Western Grain Elevator Assn

[Braveheart]

Tandem007, I know what it's like there. I've toured it from the land and harbour. I know about the congestion. The point I'd like to communicate isn't really about loop tracks. It's about the lack of foresight by Canadian grain exporters. Their planning, even with new investments is only current (barely). No one is looking at what will be needed 10, 15, 25 years out and building to that target.

I suspect some of the blame lies in the fact that we had a command and control system withe the single desk for so long that the future was never clear. We're in a new era now so time to ramp it up or get out of the way.

[bucket]

That's not true Braveheart. The graincos were paid very well from the cwb so sales and loading at port would move quickly amongst graincos.

They had the money to invest in the future and considering they were lobbying for more control, they are the ones to blame for not investing in better handling facilities.

[Braveheart]

Graincos usually charged maximum tariffs under board era. It didn't mean they made money.

Some years if the farm supply sales were down things were bleak. Do you think the Pools and UGG would have vanished if it was the gravy train you describe Bucket? Sure there were other issues, but they weren't wildly profitable.

But, I still maintain the central control of the single desk threw a wet blanket on any vision for the future.

[grassfarmer]

No wonder the trains are too busy to haul grain. In my area I've passed 3 frac sand unloading facilities in recent days - one 10 miles from the other, the second 13 miles in the other direction. All just started operating this winter. The biggest one is taking 4 trainloads a week. How much of the province/country is seeing this volume of extra train traffic demand?

[bucket]

Grassfarmer

As I mentioned in other threads k and s potash is building 6 -175 car unit trains for production to be online in 2017.

Statscan should have the numbers for increased required capacity already if they were doing their jobs.

Asking farmers about on farm stocks does no good if at the end no one builds track capacity.

It requires political clout to make alot of what is required to be done.

Farmers can call their mps until they are blue in the face. If the conservatives don't get it by now they never will.

[tstep]

With the number of oil track load facilities that have come on line in the last year and the new ones coming on line next summer, I know of 3 oil and propane/butane, and these are 120 car load facilities. The movement of grain will be even slower. The govt knows where the money is and that's not from Ag.