March 20, 2023 – CN Rail has announced labour peace with Unifor and the threat of a rail strike in this difficult economy has been removed. Canaan Transport will individually update customers to change their backup plans where required.
March 8, 2023 – Negotiations between CN and its main union have now reached a standstill and all signs indicate that there will be a rail strike on March 14, 2023 without further talks. Customers will be advised individually of any drastic delay or impact on your shipments.
March 6, 2023 – Canada’s Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra last week announced up to $5.4 million 20 projects across Canada as part of an initiative of the Rail Safety Improvement Program. The Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program supports research, development and implementation of innovative technologies, tools and approaches to better identify and reduce the increasing risks and impacts of climate change on Canada’s rail sector.The various recipients selected to receive funding will evaluate new designs and technologies, implement innovative technologies and develop a better understanding of the risks and impacts of climate change on railways to address adaptation challenges such as flooding, fires, permafrost degradation and more extreme operational temperatures.
February 27, 2023 – CN Rail’s clerical and worker’s union have issued notice that they intend to call for strike votes as a result of a breakdown in negotiations to renew the expired Dec. 31, 2022 contract. Please be advised that CN Rail terminal operations will be affected if their union goes on strike with action as early as March.
February 15, 2023 – In another sign that the economy is truly slowing, TS Lines, a new carrier that started service to the Port of Vancouver during the past 2 years, has now decided to permanently stop its service to Vancouver from Asia amidst falling freight rates.
February 8, 2023 – Nearly 70% of global logistics executives say they are bracing for recession amid higher costs, slowing demand and ongoing supply chain disruption arising from China’s battle to contain COVID, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the impact of climate change. Ninety percent of the 750 industry professionals surveyed for the 2023 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index also say their shipping, storage and other logistics costs remain well above the pre-pandemic levels they were at in early 2020. The Index, compiled by Ti Insights, ranks China number one, however only 11% of respondents say their company’s manufacturing footprint is the same as before COVID. “Carriers and shippers are feeling the effects of higher energy prices, tight labour markets and broader inflation even though freight rates have fallen and ports have cleared cargo backlogs,” said Agility Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan. “Three years after the start of the pandemic, there is still a lot of volatility in supply chains. Now there’s fresh uncertainty as consumers and businesses pull back on spending and hiring.”
January 31, 2023 – The CBSA on Monday issued the following message: "The CBSA understands and shares the desire to find solutions when it comes to the cost of examinations borne by importers. Although the CBSA selects and examines goods, the costs of the resulting examinations are not imposed by the CBSA, but rather by the shipping industry, which in turn passes the cost on to the importer. All costs of CBSA staff and equipment required to perform an examination are covered by the Government of Canada. As the fees for presenting any goods for examination are generated by the port authority, terminal operators, and/or warehouse operators, the cost of examinations fall outside the authority of the CBSA. Nonetheless, the agency is committed to improving the examination process and exploring potential efficiencies through working collaboratively with industry associations and committees. The CBSA maintains a shared interest in ensuring an efficient flow of the commercial supply chain with minimal impact to its industry partners. The agency is committed to working with other government departments and industry stakeholders to examine gaps, establish service levels and modernize technological systems to ensure an efficient examination process."
January 16, 2023 – Canadian Pacific Railway Limited has reached a tentative collective agreement with Unifor on a new contract for mechanical employees in Canada. Unifor represents approximately 1,200 of CP’s mechanical employees, who are responsible for maintaining rail cars and locomotives. The previous collective agreement expired on December 31, 2022.
January 9, 2022 – Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra today announced amendments to the Transportation Information Regulations to increase supply chain transparency and create a better understanding of the performance of Canada’s freight rail sector for the benefit of all rail users. These amendments aim to strengthen the accountability of freight rail service providers, by requiring major railways to provide Transport Canada with enhanced service and performance information. This information will significantly enhance the value of the information being collected and it will be published weekly on the Government of Canada’s website to provide Canadians with a better picture of end-to-end freight rail performance. Major railways will also provide Transport Canada with additional data to support targeted public policy and other regulatory purposes, including waybill information (such as origin, destination, weight) and traffic data (such as number of carloads, goods, and car types). These changes will come into force on April 4, 2023. They are an important part of the Government of Canada’s response to the issues raised in the National Supply Chain Task Force’s Final Report.
December 25, 2022 – We wanted to wish our customers, our team members and our vendors a Merry Christmas and an upcoming Happy New Year!