FORT ST. JOHN -- British Columbia grain producers are closely watching developments in the nationwide rail dispute that they say could soon spread its impact beyond farmers to producers of food and beer.
Canadian National Railway Co. trains began rolling again, but it's unclear when freight movements will fully resume, after railworkers issued a new strike notice and pushed back against efforts by the federal government to get them back to work.
Peace River area farmer Hannah Willms, who is a director of the BC Grain Producers Association, says the stoppage that was triggered on Wednesday night is causing problems for farmers like her who rely on trains to get their barley from Fort St. John to the market each week.
She says that compared to trains, trucks don’t have enough capacity, with one train able to carry as much grain as 300 double-length Super-B trucks, and there's "no way" to get that many on the road.
She says a lack of cash flow will put soon a strain on farmers who wait for harvest before getting paid.
“When we are harvesting our grain, we have gone all summer without income, and so we get to harvest and we start shipping our grain, that’s when we get our income,” said Willms who has been farming with her husband for 30 years.
She says if farmers can’t move their grain, it will create problems for other food sectors.
“And pretty soon the beer is not going to be flowing — we supply barley for beer,” said Willms.
The stoppage at both railways prompted Ottawa to ask the Canada Industrial Relations Board on Thursday to use binding arbitration to resolve the impasse.
The tribunal says it is addressing the issue "with utmost urgency" and a decision is expected later today.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2024.
