CP Delivers Grain-Haul Record, Community Support

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
(Photograph Courtesy of CP via Twitter)

(Photograph Courtesy of CP via Twitter)

Canadian Pacific (CP) on Feb. 2 reported moving 2.29 million metric tons (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products in January 2023, setting a new record for the month, despite rain delays in Vancouver. Also, the Class I railroad has chosen BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charity partner of its 2023 Women’s Open golf tournament.

CP’s grain performance through January demonstrates the strength of our customers’ supply chains, and the strong resiliency of our railway operations and effective winter planning, allowing CP to deliver for our customers,” said Joan Hardy, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Grain and Fertilizers for CP, which in November 2022 was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2023) and Alberta’s Top Employers (2023) by the Globe and Mail. “CP, our customers and other supply chain participants were able to ship nearly double the volume of grain and grain products compared with January 2022, despite slowed grain vessel loading because of rain in Vancouver, holiday closures and periods of extreme winter operating conditions.”

CP said it has called on the government and industry to improve the ability to load grain vessels in the rain at west coast terminals. “This problem in Vancouver is causing significant capacity constraints for Canada’s export of grain and agricultural products,” according to the Class I railroad. “Persistent rain delays in Vancouver disrupt the efficient, balanced cycling of railcars from the Port of Vancouver back to the in-country grain elevators on the Prairies, where they are re-loaded with grain and transported back to the West Coast. These delays unavoidably reduce the grain supply chain’s velocity and export capacity.”

“CP appreciates the attention of both government and industry to this matter, and looks forward to stakeholders finding pragmatic and safe solutions to maximize throughput for Canada’s export grain supply chain,” Hardy said.

So far in the 2022-23 crop year, CP reported moving more than 15 MMT of Canadian grain and grain products, up more than 45% from the same period during the 2021-22 crop year.

(Image Courtesy of CP via Twitter)

Separately, CP announced that BC Children’s Hospital Foundation has been chosen as the charity partner of the 2023 CP Women’s Open, the third time it has been selected during CP’s title sponsorship of this LPGA Tour event. The goal for this year’s event—to be held Aug. 21-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver—is to raise more than $2.5 million, which will go toward “enhancing the physical spaces of the Heart Center [at BC Children’s Hospital] to create a comfortable and healing environment for patients and their families,” according to the railroad. Funds will also help to create improved workspaces for cross-functional collaboration among the cardiac team at BC Children’s.

CP said it has helped raise more than $16 million to support children’s heart health in Canada during the nine years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open.

“Kids with heart conditions can be some of the sickest children in BC [British Columbia], and the Heart Center at BC Children’s Hospital is there to provide care for every one of them,” BC Children’s Hospital Foundation President and CEO Malcolm Berry said. “That’s why we’re so grateful to once again be the CP Has Heart charity of choice. CP’s support helps elevate the incredible care BC Children’s is able to provide to kids and their families across the province.”

“We are so proud to witness the incredible impact of CP Has Heart on the lives of countless youth in the host communities of the CP Women’s Open,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “There is a real excitement among golf fans and event enthusiasts in the celebrated return of the CP Women’s Open to Vancouver, highlighted by world-class golf, a week-long festival experience and a meaningful legacy gift in support of the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.”

In recognition of Heart Month, CP and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation will hold a month-long fundraising campaign with CP matching all donations up to a total of $300,000. For more information, visit the Foundation website.

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