Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Both of Canada’s major railways moved record-breaking amounts of grain in June and set records for the most grain moved in a fiscal quarter. Canadian National Railway (CN) reported moving 2.7 million tonnes of grain to ports during the month of June, while Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) moved 2.76 million tonnes. Similarly, CN […] Read more
CP, CN break records for grain shipments
CN sees eastern network revival on supply chain diversity, ports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Montreal | Reuters — Canadian National Railway, the country’s biggest railroad, is banking on growth in consumer products and supply-chain diversification in Asia, to revive traffic on its underutilized eastern Canadian rail lines, the company’s CEO told Reuters Friday. Coronavirus, which hit China’s industrial production, along with U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, are further leading […] Read more
Grain exports flow fast as pandemic lockdowns clear rail capacity
Traffic accelerates on lower coal, crude volumes
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters — Canadian grain exporters are boosting sales in a slumping global economy, as demand for commodities like oil weakens and frees up railway space. Brisk crop movement in a country that relies heavily on rail is a bright spot during pandemic lockdowns, which have hammered most industries. “We’ve had an almost unlimited […] Read more
Grain exports continue strong out of Thunder Bay
COVID-19 leads to increased demand, reduced oil traffic by rail
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — The Port of Thunder Bay reported another strong grain handling month in May, as more than 1.1 million tonnes of Canadian grain and oilseeds moved through the harbour on the northern shores of Lake Superior during the month. Increased demand from many countries stockpiling grain amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic was cited as […] Read more
Fuel, labour to pull grain freight cost indices lower
CP's share buybacks also a factor in its VRCPI
Reading Time: 2 minutes The numbers that decide how much revenue Canada’s big two railways get to keep from Prairie grain handling have been marked downward for the 2020-21 crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency last week announced it will set the volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) at 1.4202 for Canadian National Railway (CN) and at 1.4205 for Canadian […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: In canola, volatility is order of the day, for now
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Expect the canola market, along with other grains and oilseeds, to remain volatile for the time being, said David Derwin of PI Financial in Winnipeg. “A lot of the markets right now are extremely erratic because of the coronavirus. I think it’s being blown out of proportion, but it is what it is,” […] Read more
CN faces grain export backlog of 10,000 carloads, CEO says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Montreal | Reuters — Canadian National Railway (CN) lost capacity equivalent to 10,000 carloads, or one million tonnes of grain exports, in February due to rail blockades by protesters opposed to a pipeline project, CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest said Tuesday. Activists disrupted passenger and freight traffic last month to show solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people, who […] Read more
CN starts calling back laid-off employees
"Network recovery... will take several weeks"
Reading Time: < 1 minute Montreal | Reuters — Canadian National Railway has started calling back many of the 450 workers it laid off earlier this month in Eastern Canada, when blockades crippled operations on strategic rail lines, according to a company email sent to customers Friday. Earlier this week, police made 10 arrests and cleared a blockade in eastern […] Read more
Protestors put up new rail, road barricades in wake of arrests
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa/Toronto | Reuters — Protesters in Canada blocked train lines, Vancouver’s port entrance and at least one highway on Tuesday in response to the arrest of 10 indigenous activists when police dismantled a rail barricade in southern Ontario a day earlier. Ontario Provincial Police on Monday arrested some of the Tyendinaga Mohawk campaigners who had […] Read more
OPP clear rail blockade, arrest 10
No word yet on when CN service through area will resume
Reading Time: 2 minutes Tyendinaga, Ont. | Reuters — Ontario Provincial Police on Monday made 10 arrests and cleared a rail blockade that had been stopping freight and passenger traffic for almost three weeks on one of the country’s busiest lines. OPP secured the area just east of Belleville, Ont., Canadian National Railway Co (CN) said, and CN technicians […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
