A Northern Lifeline: Canada’s Propane Industry Delivers Energy Security Beyond the Arctic Circle

OTTAWA, NOVEMBER 27, 2025 – When Inuvik’s natural gas supply ran low, propane delivered — overcoming Canada’s most challenging routes to keep a northern town alive through winter. 

“Propane is an incredible energy with so much to offer. In Inuvik and across Canada’s North, propane isn’t just a fuel — it’s an emergency-ready, life-sustaining energy source,” said Canadian Propane Association (CPA) President and CEO Shannon Watt. “It keeps homes warm, businesses operating, and essential services powered when other options are not available, driven by an industry built on innovation, collaboration, and a highly skilled workforce that Canadians can rely on when it matters most.” 

One of propane’s key advantages is its portability and ability to mix with air to create synthetic natural gas and move through the same infrastructure used for natural gas. In Inuvik, it had long served as a backup energy source, supplementing the local gas supply when needed. But when the town discovered that its nearby gas well was far more depleted than expected, propane quickly became the community’s primary energy lifeline. 

In August 2025, Borealis Fuels & Logistics was selected to supply Inuvik, NWT, with propane for the winter season—requiring the installation of 2.27 million litres of additional storage and a synthetic natural gas system ahead of the cold months. 

With a project schedule of less than sixty days, Borealis was responsible for designing, sourcing, fabricating, transporting, and installing an expanded propane storage and distribution system to ensure the community’s energy security through the winter season. 

Reaching Inuvik is one of Canada’s most challenging transport undertakings, spanning vast stretches with limited infrastructure. The project required detailed coordination between fabrication shops, transport carriers, and construction teams to meet the accelerated schedule.  

By project completion, the Borealis team had collectively travelled over 350,000 kilometres — nearly 9 times around the World or nearly the distance from Earth to the Moon — to deliver every tank, component, and shipment of fuel on time. 

The completed system now provides 2.27 million litres of storage, including 15 tanks of approximately 87,000 litres each, four skidded tanks of about 163,000 litres each, one 189,000-litre tank, and one 114,000-litre skidded tank. 

Significant logistical challenges were overcome to transport the large storage tanks. Two tanks were shipped by barge from Prince Rupert, BC, to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, and then hauled overland to Inuvik. The remaining tanks were transported entirely by land, which involved two ferry crossings. For these crossings, custom transport ramps had to be built to transfer the tanks on and off the ferries. This entire operation was a remarkable logistical achievement, especially given the challenging timeline imposed by northern weather conditions. 

The project’s success was made possible through the leadership and the team of Borealis, working alongside other CPA members, partners, and suppliers across Canada — a testament to the propane industry’s innovation, adaptability, and collaboration. 

“What our team accomplished in Inuvik embodies who we are,” said Ben Tobber, CEO of Borealis Fuels & Logistics. “This wasn’t just about delivering propane; it was about safeguarding a community’s energy security when it mattered most. The distances were extreme, the timeline was narrow, and the conditions were unforgiving. But our people, our partners, and our carriers brought relentless commitment and professionalism. Growing up in the north I couldn’t be prouder to have our company support projects like this across Canada’s North.” 

The CPA commends the outstanding teamwork and expertise demonstrated throughout this initiative — a clear example of how the propane industry ensures energy security and reliability for Canadians, no matter where they live.