The union that represents more than nine thousand CN and CPKC railway workers is organizing a vote to approve strike action, raising the prospects of a rail work stoppage as early as late May if several deals are not reached before then. Members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) will begin voting electronically on… Read More
Category: Logistics
In the early hours of Tuesday, March 26th, the cargo vessel MV Dali collided with a support post of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Baltimore, Maryland, causing the bridge to collapse. Reports are that the Singapore-flagged ship experienced a power loss and inability to steer the ship before the collision. While the rescue and… Read More
The federal and Manitoba governments are committing up to $60 million to complete upgrades to the Hudson Bay Railway and to begin redevelopment of the Port of Churchill. The funding, which will go to the Arctic Gateway Group, was announced by Premier Wab Kinew and federal minister Dan Vandal in Churchill on Friday. “The Port… Read More
It’s time for the Frontlines podcast! Shaun Haney is joined by Jacob Shapiro of Cognitive Investments, to tackle the top geopolitical issues impacting agriculture. Up for discussion in this episode: Skirmish in the Red Sea — the U.S. is working to stop Iran-backed Houthi attacks in the shipping lane Logistics are definitely impacted, but is… Read More
The cost to ship goods by container is on a rapid trajectory skyward as unrest and volatility in the Middle East has major shippers avoiding the Suez Canal and instead sending boats south around Africa. Late last week, logistics giant Maersk announced it was diverting container traffic away from the Suez Canal citing the increased… Read More
Canada’s two railways — CN and CPKC — must pay a combined $7.1 million to the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) for exceeding their maximum grain revenue entitlements for the 2022-23 crop year, according to a ruling issued Dec. 22 by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). CN’s grain revenue of $1,079.5 million was $3.46 million… Read More
It’s not quite hitting the Canadian grain shipping corridors yet, but global issues with two canals and one border could have large impacts on world grain and product supplies. Let’s start in the Suez Canal. While not the highest ranking for grain movement, any disruption to a major shipping route has trickle-down effects on others…. Read More
CN has signed and closed an agreement to acquire Iowa Northern Railway, as of December 6. Iowa Northern operates approximately 275 track miles in Iowa connecting to CN’s U.S. rail network, serving the upper Midwest agricultural and industrial markets, including biofuels and grain. “This transaction represents a meaningful opportunity to support the growth of local… Read More
The labour impasse between the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) and the Unifor union appears to have ended after a weekend of negotiations between the two sides. Approximately 360 members of five local chapters of the Unifor union in Ontario and Quebec were on the picket line starting October 22, 2023, after failed negotiations…. Read More
Unlike some other North American ports, the St. Lawrence Seaway shipping corridor is seasonal, and the labour dispute holding up product movement is putting serious stress on Ontario’s agriculture sector during the harvest period. An estimated $20 million per day of grain isn’t moving through the St. Lawrence Seaway after members of UNIFOR went on… Read More
Shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway have come to a halt as several hundred seaway workers have gone on strike as of Saturday night. Members of five local chapters of the Unifor union — approximately 360 workers — in Ontario and Quebec are on the picket line after failed negotiations with the St. Lawrence Seaway… Read More
Transport Canada is launching consultations regarding some of its rail policies, including the maximum revenue entitlement for grain shipments, extended interswitching, shortlines, and other regulations that fundamentally affect grain transportation. Separate in-person consultations with shippers and railways are scheduled to be held at Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg starting this coming week and wrapping up by… Read More
It’s time for this week’s episode of RealAg Politics! On this show, host Shaun Haney is joined by: Steve Pratte, senior manager, transportation and biofuel policy with the Canadian Canola Growers Association, on Transport Canada’s upcoming railway policy review; Erin Gowriluk, president of Canada Grains Council, on the importance of science-based policy; and, Alanna Koch,… Read More
The Port of Johnstown will receive $2 million towards the purchase and installation of a new grain dryer with heat capture and air recycling features that will minimize fuel consumption by roughly 20 to 40 percent. The reduction in fuel use will result in an estimated 344 metric tonnes of CO2e, annually. Funded through the… Read More
Canada’s railways are navigating two notable federal policy changes — new rules regarding downtime for railway workers and the return of extended interswitching — as they prepare to move the 2023 crop from Western Canada to market. Both CN and CPKC have published their 2023-24 grain plans to mark the start of the 2023-24 crop… Read More