Aerial view of Centerm, a Burrard Inlet terminal for containerized cargo at the Port of Vancouver. (Bloodua/iStock/Getty Images)

B.C. longshore workers ratify new deal

Minister pledges review of 'how disruption on this scale unfolded'

Longshore workers at British Columbia’s seaports have voted to accept the terms of a new four-year labour deal, ending five weeks of labour outages at Canada’s West Coast. Negotiators with the B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and International Labour and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada), working with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), reached a new

Just as there are real-time maps that can show you where traffic is slowed by construction, there are bearish warning signs in canola markets.

Reading the roadmaps of the grain market

Expert’s Radar: Beware of ‘construction’ signs

I recently drove back and forth from Winnipeg to the Turtle Mountains in southwestern Manitoba. It’s about a three-hour drive, or three-and-a-half with the required ice cream stop. There are a few routes that head in the same general direction, so after running into construction on Highway 2 on the way down, we opted for


“What those asking for this policy want is a cheaper rate. It is not about improving service. Nor will it improve competitiveness. Extended interswitching will do the exact opposite. The only winners with extended regulated interswitching are U.S. railways.” – Marc Brazeau, Railway Association of Canada.

Interswitching resurgence puts railways, grain industries on collision course

Both sides say a pilot to test a bigger interswitching radius is a bad move, but for opposite reasons and to opposite effect

Recent federal legislation has raised the stakes in a decade-long battle between the railways and Canadian grain shippers. The battle is over the interswitching radius. Interswitching is a regulation to ensure that shippers located where only a single railway operates can access points that are not served by that railway. The regulation kicks in when



“Not only was this decision ill-considered and finalized hastily, but it was also done without proper consultation ...” – Brett Halstead, SaskWheat.

Farm groups call for rollback of wheat standards decision

Groups say stringent standards will cost producers; elevators say it will make compensation more fair

Two Saskatchewan groups say a move by the Canadian Grain Commission to tighten test weight and total foreign material tolerances will cost farmers. They want it reversed. “Not only was this decision ill-considered and finalized hastily, but it was also done without proper consultation with producer groups and individual farmers who will bear the costs

The cycle of convection currents in bin-stored grain when ambient air outside the bin is cold and the grain is warm.

Snuffing out grain storage problems before they begin

Grain is an excellent insulator that can hold warmth and moisture, so management is key

Nobody wants to deal with heating, spoiling grain, so it’s important to monitor grain temperature and keep stored grain cool and dry by regular aeration or turning. High moisture and warm temperatures in grain allow for rapid growth of insects, fungi and possible production of mycotoxins. Why it matters: All the best field practices in


wayne clews

High-tech solutions bring bin management into focus

It's as simple as cooling the grain -- and as complex as managing Mother Nature

Managing stored grain isn’t complex but farmers do need a clear picture of what’s happening in the bin. Wayne Clews, of Clews Storage Management, says many farmers just guess and run fans as a safeguard measure — but that can work counter to their own best interests. Rather than incrementally reducing the temperature of grain

Attendees weren’t complaining about the road conditions at Ag in Motion. (Western Producer photo by Alex McCuaig)

At Ag in Motion: Exhibitors ready after rainy first day

Wednesday typically AiM's most popular day

The sun is shining, exhibitors are ready and the grounds are prepared for a traditionally-busy second day of the Ag in Motion show near Langham, Sask. Opening day saw the clouds roll in and the skies open up, but few were complaining about the much-needed moisture that rolled through much of Western Canada on Tuesday.


Have a plan before you climb that ladder and enter a bin.

Grain bin safety starts with a plan

A few key points can improve safety when you have to enter a bin

Every year, several Canadian farmers and workers suffocate in grain bins. These deaths are preventable. People can become caught or trapped in grain bins in three different ways: Moving or flowing grain is involved in all three. When working with grain – loading it, unloading it and moving it from bin to bin – farmers

(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Preview: Railways, grain shippers at loggerheads over interswitching

Pilot to test expanded radius deemed unnecessary by both sides

Recent legislation has raised the stakes in a decade-long battle between the railways and Canadian grain shippers over the interswitching radius. Interswitching refers to a regulation to ensure shippers located where only a single railway operates can access points that are not served by that railway. The issue is especially concerning for Canadian grain shippers