WHITEHORSE — Two pioneers of the Yukon’s transportation industry are getting a little recognition from the Yukon Transportation Hall of Fame.

On its 12th anniversary, the Hall of Fame is celebrating by recognizing two individuals who have made significant contributions to transportation in the territory and will be presented with the 2008 Pioneer of the Year and Person of the Year awards at the Yukon Transportation Museum.

“These awards allow Yukoners to honour and acknowledge those individuals who have contributed significantly to Yukon’s transportation industry,” Highways and Public Works Minister Archie Lang said.

Pioneer of the Year award

Valentine Scheck worked in various areas of the transportation industry throughout his life, from cutting wood, operating highway equipment, repairing bridges, to starting and managing his own trucking company. He also built the first tri-axle truck and the first tri-axle pup tanker in Yukon.

Person of the Year award

Harold Upton worked most of his career in transportation, being involved primarily with mines and bulk hauls. In 1986, he was instrumental in developing an air ride system for trailers used for the Faro ore haul. This air ride system lowered the impacts on Yukon highways and resulted in a 60 percent decrease in tire wear. Later on in his career, he redesigned the ore trailer to end up with a 10-axle combination that is still in use. Upton’s innovative design increased payloads and efficiency, and lowered transportation costs for Yukon.