A record volume of intermodal traffic — mainly containers — also buoyed freight volumes.

Canadian railways moved 376.6 million tonnes of freight in 2025, down 0.2 per cent from 2024.

”A bumper 2025 harvest and strong global demand meant that grain shipments by rail remained strong throughout the year,” StatCan said.

• Carloadings of wheat increased by double digits, year-over-year each month from January to November, except for February.
• Annual carloadings of wheat rose by 14.3 per cent or 3.9 million tonnes to reach 31.1 million tonnes in 2025.
• Other cereal grains loadings also saw substantial growth in January — up 103.9 per cent — and September — up 72.7 per cent.
• Total loadings of cereals grew by 23.4 per cent to 7.8 million tonnes in 2025 — the largest increase since 2018.
• Carloadings of canola fell by 12.4 per cent to 8.8 million tonnes in 2025. StatCan attributed this to trade tensions with China.
• Freight loadings from U.S. rail connections saw significant double-digit year-over-year decreases for much of 2025.
• Annual tonnage fell by 13.3 per cent compared to 2024 at 39.3 million tonnes. That’s the lowest annual level since 2020.
• In 2023 and 2024, freight traffic from U.S. rail connections to Canada represented an average of 12 per cent of total rail tonnage per month. In 2025, the average share ranged by quarter between 10.0 per cent and 10.7 per cent.
• Loadings of fuel oils, crude petroleum and lumber fell sharply over the year. Coal shipments rose.

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That’s according to a delegation of students from the University of Manitoba’s agriculture diploma program. The students pitched a successful resolution during the Keystone Agricultural Producers annual meeting in Winnipeg Feb. 3.

The resolution called on the farm group to lobby government to expand Roads and Transportation Association of Canada (RTAC)-rated roads, particularly in high-production areas where heavy equipment and full loads cannot be moved year-round.

The diploma student group argued that gaps in RTAC-designated routes (which are rated for heavier traffic, even during conditions like the spring melt) increasingly limit farm efficiency, safety and competitiveness.

Bryce Visscher, Carter Driedger, David Pauls, David Wiebe and Francis Sundell made up the delegation.

WHY IT MATTERS: Limited RTAC road access can force longer hauls and partial loads, raising costs and safety risks for Manitoba farmers.

The students cited the yearly headache of seasonal weight restrictions. During that window, when normal hauling corridors are curbed, gaps in RTAC access often force farmers to haul partial loads or take longer routes. That means more fuel cost, more labour time eaten up and even increased safety worries during busy seasons, they argued.

Visscher and Pauls pointed to challenges moving grain and fertilizer during spring weight restrictions, while Driedger said the lack of continuous RTAC routes can mean travelling miles out of the way to reach approved roads. Wiebe described detours caused by weak or restricted bridges that prevent modern seeding and hauling equipment from using direct routes.

North-south routes lacking

Concerns about RTAC access, particularly on north-south routes, are not new. During spring flooding in 2022, the lack of unrestricted north-south corridors in parts of southwestern and central Manitoba forced loaded trucks into long detours, increased shipping costs and, in some cases, temporarily cut off practical access to export markets altogether while east-west routes were closed.

“Between Brandon and Portage, between Highways 1, 2 and 3, there’s nothing for north-south roads,” said Driedger.

Sundell said the problem will not be solved through one-off repairs or short funding cycles, arguing instead for a long-term infrastructure strategy.

“It’s not going to be one year of funding,” Sundell said. “It’ll be continuous funding to build roads in the future. You’re not going to build four or five RTAC roads in one year in Manitoba. It has to be a long-term plan.”

He added that, while upgrading roads to RTAC standards carries higher upfront costs, ongoing repairs, grading and patchwork maintenance on underbuilt roads can add up over time. Long-term investment is more cost-effective.

During discussion on the floor, delegates noted that Manitoba already has an RTAC network in place, but that gaps remain and that road designation and approved access can be as much a challenge as construction itself.

Speakers also cautioned that, without clear priorities, upgrades may not always occur in the areas most critical to agricultural hauling.

Young voices at KAP

The student presentation aligned with KAP’s broader emphasis on youth engagement and member-driven policy.

KAP leadership has pointed to increased student participation as part of efforts to connect long-term infrastructure and policy challenges with the next generation of producers and agricultural professionals.

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The facility, previously owned by U.S.-based Scoular, has been bought by Orenda Commodity Services Ltd. out of Ste. Agathe. The deal includes all of Scoular’s sunflower and wild bird food blending business, according to a Jan. 20 release from the Nebraska company.

“Running two facilities, that’ll do two things,” said Nicolas Nordick, assistant general manager with Orenda. “It’ll obviously grow our throughput in a year, and what it’ll also do is it will give us a bit of flexibility if ever there is breakdowns or whatever. We can keep servicing our customers and also our producers as well. We can keep receiving loads in either facility.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Local farmer contracts with Orenda are expected to jump significantly with a new sunflower facility under the company’s umbrella.

According to the Jan. 20 release, the new owners are a family-owned, “vertically integrated operation with farming roots in the Woodlands (region),” who create custom seed mixes for both bird food and human consumption. The Winkler plant is set up for both streams, Scoular said.

According to Orenda’s website, their business spans special crops commodity marketing, farm sourcing, processing, custom bird food blending, packaging and shipping. As well as sunflower varieties, the company cites crops like millet, milo, safflower and canary seed.

Smooth transition expected

Winkler facility staff will carry over into the new ownership, according to Nordick.

“There’s a very solid crew down in Winkler that mesh really well with our crew in Ste. Agathe — a lot of long-term employees, and that is just very rewarding for us on our end, being the new kids on the block, that they are willing to stay on,” he said.

The company expects farmer contracts will jump with the addition.

“If we’ve got two mouths to feed, we’ve got to service that many more pounds, so it’ll keep growing for sure,” Nordick said.

According to the Jan. 20 release, Orenda employs 80 staff across four locations in Manitoba.

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The newly announced Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Corporation (MCIC) partnership will bolster economic development and expand trade corridor projects, Churchill included, the province said in a press release Dec. 9.

“Churchill has always been a gateway to the world,” Premier Wab Kinew said in the same release. “For generations, people have seen its potential but what was missing was the partnership to bring it to life.”

The new Crown corporation “is how we turn that potential into real progress,” he added.

WHY IT MATTERS: The Port of Churchill Plus project promises to expand the port’s scope and potential as a trade hub, including potential trade route improvements for agricultural goods.

Co-ordination of the Port of Churchill Plus project will fall under the new partnership’s purview.

The project is on the list of “transformative strategies” noted under the federal government’s Major Projects Office of Canada. The strategies, including Port of Churchill Plus, “all meet the criteria of growth, security, diversification of markets and reconciliation,” according to the federal government.

In the case of the Port of Churchill, the strategy includes new road access, rail upgrades, energy corridor and ice-breaking to expand the port’s window of active trade. The federal office also notes the creation of the MCIC as part of the strategy, prioritizing Indigenous ownership.

The office’s website says Port of Churchill plus will “develop the projects needed to turn the Port of Churchill in major four season and dual-use gateway to the region. Expanded export capacity in the North through Hudson Bay would contribute to increased and diversified trade with Europe and other partners.”

The new partnership is real progress on the part of the Province of Manitoba to expand the Port of Churchill as a key piece of trade infrastructure, Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Jill Verwey believes.

“This new Crown-Indigenous corporation will ensure that Manitoba works in collaboration with Indigenous leadership to advance both economic development and environmental stewardship, while creating new opportunities in the north and across the province,” Verwey said.

Verwey is hopeful that the development of the Port of Churchill will create more opportunities for Manitoba farmers and the province’s economy.

Indigenous partnership

Steps will be taken to ensure that Indigenous leadership is a cornerstone of the project, Kinew said. As well as bolstering co-operation between the province and federal Major Projects Office, the province says the partnership will ensure better consultation with Indigenous communities and “ensure the project reflects environmental stewardship and Indigenous knowledge.”

The province expects to formally establish the corporation next March. It is currently working with Indigenous organizations like the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Manitoba Métis Federation and other First Nations leadership to that goal, the Dec. 9 release said.

Kinew also announced that the province is providing $250,000 to study the viability of a marine protected area in Hudson Bay.

A town hall is expected to be held in Churchill in February 2026 on the topic of rail line improvements and the port project, the province said.

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The two governments are kicking in a total of $262.5 million, with the feds putting in $180 million and the balance coming from the province.

It’s going to take more than a bit of buzz and a flood of government money to get private sector investors to crack open their wallets and invest in what the federal government has dubbed “Port of Churchill Plus” though — it’s going to require answering a number of burning questions.

WHY IT MATTERS: Agricultural proponents of the Port of Churchill are excited by government support, but that doesn’t guarantee success.

Can it be operated year-round as a northern trade port as Prime Minister Mark Carney has enthused? How much volume can the adjoining Hudson’s Bay Railroad (HBR) accommodate? What can be done to minimize the plight of wildlife and the environment in general, particularly with plans to ship oil?

These questions and others were posed by Barry Prentice, a supply chain management professor with the University of Manitoba’s IH Jasper School of Business, at a recent “In Conversation” luncheon hosted by the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics on Nov. 19.

Prentice offered an overview of some of the bright spots and challenges facing the Port of Churchill Plus.

Breaking the ice

Pivotal to the federal government’s ambitions for its five-year, $180 million railway and port upgrade investments is the question of whether Churchill can realistically serve year-round.

Even with the rapid decline of ice in the Hudson Strait, year-round service would still necessitate extensive use of costly ice-breaking labour and equipment.

Prentice pointed to the province’s $750,000 feasibility study to that end. He also referred to the interest of Montreal-based Fednav, a company billing itself as Canada’s biggest bulk shipper, in operating in the port year-round.

Building back reputation

In spite of their status as “the Prairies’ east coast,” the Port of Churchill/Hudson Bay corridor suffers from a “reputational deficit,” said Prentice.

“What do people think about Churchill when they hear about it? Only seasonal navigation comes up. Obviously it is cold, and although this is changing, (there’s a) somewhat wonky rail line that’s had its troubles over time.

“And then finally, a lonely grain elevator that hasn’t seen grain moving very much for some years now. So those are the kinds of ideas that people generally have.”

Climate opportunity

Today, the port and its route to the Atlantic is teeming with trade possibilities, but not for any reason a climate scientist would champion: the retreat of ice that, up until recently, assured Churchill could never be a world-class trade route.

For illustration, Prentice displayed photos comparing ice coverage around 30 years ago to today. The 1993 images showed that even in June the ice extending all the way to Newfoundland with very little open water to be found.

“Moving forward to Jan. 12, 2025, we see open water on the east coast of the Hudson Bay and, of course, pretty much open water up to the Hudson Strait.”

“What we’re seeing is an extension of the season.”

Regional growth

One measure of Churchill’s potential is the sheer number of people living in the Prairie provinces today compared to nearly a century ago. The 1931 national census (the year the port opened) said two million people lived on the Prairies, compared to 8.3 million today, according to the latest Statistics Canada numbers. And that means more demand.

“I expect to see growth continuing, maybe at the same pace,” said Prentice.

Not only is there more demand today, but there are more commodities to ship as well. The port was opened with the sole intent of shipping wheat, but now there’s a long list of goods the corridor could accommodate and some for which it is doing so already. There’s potash, lumber, minerals, petroleum products, sulfur, other grains and containerized freight.

“Containers would be interesting because this is the one product that would move in both directions,” Prentice said.

“… even if 10 per cent of the potash went through Churchill, that commodity alone would be enough to sustain the rail line.”

Barry Prentice
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

However, that doesn’t mean the Arctic Gateway Group, the owners and operators of the Port of Churchill, is losing sight of its origins in agriculture. In a recent presentation to Keystone Agriculture Producers (KAP), president and CEO Chris Avery said agricultural commodities are the port’s “core backbone.”

The diversification of the port’s shipping interests has been a welcome change for some.

In a Feb. 23, 2024, Manitoba Co-operator story, Churchill Mayor Michael Spence hailed the return of grain to the port, which had dropped substantially after the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board. But he also wanted the port to be less reliant on a single commodity than it was in the past.

“We are a port community, and one of the commodities that we all know has been historically shipped through the Port of Churchill is grain, but we will diversify; we will look at other products as well,” said Spence.

Environmental impact

A major concern of critics is the movement of oil along the route, which they say presents a threat to both marine and land-dwelling animals, not to mention the Indigenous residents. These and other environmental concerns must be addressed, said Prentice.

The community has a growing tourist trade, interested in paddling in Hudson’s Bay with beluga whales, or coming to view polar bears. They’ll naturally be concerned about the prospect of moving commodities like oil through the shipping route, Prentice said.

Faster shipping potential

The current route for potash from Saskatchewan to Brazil is long and convoluted, said Prentice. The Port of Churchill could change that.

“It’s taken west over the Rocky Mountains, down the coast of North America, through the Panama Canal, around South America and finally, to Brazil.

“Most of South America lies east of North America. So by the time you get through a downhill run to Churchill on the rail and load up, (when) you’re coming out of Churchill you’re almost straight south going to Brazil, so it’s a much shorter route and in theory should be much less expensive.”

Another factor is the amount of cargo required to maintain a railway today, said Prentice.

“For the length of the Hudson’s Bay Railway, it turned out you need about two million tonnes a year of traffic. Well, this railway has seldom seen more than half a million tonnes a year.

“But in the case of potash, we’re already shipping out 20 million tonnes. So even if 10 per cent of the potash went through Churchill, that commodity alone would be enough to sustain the rail line.”

At Avery’s KAP presentation, he stressed the need to increase the HBR’s car-carrying potential in anticipation of heavier traffic in terms of increased use and car weight.

“We need this upgrade to allow rail cars that carry a gross weight of 286,000 pounds per car. Our line allows cars that are weighted 268,000 pounds per car,” Avery said.
— With files from Don Norman

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StatCan published its major grain deliveries report for August 2025 on Sept. 25. In total, 3.588 million tonnes were delivered compared to 4.329 million in August 2024. The agency noted that tariffs placed on Canadian goods headed to the United States may have an impact on deliveries.

All wheat deliveries in August totaled 2.259 million tonnes compared to 2.321 million one year earlier. For durum, 279,584 tonnes were delivered last month, up from 244,560 tonnes in August 2024.

Canola deliveries fell below one million tonnes for the first time since August 2023, dropping to their lowest monthly total since May 2022. StatCan reported 621,555 tonnes of the oilseed were delivered in August, compared to 1.32 million tonnes in August of last year.

August barley deliveries were 379,238 tonnes, slightly more than the 375,071 tonnes delivered in August 2024. For oats, 278,097 tonnes were delivered, up from 267,271 tonnes one year earlier. Rye deliveries were up from 29,375 tonnes in August 2024 to 38,098 last month. Flaxseed deliveries were down from 15,127 tonnes in August 2024 to 11,953 tonnes a year later.

Saskatchewan provided 36.6 per cent of all deliveries, followed by Manitoba with 22.2 per cent and Alberta at 20.4 per cent.

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Premiers Doug Ford and Danielle Smith signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) Monday in Calgary. The agreements are mostly focused on the exchange of energy and minerals, though they could also open new trade routes between Western and Eastern Canada.

Why it matters: U.S. tariffs and interprovincial trade barriers remain among the biggest barriers for trade stability and profitability in agriculture.

The agreements will “open new markets and create thousands of new jobs across Canada” and diversify trading partners, Ford said.

Smith said the MOUs are meant to advance pipelines and pathways for exports of energy and critical minerals to markets across Canada and the world.

“Through this agreement, we’ll work together to explore ways to improve network corridors that better connect our energy and critical minerals to markets here at home as well as around the globe.”

Smith said Alberta is seeking to add more rail lines to increase access to Ontario in areas like the Ring of Fire, refineries in southern ontario and a deep-water port in James Bay.

“Let’s get some icebreakers in there, maybe build out some additional rail and road infrastructure, and it could be a multi-purpose port, not just for oil … but also food, fibres, manufactured goods, critical minerals,” she said.

She said this would allow shipping not only to Canada’s East Coast but also to trade partners in Europe.

“Let’s work on that. And maybe I’ll sign another MOU with my friend Francois Legault (Premier of Quebec) at some later point to see if we can get further east.”

Ford said the MOUs between the two provinces are critical at a time when U.S. tariffs are still threatening trade in Canada.

“President Trump’s tariffs and the economic uncertainty they’ve created, they’re hurting workers and businesses in every part of our great country,” he said. “Steel makers and aluminum workers in Ontario and Quebec, fishermen and women in B.C. and Atlantic Canada, farmers across the Prairies, including right here in Alberta.”

“We’re doing this because we need to unlock the full potential of our economy. We need to tear down the barriers and red tape that have held us back for far, far too long,” he added. “This is how we make ourselves less reliant on the United States. This is how we secure the future of Canada.”

The two provinces will also launch a joint feasibility study to determine the best strategies, financing and endpoints for these projects.

Monday’s signings come as Ontario has made efforts to reduce trade barriers with other provinces, including last month’s agreement with Saskatchewan.

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While a recent Manitoba Co-operator article highlighted record volumes of Canadian agricultural exports as evidence of supply chain success, it missed a critical point: volume alone doesn’t equal effectiveness or reliability.

Moving more grain year over year is a good thing, but it is only one of the metrics that helps Canada keep our customers.

Using simple volume comparisons from previous calendar or crop years can mask the deeper structural weaknesses in Canada’s agri-food transportation and logistics systems — weaknesses that directly threaten our competitive standing and international reputation.

And this is the crux of the matter: moving more grain doesn’t automatically equate to providing good service.

The most critical factor isn’t volume, it’s timing.

Farmers, grain companies and exporters rely on railways to move grain efficiently during the high-demand shipping season from September to January.

Our global customers measure Canada’s success not merely by tonnage shipped but by our ability to meet their demand during this peak season predictably, reliably and on time.

To put it another way, restaurant patrons don’t rave about a meal that shows up cold and an hour late just because the portion size was generous.

If Canadian exporters consistently fall short on timing, global buyers quickly turn to more reliable competitors.

Relying solely on annual volume statistics can mask critical shortcomings. The reality is that Canada’s agricultural supply chain frequently struggles to maintain the orderly flow and timeliness required by international buyers.

Without targeted solutions based on the metrics that matter, Canada risks losing market share precisely when geopolitical shifts demand we solidify our global reputation.

Government and industry leaders need to ask whether Canada’s supply chains consistently and reliably meet customer expectations at peak demand periods. Do our customers see Canada as predictable and trustworthy or as a supplier whose performance is uncertain, varying from season to season?

That’s why for the past 10 years, the Ag Transport Coalition has focused on order fulfillment — a performance metric that tells us how reliably railways are supplying the cars that are needed.

These performance metrics allow us to measure whether railways are delivering the equipment we need, when and where we need it.

By sharing this data publicly, we provide both the grain sector and our supply chain partners with a transparent foundation for dialogue. When the system is working well, we see it clearly in the numbers. But just as clearly, we can identify when performance is slipping — or worse, systematically failing.

When order fulfillment falters, as was frequently seen this grain year, the consequences are not abstract — they are tangible and costly.

One clear example comes from the Port of Vancouver, where vessel counts — a key stress indicator — peaked three times this year. While one of those spikes was linked to a labour disruption (the GWU strike), the most significant occurred in mid-January.

That spike followed months of declining on-time rail performance. By Week 32 of the crop year, there were 40 vessels waiting — double what we would normally expect.

That’s not just a port problem. It’s a sign that the entire grain supply chain is under stress when we need it the most — a problem that needs urgent attention from industry and government alike.

Global grain markets are unforgiving. Buyers seek certainty, and trust is earned through reliability, not tonnage alone.

It’s time for Canada to move past tonnage as its measurement of supply chain success. Dependability, precision and predictability must become our true benchmarks for supply chain excellence.

The Ag Transport Coalition is a joint venture between Canadian farm groups aimed at boosting competitiveness in theagricultural supply chain.

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Brian Innes, Soy Canada’s executive director, opened the organization’s recent annual meeting by describing the current international trade environment as unprecedented, unpredictable and volatile.

But he shared some good news for the future.

At the meeting, Innes outlined an in-depth review of the current state of Canada’s soy industry and its position in the global market, along with his predictions for the future.

He said what stood out amid the chaos is Canada’s reputation as a trusted and reliable supplier of soybeans, attracting the attention of existing and potential trade partners from around the world.

“Our role as a national organization in this seeming chaos — bringing our value chain together to be effective when engaging with governments in our export markets and meeting market requirements can pay dividends,” said Innes, reminding meeting attendees that 70 per cent of Canadian soybean production is exported every year, and that soybeans rank in the top three most valuable crops in the country.

WHY IT MATTERS: Canada’s soybean sector, like other export-heavy agricultural commodities, is trying to navigate an uncertain trade landscape.

During the meeting, Innes presented solutions that could position Canadian soy for success on the international stage and here at home. He pointed to the success of the Sustainable Canadian Soy program as a tool that is already increasing demand from global buyers who are eager to source verifiable Canadian-grown soybeans.

Now in its second year, the Sustainable Canadian Soy program includes six exporters. Innes believes this program can be leveraged as a tool that’s made the production and export of verified soybeans easier for farmers and exporters to provide global customers with what they want.

“As the program continues to grow — in the number of participating exporters, volume of soybeans produced, and demand for verified soybeans — so will the opportunities across the entire Canadian value chain,” predicts Innes.

When it came to addressing global volatility and the direct impact the industry is feeling — including the instability of markets, transportation networks and trade policy — Innes said he feels certain that “we are in a good position to step carefully and purposefully forward as a country and an organization.”

Looking ahead, Innes said Soy Canada will continue working diligently to ensure Canada is a supplier of choice for international customers and their governments. He believes that by highlighting the stability of Canada’s soy industry, the country can — and is already beginning to — serve as a beacon of reliability in an otherwise uncertain world.

“I’m optimistic we can seize opportunities that we’ve already fostered with global customers who are looking for stability and predictability. Canada can be the supplier that is trusted and reliable — and not everyone can say this,” he said.

Soy Canada’s outgoing market development mission is an example of how the industry was able to connect with customers, foster business and work together to demonstrate the value of Canadian soy and the benefits of doing business with Canada. Innes said the latest mission, hosted in February 2025, was a success with the strongest level of engagement from Canadian farmers and exporters that reached more end users than ever before. “

The success of engaging with more than 220 customers in Japan and Indonesia as part of our trade mission says we’re on the right track to become the soybean supplier of choice,” he said.

Embracing change

Remaining optimistic in the face of uncertainty is important, but change is inevitable and Innes said Soy Canada must continue strengthening and building upon its core pillars of leadership, research, market development and access, trade policy and research.

He said the organization is positioned to step forward and adapt to change while keeping the foundation that created Canada’s reputation for world class soybean varieties during this time of vibrant change.

During the meeting, a change of leadership came with members voting for the 2025-2026 Soy Canada board of directors and the new board also voted in a new chairperson. Outgoing chair Jason McNaughton who represented food grade exporters welcomed the incoming chair, Jeff Barlow from Grain Farmers of Ontario.

Meeting attendees also heard from keynote speaker, Alain Berard, senior director development, real estate and environment with the Port of Montreal, who echoed the theme of the event by sharing how resiliency and efficiency make Montreal a valuable port for Canadian soybean exports.

“Despite our current global environment, Canada is in a position to step forward and align what we do across our soy value chain with what our customers value,” said Innes.

“This has always been our approach, and it’s our reputation and ongoing efforts that are helping Canada stand out amid the noise and uncertainty.”

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“There is no way to sugarcoat what’s happening in the U.S.,” said Carlo Dade, director for international policy at the University of Calgary. “This is indeed the existential threat of our generation in Canada.”

The closing of the U.S. market appears as a deliberate attempt to create this existential threat, spreading to affect trade partners in the EU, Indo-Pacific, and Asia as well, attendees heard.

WHY IT MATTERS: Canadian farmers and agricultural companies are wrestling with how to navigate a multi-directional trade war with some of Canada’s biggest trading partner nations.

Dade likened the situation to a shake down, saying America has gone from “cop to mobster” on free trade.

But it’s not all bad news, he insisted. The forced shift in the trade status quo also offers opportunity for improvement, not just in trade relations but trade policy.

According to Dade, market access is not the issue – it’s the quality of access, including predictability and certainty.

It is Dade’s opinion that not enough work has been done on agri-trade policy. Dade and a group of policy analysts are pushing for a completely revised national trade policy when it comes to agriculture.

The silver lining is that, due to the current situation, there is now a greater understanding of the interconnection of products, infrastructure, and transportation, he noted.

“So, not just ‘How does wheat move?’ or ‘How do forestry products move?’ but ‘How does everything move through interconnected rail, road, ports, and even airport systems across the Prairies?’ With that information, you understand how investment in one asset — bridge, bypass, new rail siding — impacts not just your ability to move grain, but how it impacts everyone in the system.”

Many organizations and provincial governments are finding ways to improve trade infrastructure and address the issues caused by current methods, but it’s not enough, he said. He argues for an entirely new system built around “a more intelligent framework.”

His solutions include an increase of import capacity at ports and airport, and via rail, as well as smoother interprovincial trade systems, to make it easier for national trade to occur.

Provincial governments in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have worked together to make the best of the system, Dade said, adding that he hopes the federal government recognizes the Prairies’ efficiency and notes their effectiveness when looking at improving trade infrastructure.

These changes to policy and improvements to infrastructure should be fast-tracked, if possible, he argued. Dade spoke of one Peru port opened in fall 2024, funded by China, that will raise Brazil’s GDP by opening a trade route to Asia that’s 21 days faster than any current routes. The port was approved and built extremely quickly and utilizes state of the art automation, which will allow it to adapt easily to future opportunities, he said.

In comparison, Canadian ports refuse new automation or increasing of automation.

“It’s not just that we are stagnating. We’re falling behind, and drastically behind, against people who are as hungry, if not more hungry for those growing middle-class markets in Asia,” Dade said.

Agriculture needs louder voice

He further pointed to a lack of agricultural voices in the circles where general trade policy and other pieces of policy are decided. That silence means that agricultural concerns may fall through the cracks of those decision.

Dade offered the example of the policy fight on interoperability of machinery and the right to repair that is currently happening. He believes that this issue is being fought now because, when the decisions were originally made, farm voices were absent.

Agriculture must be in the room, starting at the grassroots producer level, he said. He encouraged producers to voice their concerns, speak to their MLAs and MPs to bring those concerns forward and ask their elected representatives what’s being done on those issues.

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