Winnipeg Free Press: Port of Churchill closes
As the Winnipeg Free Press reports:
The Port of Churchill has been shut down and will not ship any grain for the first time since the Second World War.
About 30 employees received two-week layoff notices on Monday afternoon from owner, OmniTrax Canada. Many more employees were still waiting to be recalled for the shipping season, which runs to the end of October.
Elden Boon, a Virden grain farmer, expressed disbelief. If ever there was a year to put more grain through Churchill, it’s this year, he said.
“There’s a tremendous crop out there. It’s just bordering on the ridiculous,” said Boon, past president of the Hudson Bay Route Association that promotes usage of the port and rail line.
Barry Prentice, transportation economist at the University of Manitoba Asper School of Business, agreed. “If I was in business, I’d like to take advantage of that big crop,” he said.
Shutting down can’t improve chances of a sale, said Prentice. “It’s like a professional hockey player. You put on a good effort so someone wants you,” said Prentice.