Cameron Goff, a farmer and producer car loader from Hanley, Saskatchewan, filed a level-of-service complaint against Canadian National Railway Dec. 11 to protest the railway’s move to delist 53 public producer car-loading sites across Western Canada.
Goff, an elected director on the Canadian Wheat Board, said the closings deny western farmers the ability to save well over $1,000 per producer car shipped. In addition it forces them to haul their production greater distances and removes the competitive option of selling their grain outside the systems of the major multinational companies.
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Goff wants the CTA to refuse to allow the delisting of any more sites, and deny the removal of infrastructure from any sites already delisted. Such action by the CTA would allow the opportunity to establish a process which would allow all parties affected by site closures to have input into the decision. As it now stands, the railways have the ability to unilaterally decide which sites to close. Additionally, such a delay in dismantling rail sidings would enable the Level-of-Service Review Panel to examine the issue of public producer car-loading sites and become involved in resolving this matter. The Level-of-Service Review Panel was named in September of 2009 and is currently examining CN’s and CP’s service to customers.
