Teamsters Canada Rail Conference

A Saskatchewan farmer's complaint about CN Rail eliminating grain loading sites has been dimissed by a federal regulatory agency.

After CN announced plans in 2009 to remove 53 communities from its published list of available loading sites, Hanley-area farmer Cameron Goff filed a level-of-service complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Goff argued that if CN has its way, farmers will lose rail access and the ability to order, load and transport their grain to market.

He also suggested that the delistings could end up costing farmers more than $1,000 per rail car.

However, in its Aug. 4 decision, the CTA said federal law does not require railway companies to maintain all their loading sites.

Although Goff was particularly concerned about the closing of the site at Allan, Sask., he used it only three times in the past five years, the agency said.

Furthermore, even if Allan is delisted, the site Goff uses at nearby Hanley would still be available, the CTA said.

Goff was supported in his complaint by four intervenors: the National Farmers Union, the Canadian Wheat Board, Hudson Bay Route Association and Producer Car Shippers of Canada.

The proposed delistings represent about 30 per cent of the CN loading sites on the Prairies. Twenty-four of the sites are in Saskatchewan, 20 are in Alberta and nine are in Manitoba.