Frequently Asked
Questions

NorthRun is Fort McMurray's community platform for intercity delivery, rideshare, and buy/sell marketplace. It connects people who need things moved along the Edmonton–Fort McMurray corridor with drivers and travelers who are already making the trip. Think of it as a fusion of BlaBlaCar, Facebook Marketplace, and a courier service — built specifically for Northern Alberta.

Signing up is completely free. You can browse all available trips and marketplace listings without a credit card. You only pay when you place an order or book a ride. NorthRun deducts a 10% platform fee from completed transactions — this is automatically handled by our payment system. There's no monthly fee for basic use. An optional NorthRun Plus subscription ($9.99/month) provides premium perks for power users.

NorthRun currently serves the Fort McMurray ↔ Edmonton corridor, including stops at Athabasca and Lac La Biche. We also support Calgary ↔ Fort McMurray routes. We plan to expand to Grande Prairie and other Northern Alberta communities in Phase 3.

Browse available trips going your direction. Select a trip and fill in your delivery details (pickup address, drop-off address, item description, weight, and photos). Pay securely through the app — funds are held in escrow. You'll receive a 4-digit PIN that the driver must confirm at delivery. Once delivered and confirmed, funds are released to the driver and you receive a delivery photo as proof.

You have a 48-hour dispute window after delivery confirmation. You can raise a dispute through the app with photos and description of the issue. Our admin team reviews all evidence including pickup photos, delivery photos, chat logs, and PIN confirmation records. Resolution options include full refund, partial refund, or no action depending on the evidence. We also offer optional item insurance at checkout (8–12% of declared value) that provides additional coverage.

You can send most legal goods including medications, groceries, electronics, clothing, auto parts, furniture, pet supplies, and business supplies. Prohibited items include controlled substances, weapons and ammunition, hazardous materials, perishable foods requiring refrigeration (unless the driver has refrigeration capability), and illegal items. See our full prohibited items list on the Legal page.

For casual travelers posting personal trips and carrying small packages as a cost-sharing arrangement, a commercial license is not typically required. However, if you plan to operate as a regular, professional courier service, you should consult with a transportation lawyer about Alberta's requirements. NorthRun operates in a similar model to platforms like BlaBlaCar where the cost-sharing nature of the service is key. Always consult with your own legal and insurance advisors.

We strongly recommend disclosing your NorthRun activity to your insurer. Some auto insurance policies may not cover commercial cargo activities. You may need to add a business-use rider to your policy. NorthRun does not provide insurance to drivers — this is your responsibility. Please check your policy before accepting cargo bookings.

Funds are held in escrow until delivery is confirmed via the customer's 4-digit PIN and your delivery photo. After confirmation, funds are released to your NorthRun balance within a few hours. You can withdraw to your bank account via Stripe at any time, or set up automatic weekly payouts. The first payout may take 1–2 business days to process due to Stripe's bank verification requirements.

Yes — NorthRun drivers are independent contractors, not employees. All earnings must be reported as self-employment income on your T1 tax return. If you offer rideshare (passengers), the CRA considers you a taxi-equivalent operator and you must register for GST/HST regardless of income level. If you offer delivery only, GST/HST registration is required once your total self-employment income exceeds $30,000 per year. NorthRun does not remit taxes or GST on your behalf. We recommend consulting a Canadian accountant or visiting canada.ca/cra for guidance.

Standard personal auto insurance (Alberta SPF No. 1) does not cover for-hire delivery or rideshare activities. Before accepting any NorthRun bookings, you must contact your insurance provider and disclose your intended activity. You will likely need a business-use endorsement or a rideshare/delivery rider. Most major Alberta insurers (Intact, Wawanesa, Aviva) offer these add-ons. NorthRun does not provide insurance to drivers, passengers, or senders. Driving without appropriate coverage could result in a denied claim and personal liability in the event of an accident.

You have a 48-hour window from delivery confirmation to raise a dispute through the app. File your dispute with a description and photos of the issue. Our admin team will review all available evidence: pickup photos, delivery photos, in-app chat records, and PIN confirmation. Outcomes include a full refund, partial refund, or release of funds to the driver. If the dispute remains unresolved through our process, it proceeds to binding arbitration under ADRIC rules in accordance with our Terms of Service. We strongly recommend photographing all items before handing them to a driver.

Alcohol: Personal-use quantities between two private individuals may be transported with prior disclosure to and consent from the driver. Commercial alcohol delivery requires a liquor agent licence under Alberta's Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act — NorthRun drivers are not licensed agents, so commercial alcohol distribution is prohibited.

Cannabis: NorthRun drivers are not licensed cannabis carriers. Cannabis may only be transported by federally or provincially licensed retailers with proper documentation. Personal possession (up to 30g) does not authorize third-party delivery through our platform. Do not ship cannabis through NorthRun.

Under Canada's PIPEDA privacy law, you have the right to request deletion of your personal information at any time. To close your account and request data deletion, email privacy@northrun.ca from your registered email address. We will respond within 30 days. Note: transaction records are retained for 7 years as required by the Canada Revenue Agency (Income Tax Act). Your personal identifiers (name, phone, ID data) will be removed; anonymized transaction data may be retained for internal analytics.

When you book a delivery or rideshare, your payment is processed by Stripe and held securely until the delivery is confirmed by you (the recipient). Confirmation requires entering your 4-digit delivery PIN when the driver arrives. Only after you enter the PIN — confirming you received your goods — are funds released to the driver. If you have an issue, you have 48 hours to raise a dispute before funds auto-release. The term "escrow" refers to this temporary Stripe-held arrangement; it is not a regulated escrow under financial services law.

NorthRun currently operates exclusively on the Fort McMurray ↔ Edmonton corridor, including stops at Athabasca and Lac La Biche, and the Calgary ↔ Fort McMurray route. We are building toward Phase 2 expansion to additional Northern Alberta communities including Grande Prairie, Slave Lake, and High Level. Expansion to other Canadian provinces is a long-term goal but is not currently planned or available.