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LaPrairie Crane & Northland Fleet Services (Early Days)
Tumbler Ridge and was looking for contractors. My “This was the next branch of the business—vehicle
brother-in-law, Wayne McBrearty, and I packed up repair and maintenance—we called this company,
and drove across Canada with the RT740, a one-ton Northland Fleet Services,” says Scott. “We built a
service truck with mounted concrete bucket and a shop in Tumbler Ridge and provided both vehicle
21-foot camper trailer and set up shop on the banks maintenance and lifting services to the mine until
of Flatbed Creek in Tumbler Ridge.” it closed in 99’. After the mine closed, we were
approached by Curragh Resources, made up of
It’s that kind of determination and grit that has been former execs from the Quintette mine, to provide
propelling LaPrairie to this day. In that first year, crane, hauling and vehicle maintenance services for
LaPrairie was a growing business with nine cranes, a mine in Faro, Yukon.”
looking for new opportunities. Quintette Coal was
looking for an experienced vehicle repair contractor LaPrairie was “on a roll”, says Scott, and in the
for the coal mine that was under construction. With following years LaPrairie expanded its crane
their previous experience, the team took a risk, operations throughout BC into Fort Nelson, Fort
put a proposal together and in 1984 were awarded St. John, Prince George and into Alberta with a
a 10-year contract to look after their 300 pickup branch in Fort McMurray. From there, the company
trucks, says Scott. expanded into highway and bridge maintenance
18 OCT 2022 | BUSINESS ELITE CANADA
