A testament to the ingenuity, cooperation and "get 'er done" spirit of the manufacturing industry in the Pembina Valley, a Churchill arctic crawler was recently completed in Winkler.

Barry Wiebe of Wiebe's Steel Structures in Morden connected with a entrepreneur from Churchill who was impressed by Wiebe's puller trucks. The question became, could Wiebe build a larger crawler for the frozen tundra polar bear tours?

"I'm not a person to say no," Wiebe says, even though the unique project presented a number of challenges in terms of the drivetrain and axle, all of which has to perform in extreme cold.

Since the beginning, Wiebe says he hoped to collaborate with Ironmen Industries in Winkler.

"We love working with them," Wiebe says.

Work on the project got underway this winter

Together the Morden and Winkler companies were able to solve the manufacturing challenges presented by the unique vehicle. Wiebe notes it speaks to the spirit of cooperation in the region.

"There's just endless opportunities, it's amazing," he says. "We just enjoy challenges."

David Krahn of Ironmen Industries says they appreciated the opportunity, adding the arctic crawler turned out well.

"The biggest thing was seeing how pleased the owner was and appreciating the extra time put into it," Krahn said.

The arctic crawler is a spacious all-terrain vehicle with large windows and a viewing deck. The high flotation tires are designed to travel through deep snow and a sophisticated heating system keeps the engines running even in arctic temperatures.

Both Wiebe and Krahn hope to travel to Churchill to see the buggy in action first-hand.

The crawler will be put to use for the company, Lazy Bear Expeditions