Montreal/Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian National Railway and a union representing 3,000 conductors on Monday reached an agreement in principle ahead of a looming strike deadline at Canada’s largest railroad, said a top union official. The union had set a strike deadline of Tuesday at 4 a.m. ET after the railroad announced new work rules […] Read more
Deal reached to avert CN strike, union head says
CN’s conductors serve strike notice
The unit of the Teamsters representing Canadian National Railway’s (CN) conductors and yard operations staff has served notice that its members may be walking the line come Tuesday morning. Montreal-based CN said Saturday it had received 72-hour strike notice from the conductors’ unit of the Teamsters Canadian Rail Conference (TCRC), putting the unit in strike […] Read more
Stats from 2016 show uptick in net farm income
Statistics show slightly lower costs for fertilizer, fuel and cattle and calf purchases in 2016, against higher crop sales and program payments, led to a rise in realized net farm income last year. Statistics Canada on Wednesday released data showing Canadian producers’ realized net farm income — the difference between cash receipts and operating expenses, […] Read more
Seeding smartphone tips
Cellphones have been dubbed “smartphones” but sometimes the way folks are addicted to them causes dumb problems. I’ve read three articles that suggest that cellphones are creating isolation, poorer communication and less robust relationships. Stress rises when there is a million-dollar crop to get in the ground, excess moisture, and too many jobs for the[...]
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Early reviews positive for grain transportation bill
Long-awaited amendments to the Canada Transportation Act that Prairie grain farmers and shippers hope will result in better rail service were tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons. At press time Tuesday farm organization and grain company officials were still assessing Bill C-49, which also deals with other transportation issues, including air travel. At first[...]
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Extensions sought for interim grain freight measures
Not expecting federal grain transport reforms to take effect until this fall at the earliest, several Prairie grain grower groups want to see an extension of the previous government’s interim rules and penalties for railways in the meantime. A proposed “Transportation 2030” package of rail reforms, pledged last November by Transport Minister Marc Garneau, is[...]
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Ag census logs more younger and female farm operators
While people age 55 and over still make up the fastest-growing segment of farmers in Canada, the latest Census of Agriculture shows slightly more producers under age 35 for the first time in five censuses. Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census of Agriculture, released Wednesday, counted 271,935 farm operators — that is, people who make management decisions[...]
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Finding the weak spots in used sprayers
Whether you’re looking at buying a used sprayer or handling maintenance on your own machine, knowing where to look for common problems will speed up the inspection process and help ensure you’re not surprised with a big repair bill later on, along with unexpected downtime. So where do you start looking for trouble? To find[...]
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Farm, ranch work still exempt from Alberta helmet rule
Farm and/or ranch work remain exempt in the final version of Alberta’s new law requiring off-highway vehicle users to wear helmets while riding on public land. Provincial Bill 36, which passed in December, takes effect May 15, requiring an approved helmet for anyone “driving, operating, riding in or on, or being towed by” an off-highway[...]
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Monsanto halts sale of Precision Planting arm to Deere
Monsanto subsidiary The Climate Corp. has cancelled a deal to sell its Precision Planting business to Deere and Co., citing the months-long court fight against it. The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit in August last year to block the proposed US$190 million deal, alleging the deal would lead to higher prices for high-speed precision[...]
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