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  • Hot Issues
    • Public Policy Goals
    • Carbon Tax
    • Fertilizer Reduction
    • Transportation
    • Grain Farming and the Environment
    • Industry Links
    • FAQs
  • About
    • Advocating For Farmers
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Sponsors
    • Young Farmer Mentorship Program
    • Shovel of Gratitude Honourees
    • 2024 Saskatchewan Election Questionnaire Results
  • Media
    • News Releases
    • In the News
    • Newsletters
    • Media Kit
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Merchandise
  • Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Member Offers
    • Member Login

Moving Our Grain

Home Transportation

About Transportation

Canadian famers rely on global trade, hence the importance of the transportation system to move our grain to market.

Most farmers are not able to store all their grain at their farm and therefore move it to elevators in their region. In turn, railcars empty the elevators and move the grain to larger terminals or ports where it’s loaded on to cargo ships for export. Some grain is shipped to mills or other processing plants domestically.

Without rail transportation, grain farming would move to a standstill. Trucking could not take the place of the over 8,000, 90 tonne cars per week during peak delivery times. To put this in context: 2 super-bee’s per railcar or 16,000 trucks/week travelling 4,000 km longest per round trip from MB @ 5 mpg.

The Issues

Canada’s rail system is a duopoly, controlling virtually all the rail lines. The vast majority of Canada’s grain relies on these two railways to move grain to port and processors. When one railway is on strike, locked out or blockaded, the remaining railway is not able to handle the additional load. When both lines are stopped as happened in August 2024, not only do the rail lines stop, the movement of virtually all goods and commodities in and out of ports stops as well.

As much as producers rely on railcars, so do the grain companies needing rail to deliver the grain to port and fulfill contracts. Threats of strikes are the signal for grain companies to stop selling internationally and bidding on vessel tenders. Those lost sales are gone forever and to add insult to injury, vessels waiting for grain already contracted, charge demurrage for each day they sit idle waiting to be loaded amounting to tens of thousands per day.

Farmers are not paid until their grain arrives at the elevator. Therefore, when the elevator is full because the rail lines aren’t moving, farmers don’t get paid, and their bills don’t get paid. Everyone suffers in this scenario.

There have been over a dozen stoppages in the past 13 years causing some of our export markets to question Canada’s reliability for grain. To lose any one of our export markets would be devastating.

Our Position

Canada’s farmers shouldn’t face the uncertainty of rail stoppages. The only outcome is further damage to Canada’s economy.

Rail should be considered an essential service. Not only does our food supply depend on it, so does our health and safety for propane, water treatment chemicals, equipment ranging from health to manufacturing, etc.

The federal government should ensure rail stoppages never happen again. Unions and corporations need to negotiate contracts in good faith, but holding farmers and Canada’s economy hostage is not acceptable.

Summer 2024 Rail Strike Press Releases

Government (In)Action – Days Late and Millions of Dollars Short

Rail Strike Shows a Shameful Response By the Federal Government

Labour Minister Needs to Immediately Resolve Rail Strike

Ministry of Labour Continues to Dither on Rail Strike

Minister O’Regan Can Resolve the Rail Strike Immediately

Union Rail Strike Impacts

Letters Sent Regarding Summer 2024 Rail Strike

Minister MacAuley (August 20, 2024)

Minister O’Regan (May 22, 2024)

CIRB (May 21, 2024)

Minister O’Regan (April 24, 2024)

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What We’re Doing

Government (In)Action – Days Late and Millions of Dollars Short

August 28, 2024

“The Wheat Growers have called for the government to take decisive action since May 2024. Agriculture and all other industrial [...]

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Manitoba farmers brace for ‘catastrophe unfolding’ as potential railway stoppage looms

August 28, 2024

"This will shut down not just agriculture, but the whole economy — everybody will feel it," Jochum said, as he [...]

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Railroad Lockout Remains for CPKC

August 23, 2024

Gunter Jochum, a farmer in Manitoba and president of the Wheat Growers Association, told DTN on Thursday he just started [...]

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Grain farmers and pork producers bearing the brunt of rail stoppage

August 23, 2024

Or farmers might have been forced to dump grain on the ground, exposed to the elements, which could lead to [...]

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How Alberta’s reliance on rail shipments prompts unease amid labour uncertainty

August 23, 2024

"We have contracts, they're in place. They have certain time periods that we were about to deliver by, and companies [...]

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Government (In)Action – Days Late and Millions of Dollars Short

August 22, 2024

CALGARY, AB: The Wheat Growers are pleased that the federal government has finally listened and invoked Sec. 107 of the [...]

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Ottawa intervenes to end rail dispute

August 22, 2024

“I’m definitely pleased. It’s too bad we couldn’t have got to this point before some of the damage was already [...]

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‘Everybody’s paying the price’: How the railway lockout impacted Manitobans

August 22, 2024

"We've had 16 major port and rail disruptions since 2010. So this is something that we've unfortunately become quite accustomed [...]

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How a rail stoppage could affect freight, farming, french fries and more

August 21, 2024

"Harvest is right now. We're combining. Bids are dropping daily because elevators don't want grain, and they're stopping deliveries from [...]

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Canadian Freight Train Stoppage Poses Economic Threat

August 21, 2024

Agriculturally, farmers across Canada's Prairie provinces are bracing for impact. Stephen Vandervalk, vice-president of the Wheat Growers Association, lamented how [...]

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Prime Minister calls on railways and the union to reach a deal

August 21, 2024

The Wheat Growers Association (WGA) points out that Canadian agriculture contributes $150B to our GDP and say its appalling that [...]

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Opinion: Rail strike shows a shameful response by government

August 20, 2024

“It is shocking that the Minister of Labour will not use the tools available to him, including Sec 107 of the [...]

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Wheat Growers Association

#300, 4838 Richard Road SW
Calgary, Alberta
T3E 6L1

info@wheatgrowers.ca

306-361-5667

President

Gunter Jochum
Email Gunter

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