Canola industry welcomes government action on rail work stoppage

Aug 23, 2024

The Canola Council of Canada (CCC), Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) and Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA) welcome action by the federal government to invoke section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order CN, CPKC and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference to final binding arbitration, a resumption of rail service and an extension of the current agreements until new agreements are finalized.

The CCC, CCGA and COPA have been calling for government intervention ahead of a possible work stoppage along with other industry partners across the grains sector. The #StopTheStrike campaign has been an important avenue to highlight the economic harm of a rail work stoppage on the sector and canola value chain specifically.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) must move swiftly to implement the ministerial order. It is imperative that a resumption of activities on Canada’s Class I railways happens as soon as possible. With farmers harvesting their crops, time is of the essence to get the railways running.

While this action by the government is a positive development, this situation was avoidable. Moving forward, the government and political parties of all stripes must find a long-term solution to ensure this type of event does not happen again.

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?