A student of the NRT Training Centre performs a walk-around on her vehicle under the watchful gaze of an SGI instructor.

Saskatchewan’s new minimum training requirements for Class 1A drivers has had the media and transportation industry buzzing.

As of March 15, 2019, drivers are required to complete a minimum 121.5 hours of training before taking their road test. This mandatory entry-level training (MELT) consists of at least 47 hours classroom instruction, 17.5 hours yard instruction, and 57 hours behind the wheel. During their training course, students must pass 11 separate modules before they are able to take the practical examination. These are welcome changes to the province’s woefully inadequate past requirements, although some say they still leave a lot to be desired.

These changes come on the heels of the one year anniversary of the tragic Humboldt Broncos crash of April 6, 2018. The accident occurred when an Alberta-based transport truck driver drove through a rural stop sign and collided with a bus carrying the hockey team. Sixteen people were killed and thirteen injured. Even more

tragically, the accident could likely have been prevented by stricter federal and provincial guidelines for Class 1A driver training and certification. A hearing in March saw driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu sentenced to eight years in prison, and the owner of the Calgary company he was driving for, Sukhmander Singh, faces eight counts of failing to comply with safety and log-keeping regulations. Sidhu had only been driving for three weeks at the time of the accident.

Inadequate training requirements have long been the target of industry interest groups, like the Canadian Trucking Alliance, calls for action change at a federal level. They believe that in order to address the driver shortage plaguing the industry, truck driving needs to be taken seriously as a skilled profession. Ideally, drivers would go through a federally regulated training program and be eligible for grants and bursaries to cover the cost of their training. When drivers have to pay for their own training, and there are so

Trailblazer Spring 2019

A Safe Investment:SGI Introduces Mandatory Entry-Level Training for Truck Drivers

Partnership at Work

A Note from the Editor:

Well, folks, we survived another winter. I know we all like to complain about the weather but February saw some record-breaking cold snaps in 2019 and NRT’s drivers were out there in the worst of it. Between a massive ice-road haul into Seabee Gold Mine, fuel going strong, and NRT branching out into new territory, things have been bustling all winter. With Spring comes new Mandatory Entry-Level Training for the trucking industry, and NRT has been doing some education outreach to keep people up to date on what it takes to become a truck driver with these new rules. This issue will discuss driver safety and why NRT remains an industry leader in more ways than one.

Would you like to contribute an idea for the Trailblazer? Please send your questions, suggestions and feedback tonrt.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.

many legal but inadequate certification programs available, it is no wonder that we have a problem with undertrained and underqualified drivers on our roads.

Northern Resource Trucking is one company that won’t hire a driver who just has their MELT requirements. The company observes much stricter training expectations for its own employees, and it has done for over thirty years. Safety is the backbone of NRT’s relationship with the northern communities its trucks share the road with and the mining companies that it services. As such, NRT requires drivers to have a minimum of two years or 150,000 km of safe driving experience before they apply. A safe driving record means they must not have more than two driving infractions in one year, and no more than three in three years, including in their personal vehicles, and have no criminal record. This goes for drivers that NRT’s owner-operators put behind the wheel, too.

In 2006, when NRT celebrated its 20th anniversary, the company achieved another major milestone. NRT launched its own SGI-accredited driver training program in order to address the need they saw for access to adequate driver training in the north. While the NRT Training Centre provides basic driver training for a Class 5

endorsement, what truly sets it apart from other training programs in the province is its Class 1a certification. Drivers who graduate from NRT’s program have over 450 hours of experience in the classroom, yard, and behind the wheel! While students spend much of their time in the classroom, the focus of the training program is hands-on experience. Students practice on both loaded and empty 5-axle and 8-axle trailers, they get experience with load securement, roadside truck and trailer maintenance, and they drive on both paved and gravel roads. Where other training programs offer one, two, and three week courses, NRT’s training program is twelve weeks long! This depth and breadth of training is unique not only in Saskatchewan, but across Canada.

“We take about six students per group and do four sessions a year,” Randy Mihilewicz, Manager of NRT’s Training Division, says. This ensures students get a lot of one-on-one time with their instructors. Mihiliwicz started working for the company as a driver instructor when the school first opened before being promoted to Manager in 2008.

“We’ve had hundreds of successful students, and have a hire-rate of over 85% for graduates,” he boasts. “Frankly, that number could be a lot higher if drivers were willing to move farther from their home communities.”

Graduates have gone on to do local work for their bands or at the mines, delivery work in Prince Albert and Saskatoon, oil field work in Alberta, and even long-haul highway work across country or through the States into Mexico. What started as a way for NRT to train its own drivers has become a successful business attracting applicants from all over the country.

NRT’s focus on safety has paid off. In the transportation industry, the standard for comparison of company safety records are calculated as the number of incidents per 1,000,000 miles. The general target is to achieve less than 2 per million miles. NRT’s frequency last year was 0.55; often it is even lower.

Students at NRT’s training centre receive hands on training both in the classroom

and on the road.

“NRT has never had a frequency of 2,” Wendy Featherstone, HR Manager at NRT explains, “even though that is a standard that many in the industry strive to achieve.”

Saskatchewan’s new MELT standards are a good first step, but the push for national entry-level training standards continues. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced last year that such a standard will be in place by January 2020 as part of the National Safety Code. Even these upgraded minimum requirements leave something to be desired, though. NRT hopes to show others in the industry just how profitable a focus on driver training and safety can be. Quality driver training produces quality drivers, and professional trucking companies produce professional drivers. When the government’s minimum requirements are lacking, it is up to the industry to enforce its own standards. Investing in safety is always an economical decision. Safety is good business, plain and simple. •

Some equipment used by the mines is worth millions of dollars! NRT only uses the best drivers to deliver it safely.

Freight drivers must be able to safely haul overweight and overdimensional loads.

Top 5 Causes of Semi Accidents

NRT has some of the safest drivers around, but we aren’t the only company on the road. When accidents occur, these are the most common reasons why:

Driver Error – Truck drivers, even the well-trained ones, are not immune to mistakes. Due to the immense size and weights of tractor-trailer vehicles, a small mistake can have a massive impact. Driver fatigue, DUI, and distracted or reckless driving are all the more dangerous behind the wheel of a big rig. Studies show, however, that more than 80% of trucking accidents that involve another vehicle are due to driver error of the passenger vehicle, not the trucker!

Poor Vehicle Maintenance – Commercial drivers put on a lot of miles. Even on highways, this can cause significant wear and tear to their trucks and trailers. In extreme weather and on rough roads, regular maintenance is essential. Drivers are responsible for checking out their rigs before every trip. Equipment failures can become fatal mistakes.

Equipment Failure – Proper maintenance can prevent a lot of potential problems. But even so, equipment failures can occur. Defective components or improper installation by the mechanic can also cause accidents.

Weather and Road Conditions – We’re no stranger to bad weather in Saskatchewan. NRT’s drivers are some of the best because they are trained and tried in some of the worst possible driving conditions in the country. Snow, extreme cold, and rough roads can cause electrical components to act up and make it difficult for the fleets to keep their machinery in working order. The heavy weights of trucks and trailers make slowing down and stopping even more difficult. Good communication with other drivers on the north roads is especially important in bad weather.

Load-Securement Errors – Freight drivers in particular must be good problem solvers. Every load must abide by industry-specific rules for weight, length, height, and width that can vary depending on the type of road being travelled on. Drivers use straps, tarps, winches, and chains to secure loads to their trailers, and these loads must be checked multiple times throughout the trip to make sure nothing has shifted or is in danger of falling off.

May is a big month for education in the north with the 33rd Annual La Ronge and Area Career Fair and the 2019 Athabasca Flying Career Fair in Wollaston Lake, Black Lake, and Fond du Lac. Both events were organized by Keewatin Community Development Association (KCDA) and were a huge success. Northern Resource Trucking proudly participated in both events this year in order to promote the NRT Training Division in La Ronge, and to get more young people thinking about careers in the transportation industry.

The Athabasca Flying Career Fair is particularly important because it gives kids from remote communities a chance to explore job and education opportunities, both local and across the province, that they otherwise wouldn’t get. Cara Greyeyes of KCDA has been in charge of the career fair since it started five years ago.

“There have been some bumps along the way,” Greyeyes admits. The logistics of a multi-stop career fair like this one are daunting.

Presenters are flown from Saskatoon and La Ronge up to Stony Rapids, which is the home base for the week. While Black Lake is only a short drive away, both Wollaston and Fond du Lac are fly in events. Between small airplanes and early spring weather conditions there are always unknowns. Greyeyes takes it all in stride, though. “It’s not easy but it is worth it!”

“It’s been a learning experience for all of us,” she explains. “There are are a lot of things that are out of our control. But the schools know what to expect now and look forward to us every year,” she says. “We get feedback from the presenters, students, and teachers and see how we can improve next year.”

One of the biggest changes has occurred at the booths themselves. Athabasca Flying started as a hands-on career fair, where students had the opportunity to try some skills that they might use in a future career. At the NRT table, for example, kids learned how to repair an

Future Fliers: Athabasca Flying Career Fair Takes Off

Presenter Rick Langlais of Hands-On Outreach in Saskatoon speaks to students of Father Gamache Memorial School in Fond Du Lac.

airline on a semi and how to fill out a log book. While the kids enjoyed the hands-on component, there wasn’t enough time for students to spend at each station. Now, Greyeyes has the students fill out Activity Passports. They must visit each booth and ask a qualifying question to get their passport stamped by the presenter, and be entered into the prize draws at the end of each day. But now the students can spend more time at the booths that interest them and explore at their own pace.

“The Activity Passports have worked really well,” Greyeyes says. “They can visit an employer’s booth and find out what education requirements a certain job has, then they can visit the post-secondary and trade booths and find out how they get that education, what classes they need to take now in order to pursue that career.”

The Athabasca Flying Career Fair has changed the way students are thinking about their futures. With everything in one place, students

are exposed to a wider range of career possibilities they might never have thought of. It’s not just teacher, nurse, police officer, anymore but IT, paramedic, graphic designer, and more! KCDA is hoping to expand those options ever further in upcoming years.

“We are setting up a committee this year with local leaders, Athabasca businesses, and past presenters,” Greyeyes says. “The students really seem to want to learn about opportunities that keep them close to home, and helping their own communities. Ideally, we’d like all Athabasca companies to have a representative at the Career Fair.”

This is one of the main reasons that NRT maintains a presence at the career fair despite the depressed state of the uranium industry and the recent layoffs at Cameco. NRT President Dave McIlmoyl says the company’s participation in education outreach is not necessarily about direct hires.

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Students who completed their activity passports were entered to win a grand prize draw for a cell phone! The lucky winners were Tyana Dzeylion (left) of Father Megret High School in Wollaston Lake, Camryn Mercredi

(centre) of Father Port High School in Black Lake, and Darien McDonald (right) of Father Gamache Memorial School in Fond du Lac.

“We have partners who expect us to provide jobs and training,” McIlmoyl explains. “Even if graduates of our training school don’t work for NRT, they can find jobs driving truck because the trucking industry needs 30,000 drivers in North America.”

Career Fairs are one way that the trucking industry needs to utilize in order to address the industry-wide driver shortage problem. Fighting back against stereotypes about the transportation industry is necessary, too. Truck drivers are highly skilled workers, they make better than average salaries, and there are many opportunities for those who wish to grow into fleet owner or company management positions. NRT hopes to keep truck driving in the back of students’ minds as they consider future careers as a viable and profitable business to get in to. The message is starting to sink in, too. While we share the career fair space with many post-secondary institutions and trade organizations, the NRT booth has consistently been one of the most popular booths amongst both students and teachers in the past few years.

“First Nations communities have young people who need to enter the wage economy,” McIlmoyl says. “The trucking industry needs young

people. So it’s a good match.”

Career Fairs are also a great place to introduce girls and young women to the idea of becoming professional drivers, and they are a huge untapped market for the transportation industry. Traditionally, women have avoided the profession because of the long hours and the time away from home. But young people are splitting work and home responsibilities differently these days, and young women are seeing the potential for financial independence and freedom that comes behind the wheel of a big rig. Even if they don’t want to drive for the rest of their lives, young people are starting to think of driving as a great way to make money and save up for further education, down payments, and other major financial obstacles on the way to their future life goals.

Most of all, NRT likes to maintain a presence in the communities that have partnered with us and supported us over the years. KCDA’s career fairs are a fantastic opportunity for us to touch base and see how we can better serve our partners. The Athabasca Flying Career Fair has been a great success so far, and it’s just starting to take off! •

If you have a business that you’d like to promote at next year’s career fair please contact Cara Greyeyes at Keewatin Community Development Association 306-425-9237 cara.greyeyes@kcda.ca

Caribou Country

One of the most spectacular aspects of visiting northern Saskatchewan is the hospitality of the

people. Every year at the Athabasca Flying Career Fair, the schools provide us with a hot lunch of caribou and bannock, prepared by the students. Soups, stews, stirfies, you name it and caribou

tastes delicious in it!

This year, we were also treated to BBQ caribou ribs and kidneys thanks to the generosity of Stony

Rapids local, Kyle Macdonald, and homemade apple pie made by his grandmother.

Join us next year for the experience of a lifetime!

Anyone who has spent time breaking trail through the boreal forests of northern Saskatchewan will recognize a few edible plants and berries. People have been living off the land in Saskatchewan for thousands of years; traditional uses for local fauna have been passed down for generations and are still in use today. But what if we could bring these boreal treasures to the rest of the world?

Randy Johns, with Keewatin Community Development Association (KCDA), asked himself that question. The result was Boreal Heartland Herbal Products, a division of KCDA in La Ronge, which hires local people to ethically and sustainably harvest local plants for global markets. Boreal Heartland’s goal, according to their mission statement, “is to develop the non-timber forest products sector in northern Saskatchewan to the point where it is a major contributor to the regional economy.” The company vision is for northern people and plants to grow together toward a strong economic future.

Boreal Heartland works with an Indigenous advisory committee which provides traditional perspectives on how and when to harvest local plants. The company provides work opportunities for northern people, too. Over 90% of Boreal Heartland’s employees are Indigenous, and many are harvesting plants they find on their own traditional trap lines and land. This participation is encouraged by the company, who provides an additional 5% bonus for harvesters who are First Nations or Metis.

Harvesters receive training and certification through the Herb and Spice and Specialty Agriculture Association of Saskatchewan (HSSA), who provide Good Agriculture Collection Practices (GACP) training and certification in the region. The Saskatchewan Ministry

of Environment regulates all harvesting in provincial forests, and Boreal Heartland works closely with the Ministry, providing data on quantities, harvest methods, and area maps on every harvest. The Ministry approves each plan before Boreal Heartland proceeds with their harvest, and every harvest is monitored and quantities reported in order to comply with the permit requirements. Boreal Heartland develops their plans after consultation with the Indigenous Advisory Committee to ensure both traditional and bureaucratic expectations are met, and the sustainability of the company’s methods are ensured. Boreal Heartland uses these initiatives to ensure these botanicals are not only alive but thriving in future generations.

So, what kinds of plants can be harvested in northern Saskatchewan? Boreal Heartland has focussed on two product groups so far, herbal teas and mushrooms. Chanterelle and morel mushrooms from the boreal forests are some of the best in the world. Saskatchewan’s Chanterelles are considered superior to all others because of the firmness caused by semi-arid growing conditions. Morels thrive due to seasonal wildfires, and are the first signs that a healthy forest is entering the rejuvenation stage. They are enjoyed as a delicacy around the world. Labrador tea, fireweed, wild mint, goldenrod, nettle, wild sarsaparilla root, rosehip, bearberry, and birch leaf are all used to create delicious and curative herbal tea blends. Boreal Heartland offers a pure Labrador Tea, as well as Energization, Relaxation, and Restoration blends in their tea catalogue.

If you’d like more information on Boreal Heartlands or to purchase their products, please visit their website www.borealheartlands.ca or call (306) 425-4778 for more details. •

Entrepreneurial Trailblazers: Boreal Heartland brings northern

herbs to world markets

While the uranium industry might be in a slump these days, gold seems to be doing just fine! The 2019 ice road season was busier than ever, with a record 770 crossings! NRT pulled in 15% more revenue than last year due to all the equipment and construction materials SSR Mining needed for construction work happening this summer. Seabee dispatcher, Shirley Rempel, had her work cut out for her to get the gold mine everything they needed in only fifty-seven days.

“My team included six owner-operators, four company trucks—three of which were winch trucks and mainly transported heavy loads and over-dimensional loads—and a total of fourteen sub-contractors,” Rempel says. “Four of them didn’t start until later in the season, though.”

The road opened January 28th, with light loads. This was a little earlier than usual thanks to the brisk winter weather we had this year. But Mother Nature never can make up her mind, and the ice road was temporarily closed from March 18th-23rd due to warm weather. In the days that the road was open, Rempel facilitated the delivery of a record breaking 4,075,259 litres of diesel onto the site, sixteen pieces of heavy equipment, helped to mobilize site contractor Nuna Logistics, and dispatched a total 539 trucks to the mine. Super-B trailers must be split for ice road crossings, which is why the total number of crossings is so much higher.

Of the fifty-seven open days, some were significantly shortened.

After heavy equipment comes across the ice, no traffic is allowed for a minimum of twelve hours in most cases. Rempel had to get an average of 15-20 loads across every day in order to complete the deliveries. That’s a tall order for any dispatcher, even without the complications of ice road travel! Rempel and her team did an exemplary job, and Seabee reports that there were zero safety or environmental incidents during NRT’s performance.

While many people think of ice road trucking as dangerous work, NRT has never had an incident on the ice. While Seabee does the preparation and maintenance on the road, NRT has absolute discretion as to whether or not to drive on it. The Seabee team is always ready to address any concerns with the ice or road conditions.

“NRT has been hauling to SSR Mining Inc. Seabee Gold Operation for over 20 years,” NRT President Dave McIlmoyl says. “It has changed ownership over that time but the ice road and mine site are in the same place. We have a great relationship with the staff there and look forward to providing transportation services to them each year.”

It’s not quite as exciting as it looks on TV, but the ice road is still a one-of a kind experience for most truck drivers. NRT’s team boasts some of the most experienced ice road haulers around. If you want excitement, though, try hanging out with Rempel in dispatch next winter! She’s probably ready for a vacation. •

A Golden Ice Road Season:NRT hauls some record breaking numbers in to Seabee Gold Mine

Do you know this building?

Fun Fact:This colourful building belongs to the RCMP

office in Black Lake, Saskatchewan. The building materials used in its construction were hauled by...

You guessed it! NRT.

HR Romance:Wendy Featherstone, HR Manager and the cynical and sarcastic voice of What’s Your Friggin’ Problem, apparently has a soft spot in her cold, black heart.

Just so long as you are four-legged and fuzzy.

NRT is a company that thrives on challenges. When we started hauling to the remote mines in northern Saskatchewan, NRT specialized in work that no one else was equipped to do. But work is slowing down in the industry that NRT was built for. So what are we going to do? Expand, of course!

President Dave McIlmoyl and his management team have been working hard make sure the company doesn’t stagnate during Cameco’s slow down. NRT is taking its specialized knowledge on the road. NRT has been branching out of its familiar territory, forming new relationships and partners, and expanding its operations across the country. As these new ventures become more established, we’ll investigate them in greater detail. But for now, here is a sneak peak of what NRT has been up to over the last year:

New Gold: NRT started hauling lime and grinding medium, chemical repacks in vans, water treatment chemicals in bulk and vans, and are now getting ready to haul explosives emulsion. They have formed Big Grassy Logistics Limited Partnership as a vehicle to bid on New Gold work. NRT has also worked with New Gold to provide rail transloading and transportation for grinding medium when they source an off shore supplier. The company is working with their partners at Big Grassy River First Nation to explore other mining opportunities in northwestern Ontario, and are looking for acquisitions that could give NRT access to US hauling without having the company operate as a US DOT carrier.

Winnipeg Terminal: As a result of the New Gold work, NRT is now renting office and yard space at Trimac’s Winnipeg terminal. We’ve hired an Operations Manager, share a Sales Rep, and have two company drivers and one owner operator in Winnipeg. NRT is looking to hire more drivers there as work develops.

Piwapisk Hauling Limited Partnership: NRT formed a partnership with nine Manitoba First Nations, First Nations Mining Economic Development Inc., to start Piwapisk. This partnership will be used as a vehicle to bid on numerous ventures in northern Manitoba.

These new partnerships have changed the way dispatch works at the NRT office in Saskatoon. John Newell now works Monday to Friday doing Cameco and Orano general freight. Dale Legare works Monday to Friday doing brokered freight to find backhauls for loads out of the province and helps Shirley Rempel. Rempel works Monday to Friday and does Seabee and over-dimensional hauling. Ralph Settee and Dale Essar continue to work the usual four on four off schedule and look after bulk hauling.

NRT has also been able to generate new business from old customers including: a new two year contract with Federated Co-op to haul propane to sites in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, and are hauling fuel for them as well; Peroxy-Chem provides peroxide for Orano, but NRT is now hauling peroxide to Brandon, MB for them; Northwest Tank Lines is taking NRT trucks for the summer to haul NGL, condensate, and other commodities; hauling molten sulphur for Gibsons Energy from Fort Mac to Fort Saskatchewan.

NRT has been able to use its unique business model to develop new partnerships with First Nations communities across Canada, opening to doors to new work and new opportunities. There will be some growing pains along the way as the company adjusts to its newly expanded operations. But NRT is doing its best to make sure there will be work for those drivers who want it, and more opportunities for those who want to try something different. As the going gets tough, the tough get trucking!•

Pains and Gains:NRT takes its expertise on the road.

What’s Happening at NRT:

June 10 & 11 - NRT Safety and Service awards

June 21 - National Indigenous Peoples Day

July 1 - Canada Day (Office Closed)

August - Keep an eye out for the Trucker Hat Contest!

August 5 - Saskatchewan Day (Office Closed)

August 18-21 - NRT Fishing Trip

August 23 NRT Golf Tournament

September 2 - Labour Day (Office Closed)

Dude. Where’s my ball?

2019 NRT Golf Tournament Info:

NRT’s annual golf tournament will be held August 23 at Dakota Dunes Golf Links. The cost per player

is $100, including green fees, cart, supper and prizes! We will be playing four people per team.

Please register by August 15th.

If you have any further questions, please contact Jessica McMillan at jmcmillan@nrtlp.com or 306-

933-3010 ext. 233

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are coming to Canada. The long-awaited mandate will be rolled out in June 2019 with full implementation and compliance set for 2020, according to the Canadian Trucking Association (CTA). This shift comes on the heels of a similar mandate in the United States which rolled out a soft enforcement period beginning in December of 2017 and transitioned to strict enforcement April 2018.

What is an ELD exactly? It’s not simply tracking a driver’s hours-of-service (HOS) as the name implies. In theory, the devices will help streamline workflow and communication as well as ensuring vehicle operators aren’t exceeding their legal driving hours—due to negligence or pressure from superiors. ELD will help to eliminate recording errors and intentional manipulation of driver logs.

Furthermore, an ELD can transfer information to dispatch, Department of Transportation (DOT) officers during an inspection, and police in the event of accident investigation. The goal of the ELD mandate is to work toward safer road and driving conditions with fewer injuries to truck drivers and those they share the road with.

However, compliance in the United States is still a bit of a mixed bag. Carriers have reported issues with equipment backorders, faulty hardware, conflicts with existing satellite systems, as well as cost complaints—some fleets need to upgrade existing electronic systems before the ELDs will be compatible. Short haul carriers have been the most reluctant to invest in the equipment.

In Canada, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) is developing its own set of regulations, which borrows from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in the US, but will include some provisions to uniquely Canadian concerns.

Transport Canada conducted research showing that benefits of the ELD systems outweigh the costs 2:1. Beyond safety, these cost savings include driver downtime, faster DOT inspections, and increased delivery efficiency.

Canadian carriers that cross into the US are already using ELD systems, and the rest are expected to catch up before the 2020 deadline. Transportation companies are being urged to adopt early, provide adequate training for drivers, and allow for time to work out the kinks of the new system before full compliance becomes mandatory. This should make the transition smoother and less stressful for everyone involved.

How hard is the 2020 deadline? Well, we’ll see. The upcoming federal election may affect future government priorities, and bureaucracy is notoriously sluggish. But there’s no putting off the inevitable. ELDs may be a slow moving juggernaut—The CTA has been lobbying for these devices for over ten years!—but they are coming. The CTA’s recommendation is to be prepared.•

Electronic Logging Devices Are

Coming!...Eventually

Dear Wendy,

My husband and I have started to work on our wills, and discuss plans for our funerals should something happen to us. For his funeral, he wants to throw a party, and he has even selected the music, which leans mostly to rock and heavy metal. I have told him that nobody would want to attend a funeral like that, and that since we will be mourning, his plans are inappropriate. He won’t budge on this issue. I have thought about agreeing with him, and then just having the funeral that I think is appropriate, but I still feel that he should be taking this more seriously now, and not putting me in this position. Who do you think is right?

Frustrated in La Ronge

Dear Frustrated,

Your husband is right, and you are all wrong. I would way rather attend a party than a funeral, and likely so would his friends. Play the music, drink the drinks, and be a miserable killjoy on your own for every day after that if that is what makes you happy.

Dear Wendy,

Sometimes at work, I have to use my phone for taking photos when providing descriptions or directions. Several times, when I have shown someone a picture, they keep scrolling so that they also see my personal photos. Even though I don’t have anything weird on my phone, I find this rude. How do I tell them not to scroll past the photo without looking like I have something to hide?

Photo Shy in Saskatoon

Dear Photo Shy,

You are DEFINITELY hiding some weird stuff on your phone.

What’s Your Friggin’ Problem?!?There is no other explanation as to why this is bothering you. On the one hand, now I want to scroll through photos on everyone’s phones, as I had never thought to do this before. On the other hand, there are some things you just can’t “un-see”. So, simple solution, email or text photos to people when you need to share them. Alternately, you could just stop storing freaky, inappropriate pictures on your phone, because that is absolutely what you are doing. 100%.

Dear Wendy,

My boyfriend just received a wedding invitation to his friend’s wedding where it explicitly stated that I wasn’t invited. I have never done anything that I know of to offend them. I’m not sure if I should take this as an insult, or assume that they are trying to limit the number of guests.

Left out in La Ronge

Dear Left out,

It’s an insult. Take it as an insult and move on. They sound like jerks.

NRT’s HR Manager, Wendy Featherstone, is especially qualififed to “solve” your problems. If you have a problem you want some questionable advice on, send it Attn: “WYFP” to wfeatherstone@nrtlp.com

Nuts & Bolts

Left: A few players from the CHL Quest Hockey Team came to check out the fleet after NRT sponsored one of their events this spring.

Right: NRT hauled some massive tanks out of Biggar, 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 or to the NRT Facebook page.

Saskatoon Office 2945 Millar Avenue Saskatoon, SK S7K 6P6 Ph: 306-933-3010

Winnipeg Office955 Maginot StreetWinnipeg, MB R2J 0Z7Ph: 204-235-4013

Training Centre 1112 Finlayson StreetLa Ronge, SK S0J 1L0 Ph: 306-425-2148 Fuel Division 1112 Finlayson StreetLa Ronge, SK S0J 1L0Toll Free: 866-425-2345

This boat is still waiting for spring in Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan.

A stunning example of traditional beadwork on display in Black Lake’s Father Port High School.

KCDA’s Cara Greyeyes takes out a grade seven student during a stick ball game after the career fair presentaion at Father Megret High School in Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan.

Fond du Lac elder, Lawrence Macdonald, demonstrates traditional tools in the cultural centre at Father Gamache Memorial School.