The only grain-handling terminal in Canada with direct service from a U.S. railroad has been recognized by BNSF Railway as one of 12 rail-loading sites in North America that are primed for more business.
Ceres Global Ag Corp, which owns the Northgate Terminal along the Canada-U.S. border in southeast Saskatchewan, says the terminal has received BNSF’s “site certification status.”
“The goal of the program is to identify those sites within BNSF’s network with high potential for development of various types of facilities, including business parks, logistics centers and other rail-serviced sites,” says Robert Day, president and Chief Executive Officer at Ceres, in a news release. “Northgate’s strategic location in southeast Saskatchewan on the Canada/U.S. border, combined with the ability to handle multiple commodities have laid the groundwork for expansion.”
Launched in 2016, BNSF’s certification program is based on 10 economic development criteria which are intended to minimize development risks to companies looking to build facilities near rail service. BNSF says a customer who builds on a BNSF certified site “is expected to save between six to nine months of construction time as a result of the site’s advanced level of preparedness for development.”
The Port of Northern Montana hub located 30 miles south of the Canadian border in Shelby, Montana has also been recognized by BNSF for its expansion potential.
In addition to BNSF site certification, Ceres says the Northgate Terminal has become certified under the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism — a program managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Day says this certification “allows for the movement of additional products through Northgate and helps to improve the economics of the terminal.”
Related: Northgate facility provides an alternative to Canadian rail system
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