Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters are raising concerns around the CN Rail blockades.
Protesters across the country are blocking CN Rail tracks in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Nation in British Columbia, who are fighting against the Coastal GasLink pipeline being built on their territory.
Ron Marcolin, Divisional Vice President of CME, says the blockades are having ripple effects throughout industry.
“When that service is disrupted, our plants suffer, and in so doing our labour suffers. People like factory workers, long shore-men, the supply chain within and around the Port are all now at a strategic disadvantage” he said.
“It’s making some manufacturers scramble for alternative methods of transport. If this does not get resolved very quickly… this will have a huge effect on our economy in Saint John.”
Marcolin says the blockades could have long-term impacts on New Brunswick’s export contracts, especially potash.
“It actually brings up the possibility of international contracts going elsewhere, specifically potash. If we can’t get our goods to market, and in this case to Saint John to tidewater, the end user of potash would look to other alternatives, and that quite frankly is easy to do,” he said.
“We need to keep our strategic advantage, and we are losing it by having blockades in place on the largest rail line in our country.”
He says delayed shipments could also lead to costly penalties for manufacturers.
Marcolin is calling on the federal government to end the blockades as soon as possible.
“Globally, this clearly does not look good on Canada,” he added.
“What we are looking to do is have the economy back on track and move forward.”
