Last week in the World of Agriculture, we talked about blockades being held on Canadian National (CN) Railroad lines. The blockades were being held by members of an indigenous tribe and non-indigenous activists over a proposed gas pipeline. This was the topic of much discussion as the Canadian Agriculture Federation met in Ottawa.
Canadian Ag Federation President Mary Robinson said farmers and agribusinesses are at a ?tipping point.? Three weeks of rain and shipping disruptions are further exacerbating the effects of the Canadian National Rail workers strike earlier this winter.
The rail blockades appear to be winding down. However, the backlog caused will be felt in rail yards and shipping ports for several weeks and even months. CN Rail Vice President Sean Finn says things won?t just return to normal in the blink of an eye.
Mary Robinson added that it wasn?t just the slowing of transportation that was an issue. Many perishable goods which were on these trains began to spoil. This was especially true of produce such as apples. Robinson says Canada can no longer put people?s livelihoods in jeopardy each time an activist group wants to, no pun intended, rail against the government.
Propane delivery has also been hampered by the rail blockades. People in the Great White North rely on fuel for heating and in some cases, their primary power source. The trucking industry has done all it can to try and pick up the slack in propane deliveries, but it has been strained to keep up.
One thing is for certain; the end of the blockades is only the beginning of the recovery for the Canadian shipping industry which has seen economic losses of over $5 billion.
