I heard that northern Manitoba communities are worried about getting their year's supplies in because the ice roads , usually usable for 3 months a year, are now only usable for 1 1/2 months a year.
Even places on the water are worried about the ice roads, places like Berens River! How long does it take to occur to anyone that water transport by barge is a far more reliable option? How long does it take for some entrepreuner to start a water transport service, making ice roads redundant? Given that they would have all summer to make the trip ,they could wait for however long it takes to get a good strong, fair wind going north for the delivery, drastically reducing fuel consumption on the trip, then wait for a god northerly to get back south.
Manitoba is the capitol of kite flying. Expertise on how to design a kite to help pull a barge is in plentiful supply there.
I've also heard that people who have used wood from the endless boreal forests in the north for over 10,000 years for heating, are worried about what? Lack of heating oil! Duhhh!!
Wake up Manitoba!