well. It’s hard work, but the people make it enjoyable.”

It’s a lot of work for only a three month season, but it’s an experience few would pass up. “I’m always happy when it starts,” Wayne laughs. “But I’m more happy when it’s finished.”

A big thank you goes out to everyone involved in the ice road season, especially those behind the scenes. You’ve done a great job, once again. And Super Dave, I don’t know what we’re going to do if you ever decide you don’t want to haul that saw around every winter! •

Happy Trails! Regular maintenance is necessary to keep ice road portages in ship shape. Thanks Seabee team!

Homeward bound Driving off into a spectacular winter sunset; one of the perks enjoyed by NRT’s ice road truckers!

Did You Know ???

There are two different kinds of ice to consider when deciding how safe it is to drive across. “Blue” ice is clear and hard; it is created during ideal weather conditions and is very strong. “White” ice is opaque and soft. It occurs in warmer temperatures, underneath snow, and over moving water. It must be much thicker than blue ice to be safe! This is why knowing how thick ice is is not

the only indication of how safe it is to drive on!

Rick Reynolds’ resignation as NRT’s President on March 5, 2014 marks the end of an era for Northern Resource Trucking. Reynolds has been with NRT

since the very beginning. Let’s have a look back at the man who spent 28 years putting up with us!

A man of many talents, Rick was trained as an electrical engineer and also has his MBA. After a brief stint in the Canadian Armed Forces, Rick spent his whole career at Trimac. Now that’s loyalty! Of course, it is through Trimac that Rick became involved with Northern Resource Trucking…

Before NRT was formed, Rick was working with a Trimac joint venture with the US company Bechtel Corporation. Bechtel required Canadian content to bid on oil and gas development in Canada. The joint venture company, called Bantrel, provided employment opportunities for Canadians, as well as equity and profit for both sides.

Rick moved on to become the manager of Trimac’s Saskatchewan and Manitoba Region, and he was officed in Saskatoon. But the partnership with Bechtel inspired Reynolds; he saw an opportunity to apply that business model to a northern partnership. At this same time, Dave McIlmoyl—who was working as the Executive Director of

the Lac La Ronge Indian Band—was starting the Kitsaki Development Corporation, a ground-breaking business venture for the Band.

Rick saw a partnership with Kitsaki Development Corporation as a way for Trimac to participate in the growing northern uranium mining sector in a way that they couldn’t do on their own. Dave was looking for a strong business partnership with a company that was ready to invest in northern communities. The timing was perfect!

Rick and his wife, Ursula, came to La Ronge to meet with Dave and hash out the details. Many companies had courted Kitsaki for their partnership, but none of them had seemed like the right fit. Dave was a little leery when he met with Reynolds at the Hong Kong Kitchen, but this time Kitsaki was in luck! Rick was an outdoorsman and related well to northern Saskatchewan. And Ursula Reynolds is a very charming lady, which didn’t hurt. This inauspicious start marked the beginning of Northern Resource Trucking; NRT was formed in 1986.

Rick and Dave had their work cut out for them, though. Kitsaki Development Corporation was new to the trucking industry, low on cash and experience. Rick and Dave had

The End of an Era: NRT wishes Rick Reynolds a Happy Retirement

Darryl Cantin, Rob Amundson, Dale Peacock, Rick Reynolds, Jim Woods, Lloyd Driedger, Dave Doucet, and Trevor Dumont on the Athabasca ice road.

the challenge of getting Trimac to agree to 51% control of Northern Resource Trucking going to KDC. But it was done, and an industry leader was born!

Through Rick, Trimac gave NRT full support for equipment purchasing, trailer design, legal services, accounting and training. The NRT agreement with Trimac allowed Trimac to appoint NRT’s president and, since this was his baby, Rick Reynolds became NRT’s very first president. Rick was very involved with NRT’s startup and he remained so until moving to Calgary in 1990, when his day to day involvement was reduced. But his support was always there. Both the General Manager of NRT, and later the Vice President of NRT, reported to Reynolds.

In 2001, Rick retired from Trimac to sail around the world! He remained NRT’s President, but his role became one of a consultant and mentor to the rest of NRT’s management team. Rick stayed on as NRT’s President until, at an NRT board meeting on March 5 of this year, he resigned from the position. Former Vice President, Dave McIlmoyl, has been promoted to fill the Presidential shoes. Meanwhile, Rick has plans to build his sail boat in the hills northwest of Cochrane, Alberta, and to enjoy time at his cabin in northern Saskatchewan.

NRT would like to wish a fond farewell to Rick, with all the best in his retirement. Also, a hearty congratulations to our new President, Dave McIlmoyl, and best of luck to the future of a great northern company! •

Rick with Cameco’s VP of Finance and Admin, Al Pettigrew, in 1994. Yes, I mean ‘94 and not ‘74. In Saskatchewan we were still wearing foam trucker hats without a hint of irony! The ‘90’s were a special time.

Group photo of the 1997 NRT Partners meeting in Calgary, Alberta. Check out new NRT President, Dave McIlmoyl, on the far right.

Then...

Now!

A man of many talents! Rick fires up the snow mobile during a winter visit to his cabin.

Rick plans to spend time at his cabin on Booth Lake in northern Saskatchewan. Can’t blame him for that!

Q&Awith

Community CollectionIf you’ve been to visit the NRT office lately, you may have noticed some posters advertising a need for clothing, blankets, household items, and non-perishable food donations. These items are being gathered for Community Collection, a home-grown charity started by NRT’s own Jenny Cook and Jessica McMillan! I sat down with these charitable spirits to ask a few questions about the Community Collection project and how Trailblazer readers can get involved!

Q: What inspired you to start? JC: It’s something we had been talking about randomly. I saw Jennifer Hudson talking about her charity which provides school supplies/computers to schools who are in dire need and really loved the idea of doing that. I can’t remember if that is the exact thing that got us started, but collecting school supplies is definitely something we will be doing.

JM: We have both been looking for something to do to help other people. This gives us a chance to do it the way we want to and on our schedule. There are so many people in our community that need help. I think people take for granted the amount of stuff we have that we don’t need. We want to be able to help people with anything we can. Whether that is food, clothes, or school supplies for their kids. This also gives us an opportunity to be doing a different type of drive every couple of months. Q: What are your goals for this year? JC: Our main goal is to always be collecting stuff--every day, all week, all year. Aside from the select collections that we choose to do, the biggest thing we have planned is the school supply collection. We have sent letters to each of the school divisions in Saskatchewan to let them know that they can submit via letter or email why their school needs the supplies. We are VERY excited about this one! The contest is is running from April-June. Supplies will be collected until August 31, 2014 and will be given to the school with the best application in the

Philanthropist in Training: Jessica McMillan and Jasmine Cook (8) take a break from loading up the delivery truck. These goodies were collected in March and April, and went to the Saskatoon Crisis Nursery.

fall, when school starts. JM: At the moment, we are also trying to promote our Facebook page. The more people aware of us, the more donations we will be able to get! We are starting to plan our school supplies drive. I think this will be very exciting because we are hoping to raise a lot of money for this one and have school involvement.

Q: Tell me about the successes you had in January and February?

JC: January and February were the months we collected for the La Ronge food bank. We raised $200.00 in non-perishable food items, which, we felt was really great. One of the NRT drivers gave us $100 right off the bat! I think the biggest thing was seeing a lot of the people in the town coming out to see what we were bringing. We felt as if we had accomplished something and the food was very much needed.

JM: For our first go at this, we did pretty well. We had some help with donations from NRT and a couple of drivers which was nice to see. We even had the pleasure of dropping the food off in La Ronge ourselves, which was a great feeling.

Q: How did the drive for March and April go?

JM: Great! We had a whole truck load of stuff!

JC: We did have quite a bit of stuff! We just started our Facebook page Community Collection. A few people have used it as a means to contact us about donations, which is really awesome. Our plan for this month (April), in the beginning, was to donate to the P.A. food bank, however, they were not able to accommodate what we were donating this time around so we donated to the Saskatoon Crisis Nursery instead.

Q: What’s next?

JC: Getting to 100 likes on Facebook! We’re giving away a prize package once we hit that lucky number. One of our ideas when we started in Jan was a coat/winter clothes collection so that may be something we will look at doing in the fall.

JM: We want to roll with the seasons. There are certain times when each drive will be more essential and that will be a big reason for any drive we put our time into. That being said, we are collecting anything we can throughout the year.

Tiny But Mighty: Jasmine had to do some heavy lifting to fill the delivery truck! Big heart and big mus-cles!

Tight Fit!: Once all of the donations were loaded up, there was barely room left over for the drivers!

Q: How can readers get involved? JC: If anyone has anything they would like to donate we are always taking things like clothes, pots and pans, toys, non-perishable food items etc. We also want to hear about people who are in need. If someone knows of a community or family or school that needs clothes or food they can let us know and we will do our best to help them. Our page & collection is for everyone; we don’t care who you are or how much money you have or don’t have, we are not going to question your lifestyle. If you are in need of something we will do our best to help you.

JM: Donate something! We are always collecting and every bit helps. I challenge each and every one of you to donate something. Together we can try to make life a little easier for someone who needs it. Get a hold of us through Facebook or email if you would like to donate something or if you need something yourself.

JC: We also want people to know that everything is free, 100%! We don’t require anything or any sort of payment from anyone. But we would really like it if everyone could “like” and “share” our Facebook page!

What a great initiative! Congratulations to Jenny and Jessica for their outstanding work. We wish them all the best as the drive for school supplies starts.

If you want to get involved, you can contact them through the following:

facebook.com/CCollectionSK communitycollectionsk@gmail.com

306-380-3662

Dire Warnings: The Looming Canadian Driver Shortage

The looming driver shortage in Canada is a great black cloud on the horizon of the Transportation Industry.

We’ve all heard the warnings. The Conference Board of Canada cautions that a shortage of up to 33,000 drivers will be upon us by 2020. If we take into account all the other transportation related jobs—including mechanics, dispatchers, parts technicians, customer service agents, etc.—that number swells to over 300,000 openings in the next ten years.

Why, when many other sectors are laying off employees left, right, and centre, is the Transportation Industry so desperate for workers? In Canada, Transportation is a $17-billion-a-year industry. And it’s growing! There should be crowds clamouring to get their Class 1A licenses. But so far, Canada hasn’t seen a significant uptick in interest in transportation related careers.

Part of the reason for the shortage is that the average age

of Canadian truck drivers is 44, with only 12% of for-hire drivers under the age of 30. This higher than national average age is exacerbated by many drivers opting for early retirement due to the physically difficult nature of the work. Furthermore, there are fewer younger drivers lining up to take their place. The problem seems like a simple one. Why not just recruit more young drivers?

Well, the answer is a little more complicated than that. Part of the problem is that wages for truck drivers have not increased along with inflation over the years. Many truckers today are making less money than they were in the 1960’s after adjusting for the cost of living, and this doesn’t even include the higher cost of buying and operating new, energy-efficient engines. That $17-billion-a-year industry just isn’t letting much of the profits trickle down to the guys who do the majority of the work, the drivers.

Where truck driving used to provide a solid middle class

income and was seen as a good, reliable career choice for people with families, that perception has changed. Today young people view the hard work, 14 plus hours a day, days and weeks away from home, as simply not being compensated for by the modest income potential. There are companies that pay well—albeit fewer and fewer of them—but they require their drivers to have many years driving experience, which rules out new drivers. Why drive truck when you could be a Heavy Equipment Operator, make more money, and sleep in your own bed every night?

These are the questions being posed by the Driver Shortage Blue Ribbon Task Force (www.drivershortage.ca). They have made it their mission to reform the Canadian Transportation industry before this driver shortage becomes an economic crisis. One of the talking points for this group is on the need for professional driving to be reclassified as a skilled profession, which would place stricter requirements on driver certification and drive up the wages for entry-level positions. By making it more difficult to become a truck driver, they will increase the desirability of the profession.

“Trucking HR Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and provincial trucking associations have joined together in a project that will establish the benchmarks for the industry’s goal of seeing mandatory entry level driver training introduced across Canada — a key step in addressing the trucking industry’s intensifying shortage of qualified personnel,” reports the Blue Ribbon website.

“The three-year Driving the Future project is supported with $1.2 million in funding from Employment and

Specialized Work: Many truck drivers are highly trained professionals whom we trust to safely transport dangerous goods and supersized equipment worth millions of dollars!

Complex Equipment such as this Scorpion Drill should only be trusted to experienced industry pros, even if it comes at a cost. The money saved hiring inexperienced drivers is wasted if you have to fish your damaged goods out of the ditch!

Social Development Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program, and will be led by Trucking HR Canada.”

According to Blue Ribbon, the project aims to delineate the skills and abilities that Canadian transportation companies expect from entry level drivers. From there, a focus on more experienced drivers will help to develop a national apprenticeship-style program.

“Driving the Future will then identify the steps an entry level driver needs to follow to be certified, such as the knowledge to be demonstrated in written tests, performance standards for road tests, and minimum requirements for experiences such as time behind the wheel,” states a Blue Ribbon press release from March of this year.

What will these steps accomplish? Industry insiders are excited by the potential for true reform:

“This work will take us beyond the steps needed to earn a licence,” says Angela Splinter, CEO of Trucking HR Canada. “Working alongside the carriers who will ultimately hold entry level drivers to these higher standards, we will clearly identify the skills and abilities that drivers are expected to demonstrate when they are first hired. This will guide the schools who develop training programs, make graduating drivers more employable, and better meet the trucking industry’s needs.”

David Bradley, CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance , agrees. “By taking this important step toward mandatory entry level driver training,” he was quoted on Blue

Ribbon’s website, “we are beginning a process that we believe will result in truck driving being recognized as a skilled occupation, which will enhance the attractiveness of the job and the industry while enhancing highway safety.”

Will it be enough to turn things around for Canadian truck drivers, and those interested in a career in the rapidly growing transportation industry? We certainly hope so. Experienced truck drivers do an extremely important job for our economy, and their skills help to keep everyone on the road safe. It is a shame to undervalue their hard work, and we do so at our own risk and expense. If those 33,000 positions can’t be filled the cost of goods will rise as supply can’t meet up with demand. And if we fill them with inexperienced, underqualified drivers we will be creating a dangerous driving environment for future generations. •

NRT Trained Drivers get the job done! At the NRT training school, students are put through their paces. SGI examiners watch intently as this student performs one of many safety inspections on her truck.

Cold and Remote destinations are another hazard dealt with by those driving in northern Saskatchewan. Dangerous road and weather conditions make safety conscious drivers an essential ingredient for running a successful business.

Wolves, too.

Did I mention there are wolves? Becuase there are wolves.

This hungry looking fellow was spotted by one of NRT’s drivers. Hopefully this photograph was taken from safely inside his truck!

“I’ve been at NRT for one year this April; I love it here! Now, with

new Promotion & Events duties alongside Jessica, we will help to create a fresh, updated look for NRT.I’m so excited to see where this position will take me as a person and all of the amazing things we can bring to the NRT team!

”

Shaking Things Up at NRT!The times, they are a-changing, and at NRT it’s no exception. If you’ve been into the office lately, you may notice things are starting to look a little different. Wendy Featherstone, a fixture in the front office for 15 years has suddenly set up shop in the Safety and Compliance offices. The former Executive Assistant to Vice President Dave McIlmoyl has been promoted to HR Manager along with Dave dropping the “Vice” from his title. Furthermore, Jenny Cook and Jessica McMillan have taken on additional duties coordinating Promotion and Events for NRT. They are tasked with bringing the company into the 21st century: managing social media accounts, updating our online presence, and basically giving the company fresh new image. We have them to thank for the brand new full-colour Trailblazer, by the way! Make sure you say “Thank You” and show your support by clicking “Like” and “Share” on NRT’s page next time you’re cruising Facebook, and give us a “Follow” in Twitter. Next up is a new website, so stay tuned!

What’s Your Friggin’ Problem?!?

Now that Wendy has been promoted to HR Manager at NRT, she is especially qualified to “solve” your problems for you. If you have a problem you want some questionable advice on, send it Attn: “WYFP” to wfeatherstone@nrtlp.com

Dear Wendy,

My husband has a tattoo on his arm of his ex-wife, complete with her picture! I have asked him to get it removed, but he keeps putting it off. He says it’s too expensive, and he doesn’t really notice it or care about it anymore, but it bothers me. Should I put my foot down about this, or am I over reacting?

Not in Ink in Prince Albert

Dear Not in Ink,

I guess if he won’t remove it, and it is really bothering you, you should do something about it. It is painful to get

“I have been working

at NRT for about 2 years now. I started

as the receptionist and now hold the position of Accounts

Payable. I am very excited about our new Promotion &

Events responsibilities and feel as if we will brighten up

the creative aspects of the business.

”

Shaking Things Up at NRT!The times, they are a-changing, and at NRT it’s no exception. If you’ve been into the office lately, you may notice things are starting to look a little different. Wendy Featherstone, a fixture in the front office for 15 years has suddenly set up shop in the Safety and Compliance offices. The former Executive Assistant to Vice President Dave McIlmoyl has been promoted to HR Manager along with Dave dropping the “Vice” from his title. Furthermore, Jenny Cook and Jessica McMillan have taken on additional duties coordinating Promotion and Events for NRT. They are tasked with bringing the company into the 21st century: managing social media accounts, updating our online presence, and basically giving the company fresh new image. We have them to thank for the brand new full-colour Trailblazer, by the way! Make sure you say “Thank You” and show your support by clicking “Like” and “Share” on NRT’s page next time you’re cruising Facebook, and give us a “Follow” in Twitter. Next up is a new website, so stay tuned!

What’s Your Friggin’ Problem?!?

Now that Wendy has been promoted to HR Manager at NRT, she is especially qualified to “solve” your problems for you. If you have a problem you want some questionable advice on, send it Attn: “WYFP” to wfeatherstone@nrtlp.com

a tattoo removed, but it wouldn’t be too painful to insist that he go in, add a mustache and about 200lb to the image. Also, he could add a “Screw you” above her name to ensure everyone knows she is yesterday’s news. If he isn’t prepared to permanently alter the image, he had better at least agree to let you use permanent marker every day for the rest of his life to spiff up the picture to your satisfaction. Finally, if he won’t do either of these things, you may just have to accept that he belongs to her, pack him up and ship him back to her immediately.

Dear Wendy,

My mother is an aggressive and terrible driver. It isn’t because

of her age; she has always been dangerous behind the wheel. She has had a lot of fender benders, but she mostly pays for them and they don’t go on to her record. Now that I have kids, I don’t want to let them in the car with her, but she thinks I’m being “ridiculous”, and I should get over it. What do I tell her?

Scared in Saskatoon

Dear Scared,

You should install a 12 inch steel spike to the centre of her steering wheel pointing directly at her chest, and tell her that if she is alive after a year, you would consider letting her drive with your kids.

In honour of Saskatchewan Transportation Week, NRT is being recognized with not one,

but two of the prestigious awards given on behalf of the Saskatoon Transportation Club

Executive.

NRT Branch Manager, Glen Ertell will be given the 2014 Award of Excellence for his extensive involvement in and outstanding

contributions to the benefit of transportation and distribution in Saskatchewan. Way to go,

Glen! Congratulations! and

NRT President, Dave McIlmoyl, will be inducted into the Transportation Hall of Fame at this same ceremony. Despite Dave’s protestations

that receiving this honour just means he’s old, NRT couldn’t be prouder of their new President.

Congratulations, Dave! At least you know you earned those gray hairs.

ANNUAL SASKATCHEWAN TRANSPORTATION AWARDS BANQUET 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Top of the Inn, 612 Spadina Crescent,

Saskatoon

This event will celebrate and formally recognize the efforts of individuals in the

logistics industry as well as to raise funds to cover the Saskatchewan Transportation Club’s

annual scholarships and Hall of Fame.

Upcoming Events...

The daily grind...

Administrative Professionals’ Day was celebrated in fine form at the Travelodge, with a gourmet four-course meal by Executive Chef Vincent Niels Kjeldson!

Daniel Johnston, Richard Wilm, and Robin Dalshaug enjoy lunch at the office in honour of Jessica McMillan’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Jess!

Speaking of birthdays, Chad Tucker also celebrated one this month. Happy Birthday, Chad!

NEW FEATURE: Thank-you Thursdays at NRT!Each week, Jenny and Jessica will be collecting nominations for “Thank-you

Thursday,” a celebration of helpful employees and community members. If you would like to say thanks to someone who has gone out of their way to help

you, send them a message on Facebook or see them in the office!

Since this program started this spring, we have had four outstanding members of the NRT team nominated: Jake Pocrnic, for stoping to help a fellow driver, Wendy Featherstone, for helping to teach a co-worker a new duty, and Grant

and Ryan Merriman, for always being willing to lend a hand and just being good guys to work with. Great job, everyone!

Facebook Contest!

We’re hosting a “Trucker Hat Contest” on our Facebook page! To be entered, here’s what you need to do: “Like” the NRT facebook page.

Submit a photo of yourself, your child, or a friend in a trucker hat.

Send us a private message with your name and email address, so we can contact you if you win!

Each photo submitted will earn you one entry in a draw to win a $300 prize package! This contest runs until June 30th.

Please visit us at www.facebook.com/NRTLP for more details, view submissions, and to get information on upcoming contests!

Alexis Moostoos (8), models a lovely NRT trucker hat. She’s in the running to win a $300 prize package!

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3

The daily grind...

When Dave McIlmoyl was promoted to

President of NRT, his co-workers

wanted to make sure everyone

knew that he’s “Kind of a Big

Dill.”

Dave will be BBQing in style this summer!

NEW FEATURE: Thank-you Thursdays at NRT!Each week, Jenny and Jessica will be collecting nominations for “Thank-you

Thursday,” a celebration of helpful employees and community members. If you would like to say thanks to someone who has gone out of their way to help

you, send them a message on Facebook or see them in the office!

Since this program started this spring, we have had four outstanding members of the NRT team nominated: Jake Pocrnic, for stoping to help a fellow driver, Wendy Featherstone, for helping to teach a co-worker a new duty, and Grant

and Ryan Merriman, for always being willing to lend a hand and just being good guys to work with. Great job, everyone!

Lunch break at the Wathaman River.

Beautiful winter sunset, taken on Hwy 12 to Prince Albert, SK.

A perfect rainbow spotted just outside of Saskatoon last summer.

Steeple of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Stanley Mission, SK.

Northern Lens: Reader PicsDo you have a picture you would like to share with the Trailblazer? Submit them Attn: Northern Lens to nrt.trailblazer@outlook.com. Because this is the first Northern Lens feature, the following pictures are all my

own. But I hope to see many submission for the Summer 2014 issue!

Saskatoon Office 2945 Millar Avenue Saskatoon, SK S7K 6P6 Ph: 306-933-3010 Fax: 306-242-3156 www.nrtlp.comnrtinquiry@nrtlp.com

Training Centre La Ronge, SK Ph: 306-425-2148 Fax: 306-425-5311 Fuel Division Toll Free: 866-425-2345 Fax: 306-425-2910