Locomotive engineers, conductors and other unionized rail workers at Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) have hit the bricks, as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. "The strike has now started but talks will resume first thing in the morning," the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents the railway’s 4,800-odd striking employees, said in a release shortly after […] Read more
CP engineers, conductors out on strike
CP engineers, conductors serve strike notice
Canadian Pacific Railway’s engineers, conductors, yardmen and rail traffic controllers have served strike notice to take effect Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. The 72-hour notice, announced Saturday, does not necessarily mean a strike will begin at that time, but allows up to 4,800 workers, represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), to walk off the […] Read more
CP’s CEO quits ahead of reckoning
Prairie farmers can expect one of their two main railways to press harder for wider profit margins under a quick regime change announced Thursday. Canadian Pacific Railway’s embattled CEO Fred Green announced his resignation Thursday morning, hours ahead of a shareholder vote in Calgary on nominations to the company’s board, put forward by an activist […] Read more
Sask. mustard miller shuts doors
A bid to restructure the finances of an overextended mustard miller in southwestern Saskatchewan has ended with the company permanently shutting its doors. Tom Halpenny, CEO of Mustard Capital Inc. at Gravelbourg, Sask., announced on the company’s website that MCI has "discontinued operations" as of May 4. MCI announced in early February this year that […] Read more
Viterra rolls out mobile crop pricing app
Qualifying customers of the Prairies’ biggest grain handler will be able to get elevator-level pricing information through a new mobile app. Viterra on Wednesday rolled out myViterra mobile, a new mobile interface growers can customize for specific commodities and facility locations. The app is a new mobile-phone extension of the company’s online myViterra service, available […] Read more
SEEDING REPORTS: ‘We weren’t taking any chances’
Let us know BY EMAIL if you’re seeding. We’d love to hear more about when you started, where you are, why you’re going now instead of later, what you’re seeding, how far you are along and whether your field conditions have been slowing you down. OR, if you’re NOT seeding, let us know why, and […] Read more
Ont. marketing board offers QR codes for fruit
Growers of tender fruit in Ontario can now get QR codes to attach to their packaging, directing their customers to more information on their products. The Ontario Tender Fruit Producers Marketing Board on Tuesday launched its new website, which provides QR (Quick Response) codes that producers can request for download for use on their own […] Read more
Grain freight cost index hiked for pensions, capital costs
Reviews of pension and capital costs at Canada’s two main railways will be factored into a substantial hike in the index that governs how much the railways can charge each year to haul Prairie grain. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Monday announced a 9.5 per cent increase in its volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) to […] Read more
Shell scrubs plans for Man. straw ethanol plant
Fuel company Shell Canada "will not pursue" its plans for a straw-based ethanol plant in southern Manitoba. Monday’s announcement from Shell was its first formal acknowledgement that it in fact had plans for such a project, though company spokesmen had openly confirmed its interest in the region through other media outlets late last year. Shell’s […] Read more
FREE DRAW! Seeding underway in southern Sask.
Seeding is semi-officially underway in Saskatchewan as farmers in some southern areas of the province have begun seeding peas and lentils in the past week. “Warm and favourable weather” has allowed field work to proceed, the provincial ag ministry said in a release Thursday. “However, the majority of producers will be waiting a few more weeks […] Read more
