The lineup of grain vessels waiting for loading at Vancouver increased to 21 for Week 8 of the grain shipping season. Reports by Quorum Corp., which monitors prairie grain handling, stated vessels at Vancouver were up 31 per cent from the previous week (17). The increase in ships raised sentiments that grain orders and exports […] Read more
Tag Archives grain transportation

Northgate gains on links with U.S. buyers
This is the second of five business features highlighting Saskatchewan companies that are finalists in the Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership’s (STEP) 2018 Exporter of the Year Award. SASKATOON — Ceres Global Ag may not be the most well-known grain-handling company in Saskatchewan. But its reputation is growing, thanks to a dedicated staff, an aggressive […] Read more
Farmers urged to keep watch on rail shipping
Farm leaders last week told federal ministers they are closely watching grain movement this fall to make sure the railways don’t fall behind. Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, and Daryl Fransoo, a Western Canadian Wheat Growers director, both said communication is key as the first shipping season under new transportation […] Read more

Ottawa to invest $117 million in Churchill and rail link repairs
The federal government plans to spend $117 million over the next 10 years to restore rail service between The Pas, Man., and the Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba. In a Sept. 14 news release, the government of Canada said it is committed to restoring rail service on the Hudson Bay Railway. The railway — […] Read more

Grain supply network performing smoothly
An early harvest slowed farmer deliveries to the elevator, but movement picked up during week four of the new crop year
Canada’s grain handling and transportation systems look to be operating smoothly despite smaller-than-average export shipments during the first month of the 2018-19 crop year. “So far, so good,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp., the Edmonton company contracted to monitor commercial grain movements in Western Canada. “We were a little bit concerned (in late […] Read more
New grain terminals built across West
Grain handling companies continue to invest in new facilities across the West despite warning from some industry observers that Western Canada’s bulk grain handling system is quickly becoming overbuilt. In the past month, at least three new grain terminals have opened across the Prairies and others are scheduled to open early next year. Last week, […] Read more

CN orders 60 more locomotives, cites growth in rail volumes
Canadian National Railway plans to add 60 additional locomotives to its fleet, the company announced this week. The Montreal-based railway has placed an order with GE Transportation for 60 more locomotives, expanding a previous order for 200 new locomotives that was placed by CN in December 2017. “With strong demand across our business, we continue […] Read more

Regulator orders HBR to repair damaged track
The federal government is moving ahead with legal action against the Hudson Bay Railway Company (HBRC), a subsidiary of North American railroading company OmniTrax Inc. Ottawa is suing HBRC for $18 million, claiming that the company failed to live up to terms in a 2008 contract that required the company to maintain rail service on […] Read more

Farmers call for reopening of Tisdale rail subdivision
UPDATED: June 19, 2018 – 0955 CST – adds CN emailed comment – If Ottawa is serious about re-establishing the Port of Churchill as a viable export route for prairie grain, it should focus its regulatory efforts on re-opening the Tisdale subdivision in northeastern Saskatchewan. That’s according to Ian Boxall, a Tisdale-area farmer who also […] Read more

CP plans $500M fleet renewal
Canadian Pacific Railway plans to spend more than $500 million on new high-capacity grain hopper cars over the next four years. The company announced its plan in a June 7 news release, adding that grain shippers can expect to see 500 of the so-called jumbo hopper cars in CP’s fleet before the end of 2018. […] Read more