Sixty individuals and organizations want the Canadian Transportation Agency to hear their thoughts on the Canadian Wheat Board’s complaint of poor performance by the railways.
The deadline to apply for intervenor status or ask to submit a written brief was July 11.
“Forty have asked to participate in the hearing,” said CTA spokes-person Charles Mojsej. “Twenty have (submitted) or have asked to submit written briefs.”
In addition to six organizations that filed applications this spring, nine recent applications came from Manitoba Reform MP Jake Hoeppner, Saskatchewan Reform MP Lee Morrison, Saskatchewan Liberal leader Jim Melenchuk, Saskatchewan Tory MLA Dan D’Autremont, the Saskatchewan Women’s Agricultural Network, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Pulse Canada, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way and Western Central Road and Rail Committee.
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All other applications were from individuals who were not named by the CTA.
Melenchuk said the Saskatchewan Liberals cautiously support the wheat board’s complaint and want to present their positive approach to problems in grain transportation.
“We would like to see some positives come out of this whole process and some long-term commitments from the wheat board, the grain companies, the railways and the terminals in determining some solutions that will be long-lasting,” Melenchuk said.
“We can go back to the Crow’s Nest, which was a solution in 1897. It’s not a solution in 1997. We need to come up with something people can rely on.”
Melenchuk said incentives and penalties should be built into a more accountable system.
The complaint was to be heard Aug. 11 in Saskatoon but was delayed when the railways claimed legal counsel for the wheat board was in a conflict of interest. That case is to be heard July 25 in Winnipeg.
Mojsej said the delay could mean the CTA will have to review the applications, but extending the deadline is unlikely.
