CIAC members meet with three key federal ministers to discuss rail transport issues

On December 6 in Ottawa, several CIAC members, CIAC Director of Transportation, Kara Edwards, and three federal ministers met through Transport Canada’s Commodity Supply Chain Table to discuss the chemistry sector’s experience and views related to the national transportation network.

In attendance were Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, Minister of Natural Resources, Amarjeet Sohi and Minister of Agriculture, Lawrence MacAulay.

Representatives stressed to the ministers the importance of maintaining a commodity-neutral perspective while working to find solutions to rail service issues. They also pointed out that with an increase in investment in the sector expected thanks to the positive support in the federal government’s fall economic statement, additional rail network capacity will be needed to move these new goods to market. Other areas of importance included continued support for the National Trade Corridor Fund and support for the new data becoming available from the Transportation Modernization Act. The first weekly reporting of metrics through the Act began on December 10 and can be accesses here.

Additionally, recent CIAC survey results were shared at the forum, highlighting how members in Western Canada are currently experiencing very challenging shipping conditions. Our industry noted the need to work collaboratively with all stakeholders throughout the commodity supply chain to best use resources to get products to market in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner.

The CIAC Rail Committee will continue to be the main venue to engage key stakeholders in this area and CIAC will be working with Transport Canada to better track our industry’s performance within the Canadian system going forward. For more information please reach out to Kara Edwards.