The federal Liberal caucus met in Saskatoon, Sask. this week, providing the opportunity to host a hastily-called roundtable on grain transportation. The roundtable included government representatives, farmers, shippers, and railway executives. The purpose of the meeting, according to a government news release, was to provide “participants with an opportunity to share information, to address challenges,… Read More

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with quotes from CN Rail’s interim CEO. The federal transport and agriculture ministers sent a letter to the chief executives for Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) on Tuesday expressing concern over problems with rail service. “We are writing regarding our concerns with respect to… Read More

Farmers and grain shippers won’t be getting long-awaited changes to grain transportation rules for Christmas this year. Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, cleared the House of Commons at the end of October, but has only reached second reading in the Senate. Transport Minister Marc Garneau, who has been urging the Senate to approve the… Read More

Farm and grain industry groups are optimistic new freight rail legislation proposed by the federal government will shift the balance of power in the market toward shippers. Some are even saying the bill introduced by Transport Minister Marc Garneau goes further than they expected. If passed, Bill C-49 would give shippers the right to charge railways… Read More

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau introduced draft legislation on Tuesday that includes long-awaited changes to the rules governing grain transportation by rail. Bill C-49 will, among other things, give shippers the right to seek reciprocal financial penalties in service agreements with railways, define “adequate and suitable” rail service, and implement new data reporting requirements for railways… Read More

Two weeks after meeting with farm and grain industry groups in Saskatoon, federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau shared his government’s vision for the future of transportation in Canada in a speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. After describing the environmental, safety and consumer-related aspects of the Liberals’ “Transportation 2030” plan, Garneau said the government… Read More