Peace Country farmer calling for federal action on rail blockades

One Peace Region farmer says unless there is action from the federal government, the situation with blockades on railways will get worse.

The blockades are part of protests across Canada in support of hereditary chiefs of a B.C. First Nation who are opposed to the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline, which runs from the Dawson Creek area through to Kitimat.

Woking’s Leo Meyer says this is more than an agriculture issue, and prolonged blockades would impact the entire Canadian economy.

“Our customers need to be looked after. Our goods need to go to places around the globe. It’s going to be a concern (around) the reliability of Canada as a provider of goods which we need to export around the globe.”

He says the federal government needs to show some leadership.

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“Many of us have grievances with this federal government as it stands, especially in parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and a good part of British Columbia, but it doesn’t mean that we’re blocking traffic and interrupting other people’s business. When there’s such a small group of activists allowed to do this, then that needs leadership.”

On Thursday, Canadian National Railway officials announced the demonstrations have forced it to shut down its network in Eastern Canada, while Via Rail cancelled its operations across the country.

Meyer says traffic has already stopped to the Ports of Prince Rupert and Kitimat and he is worried the same thing will happen in Vancouver, where protests have already taken place.

He adds farmers are already struggling with cash flow as a lot of crop has stayed out in the field all winter and a difficult spring is ahead.

“Can those extra crops, which will come in, be absorbed and in time? The grain handlers need to be able to move them. International markets, do they expect certain things from us as a reliable supplier? All those things play into already fairly depressed global prices.”

Meyer says railways move 300-million tonnes of Canadian goods every year.