The Globe and Mail: Possible Canadian rail strike could see major halts for agriculture, large retailers

Business groups say Canada’s railways ship $380-billion worth of goods a year, and they have urged the federal government to take action to prevent costly stoppages. Bulk commodities such as crops and coal comprise much of the freight moving on Canada’s railways. However, the companies also ship high-value products that include autos and containers of consumer goods from Asia.

“People do underestimate the importance of the railways,” said Barry Prentice, a transportation professor at the University of Manitoba. Still, “the average Canadian isn’t going to see very much [impact] because most of what they purchase is delivered by truck. The people who will feel it are people who are shipping commodities, farmers and people working in the forest industries and others.”

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