CP Rail and the Canadian Wheat Board have asked the courts for more time to try to negotiate an out-of-court settlement of the board’s $45 million lawsuit against CP.
The two sides jointly requested a three-week extension of the Feb. 22 deadline for CP to file its statement of defence.
“A little more time would be helpful,” said Ian La Couvee of CP.
The board launched its suit at the end of December, seeking compensation for farmers for grain shipping problems in 1996-97.
Basing its case on a September 1998 ruling by the Canadian Transportation Agency that CP discriminated against grain in favor of other commodities, the board is claiming $25 million in specific costs and expenses, including demurrage and shipping penalties and carrying costs, and $20 million to account for future financial losses relating to loss of business, injury to customer relations and reputation.
CP has denied discrimination and said there is no evidence that the board has lost business because of that winter’s shipping problems.
