Edmonton and Yellowknife – BBE Expediting Ltd. (BBE) and Det’on Cho Logistics (DCL), part of the Det’on Cho Group of Companies, today announced the launch of the Arctic Defence Logistics Platform (ADLP), an Indigenous-aligned initiative designed to improve coordination, capability, and operational readiness across Canada’s Arctic as activity and strategic focus in the region continue to increase.
The platform brings experienced Northern logistics experts and Indigenous partners to offer secure freight movement, customs clearance, warehouse staging, aircraft handling and procurement coordination into one comprehensive model.
The platform brings together industry, defence, government, and its Indigenous partners, Inuvialuit BBE Expediting, Kitikmeot BBE Expediting, TliCho BBE Expediting, and BBE Infinity Metis Corporation under a shared framework designed to improve execution across Arctic logistics operations. The announcement comes as governments and industry increase focus on Arctic infrastructure, sovereignty, and supply chain resilience.
A defining feature of the ADLP is its ability to operate across the full Arctic logistics corridor, supported by integrated staging and consolidation in Edmonton and Yellowknife.
Edmonton serves as a southern gateway for procurement, consolidation, and multimodal dispatch, while Yellowknife enables northern staging, regional access, and proximity to remote communities and project sites. This dual-hub structure improves timing across seasonal logistics windows and strengthens coordination between southern supply chains and northern execution.
Indigenous partnerships embedded in operations
The platform integrates Indigenous participation directly into logistics delivery through its joint venture network. This model enables local engagement in transportation, staging, and project execution, ensuring operations are informed by regional knowledge and community relationships.
“Participation in the Arctic Defence Logistics Platform reflects our commitment to ensuring northern logistics solutions are grounded in local knowledge, Indigenous ownership, and the realities of northern operations,” said Brian Lema, President of Det’on Cho Logistics. “Logistics in the North is fundamentally different from logistics in the South. You are planning around constrained access, narrow seasonal windows, and fewer recovery options, which means reliability has to be designed in from the start. This platform brings together the partnerships, regional presence, and execution model needed to perform in that reality.”
The ADLP supports logistics operations requiring precision, coordination, and adaptability across complex and infrastructure-limited environments. Core capabilities include:
- Multimodal transportation across air, marine, and seasonal overland routes
- Coordination of sealift programs and ice road logistics windows
- Handling of regulated and temperature-sensitive cargo
- Rapid deployment support for defence and emergency response
BBE contributes deep expertise in complex, regulated, and multimodal logistics across northern and remote environments.
“Effective Arctic logistics requires extensive coordination and execution capability,” said Heather Stewart, CEO of BBE. “The Arctic Defence Logistics Platform brings together connected infrastructure, partnerships, and operational alignment needed to improve access, readiness, and long-term sustainability in the North.”
For more information, visit: www.arcticdefencelogistics.com.
(Image from BBE and DCL)