Certain provisions were scheduled to expire August 1, 2016
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Members of Alberta’s agricultural community are pleased to learn the Minister of Transportation and Minister of Agriculture listened to their concerns and are considering postponing certain measures of the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act that were set to expire on Aug. 1.
“The movement of our crops continues to be a priority for farmers,” said Allison Ammeter, Chair of Alberta Pulse Growers in a release.
The provisions being considered for extension are:
- To prescribe different distances, by region or by goods, when making regulations on interswitching (one carrier picks up the cars and hands them off to another carrier).
- To make regulations specifying what constitutes “operational terms” that can be referred to in level-of-service arbitration.
- To order a railway company to pay compensation to a shipper or any person for any expenses they incurred as a result of the railway company’s failure to comply with its level-of service-obligations.
- To prescribe a minimum amount of grain to be moved by Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway during any period within a crop year, and authorize designated persons to impose administrative monetary penalties for failing to meet these requirements.
If the extension of the provisions are approved, they would be postponed for one year.
Kevin Auch, Chairman of the Alberta Wheat Commission, said the Government’s actions show an understanding of “the importance of a reliable and predictable transportation system.”
Federal Minister of Transportation Marc Garneau said the Government is committed to an efficient transportation system, and Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay said it’s committed to supporting the growth of the agricultural sector.