The Quebec government’s economic development lender has put up $900,000 in loans and guarantees for a Massey Ferguson dealership to consolidate its ownership. Investissement Quebec will provide Dany Lafrance and Martin Nolin, the sales and service managers respectively at Champoux Machineries, with a $650,000 loan and a guarantee for another $250,000 loan. The financing is […] Read more
Quebec backs Massey dealer’s ownership change
Swedish equipment firm buys Seed Hawk
A small hamlet in southeastern Saskatchewan will be the base for a prominent Swedish planting and tillage equipment maker to set itself up in the North American ag market. Vaderstad-Verken AB on Thursday announced it will buy full ownership of Seed Hawk, the Langbank, Sask.-based air seeder manufacturer in which it’s held a minority stake […] Read more
Possible rail strike may further slow huge Prairie crop movement
A possible strike at Canada’s biggest railway is compounding a vexing problem in the second-biggest wheat exporting country — how to move the western crop belt’s abundant harvest to port with a strained transportation system. A dispute between Canadian National Railway and its Teamster-represented railroad conductors and yardmen raises the possibility of a strike or […] Read more
Feds ‘closely monitoring’ CN labour dispute
Canada’s government is closely monitoring a dispute between Canadian National Railway and its conductors’ and yardmen’s union and is urging both parties to continue talking, a spokeswoman for Labour Minister Kellie Leitch said Tuesday. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) said Monday talks had broken down, raising the possibility of a strike or a lockout […] Read more
Strike looms as talks between union, CN break down
Talks between the railroad workers’ union and Canadian National Railway have broken down, raising the possibility of a strike or a lockout by Oct. 28 at the country’s largest railroad operator, the union said Monday. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents some 3,300 conductors, trainmen, yardmen and traffic co-ordinators, said the company rejected […] Read more
U.S. EPA says nothing yet final on ethanol blends
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday sought to calm a furor over its apparent proposal to reduce ethanol use in gasoline next year, saying no final decisions had been made about the contentious mandate. On Thursday, Reuters and other news outlets reported on EPA documents that showed the agency proposing an unexpected drop […] Read more
Rothsay takeover clears Competition Bureau
The biggest rendering firm in the U.S. has been granted the go-ahead from Canada’s Competition Bureau to buy Canada’s top rendering company. Toronto food processing giant Maple Leaf Foods announced Thursday its $645 million deal to sell Rothsay to Texas-based Darling International will be allowed under Canada’s Competition Act. Maple Leaf now expects the sale, […] Read more
Monsanto posts deeper Q4 loss, unveils acquisition
Monsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company, reported a deeper quarterly loss on Wednesday as seed sales slipped, and announced the acquisition of a high-tech climate data firm it touted as a “transformational” growth engine. Investors initially appeared unimpressed with the $930 million purchase of Climate Corp and instead eyed Monsanto’s 2014 profit forecast and […] Read more
CN to restart stalled Okanagan shortline
Canadian National Railway (CN) has taken back the keys to a bankrupt shortline carrying grain and forest products in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. CN announced Thursday it plans to restart freight service on about 75 per cent of Kelowna Pacific Railway’s track and will file to discontinue the remainder. KPR, which launched in 1999 using […] Read more
CN conductors’ union sees labour strife ‘likely’
The union representing Canadian National Railway’s conductors, yardmen, trainmen and traffic co-ordinators says talks toward a new contract are “likely” on track for another labour dispute. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) reported Monday that CN is already seeking conciliation in talks toward new contracts for about 3,300 affected staff. The TCRC’s previous collective agreement […] Read more
