Canada’s big two railways recently cut 19 producer car loading sites across the West, even though farmers are using producer cars more than ever as they struggle to get a record crop to market. CP recently cut five sites, leaving 94, and CN cut 14, leaving 48. Farmers’ right to order and fill rail cars […] Read more
CN, CP cut producer car sites
Grain handling firms rip CP chief’s claims
The organization representing the Prairies’ mainline grain handlers isn’t buying claims from Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway’s CEO about why the railway’s grain shipments are lagging. Hunter Harrison, in a full-page ad last week in Canada’s two national newspapers, said the harshest winter in 60 years, a record Western crop and grain companies not running 24/7 […] Read more
Vancouver container truckers reject deal
CNS Canada — Unionized container truck drivers at Port Metro Vancouver are set to take strike action after rejecting a tentative agreement over the weekend. Unifor-Vancouver Container Truckers’ Association (VCTA) members voted unanimously in favour of taking strike action on March 1, after being without a contract for 18 months. Federally-appointed mediator Vince Ready had […] Read more
Railways expect to meet government’s order on grain
Canada’s big two railways expect to be able to meet the federal government’s new mandatory requirements for Prairie grain movement — but warn it will take further commitments all along the supply chain. Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway responded Friday to Transport Minister Lisa Raitt’s order-in-council, which immediately sets out minimum volumes […] Read more
Ottawa slaps Prairie grain volume quotas on railways
The federal government has imposed an immediate schedule of increasing mandatory minimum volumes of Prairie grain on Canada’s big two railways, subject to fines. Transport Minister Lisa Raitt on Friday announced an order-in-council, effective immediately, which sets out minimum volumes of grain that Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) are each required to […] Read more
Vancouver truckers reach tentative deal
CNS Canada –– Container truck drivers at Port Metro Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, reached a tentative agreement on Thursday, avoiding a strike by 400 members of Unifor-Vancouver Container Truckers’ Association (VCTA). The drivers had been set to join 1,200 non-unionized truckers, represented by the United Truckers Association, who have already been taking job action since […] Read more
More grain cars now would be ‘wrong thing,’ CP CEO says
Canadian Pacific Railway’s CEO has warned readers of Canada’s two national newspapers that adding more rail cars and locomotives now on CP track would serve only to worsen the grain backlog on the Prairies. Writing in full-page CP advertisements in Thursday’s Globe and Mail and National Post, Hunter Harrison said adding more cars to a […] Read more
Cereal, pulse treatment cleared for on-farm application
Cereal and pulse crop growers have been cleared for on-farm application of one of Syngenta’s neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments, for control of pests such as wireworm and pea leaf weevil. Syngenta Canada last week announced it had picked up federal registration for on-farm application of its Cruiser 5FS seed treatment to cereal and pulse seed, […] Read more
Feds back farm safety training ahead of Ag Safety Week
A five-year federal funding pledge for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is expected to help fund more farm safety training and monitoring progress towards safer farms. Candice Bergen, the federal minister of state for social development, announced the funding through the Fostering Business Development stream of AgriCompetitiveness — a $114-million program under Growing Forward […] Read more
Prairie rail jams putting Canadian millers in shutdown mode
A rail backlog keeping Prairie wheat and oats from arriving at Canadian mills has already forced some millers to suspend operations, according to the millers’ organization. In the Feb. 27 issue of the Manitoba Co-operator, Canadian National Millers Association (CNMA) president Gordon Harrison notes “prolonged interruptions of up to three to four weeks” in wheat […] Read more
