How a small N.L. transport company hopes to link the local supply chain and boost food security

When Janice Ryan was asked if she’d take ownership of a courier business in Western Newfoundland, she wasn’t sure if it was the right move for her.

She had no background in transport, no experience as a courier. She’d worked as a fisheries observer, then with the fish harvester and plant worker’s union in Newfoundland and Labrador, and with WWF Canada. She was far more comfortable talking to a harvester on the wharf in Bay de Verde or comparing resources at a processing facility in Iceland than drawing up payroll or vetting drivers. But what if, just maybe, she did dive in?

Over the years, Ryan had seen enterprises of all kinds trying to keep pace with day-to-day demands. She knew the importance of supportive networks. And she knew how, for many businesses, a simple lack of ready transport could undermine everything.

As a business, Rudy’s Courier Service was already established. It carried a solid reputation, thanks to owner Rudy Campbell. He was a driver before taking over and renaming the operation in 2018, steadily adding runs between the communities of Deer Lake and Corner Brook, moving everything from legal documents to heavy equipment parts. Then, a life-threatening cancer caught up with him and he passed away in December 2020. His namesake business remained; would family friend Janice Ryan take it over?

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