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(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)
Crops

Preview: Railways, grain shippers at loggerheads over interswitching

Pilot to test expanded radius deemed unnecessary by both sides

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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
(File photo by Lorraine Stevenson)
Crops

Elevators hope mandatory vaccination doesn’t disrupt operations

New regulations will require all federally regulated employees to comply early in 2022

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Canada’s major companies hope their operations won’t be disrupted when Ottawa requires federally regulated employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 starting early in 2022. “It depends on whether employees that aren’t vaccinated will get vaccinated, or would they leave their jobs,” Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) said in an interview
Railways are moving record amounts of grain -- but that's needed because farmers keep growing so much.
News

Mixed messages: Declining order fulfilment accompanies grain shipping record

Increased grain production means new records are needed to move the crop, shippers say

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Canada’s two main railways keep breaking grain movement records, but oddly, on-time car delivery has fallen compared to the same period last crop year. It’s counterintuitive, but the explanation is simple: grain companies have ordered 13 per cent more cars this crop year, and the railways, while setting records, aren’t keeping up with the increased
(PortOfHalifax.ca)
Markets

Ottawa expected to ‘officially’ declare ag an essential service

The Western Grain Elevator Association says that designation will clarify things and help to keep grain moving

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Canada’s grain industry expects the federal government will soon officially declare agriculture an essential service. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), says that designation will have a practical application. “Hopefully it ends all confusion about grain workers at elevators, railway workers and anybody else required for moving grain, as to
A freighter is loaded with grain from a terminal at Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet. (Maxvis/iStock/Getty Images)
Crops

Handlers focus on keeping grain moving despite COVID-19

Grain companies, Canadian Grain Commission working but unsure of future

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Canada’s grain companies are committed to keeping grain moving to domestic and export customers, but how the spread of COVID-19 might affect business is still an unknown, says Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association. “We are are going to do everything in our power to keep grain moving at this time,”
Grain being loaded on a ship at the Hudson Bay port of Churchill in 2015. Former owner OmniTrax shut down the port facility before the 2016 shipping season began. (CNS Canada photo by Jade Markus)
Crops

Grain firms warn of competitive fairness on Churchill assistance

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CNS Canada — The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) wants assurances that any government incentives used to upgrade the rail line to Churchill, Man., and the port there are not used to support competing businesses. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the WGEA, said the organization’s membership of major grain-handling companies are concerned their competitors could
More collaboration and better communication is credited with improving Western Canada’s grain-handling and transportation system. One example of better communications occurred last fall when Doug MacDonald, CN Rail’s vice-president of bulk (standing top centre), and other CN officials, met with western Canadian farm leaders at the Port of Vancouver.
Crops, News

A new day for grain transportation?

With record port throughput occurring twice in the crop years following the 2013-14 shipping backlog it ‘feels’ that way

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The great grain backlog of 2013-14 was a disaster, costing western Can­adian farmers billions, but there’s a silver lining: since then, grain movement has never been better. “I think it really was a wake-up call for a lot of parties, especially governments, and people who aren’t necessarily as close to the (grain transportation) issue,” Wade
Data collection and infrastructure are the next big priorities for the 
grain-handling and transportation system, says Western Grain Elevator Association executive director Wade Sobkowich.
Crops, News

New grain system priorities: data collection, infrastructure

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The next two big priorities concerning grain movement are data collection and infrastructure, says Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA). “Any time you have a supply chain you have a bottleneck somewhere,” he said in an interview Aug. 23. WGEA members welcome the longer trains CN and CP Rail are
Transport Minister Marc Garneau will introduce promised amendments to the Canada Transportation Act this spring, a spokesman says.
News

New transportation legislation still set for spring introduction

While grain farmers and shippers look forward to legislation they want provisions under C-30 set to expire Aug. 1 extended until the amendments take force

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Canada Transportation Act amendments will be introduced this spring before the House of Commons rises — but the grain industry is concerned key temporary provision may expire before legislation is passed. The confirmation came after a query to Transport Minister Marc Garneau’s office. “Minister Garneau is committed to introducing legislation this spring,” Marc Roy, Garneau’s

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