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SHIPPINGOUT
Most of Alberta’s grain is exported fromCanada’s west coast.
It generally takes eight to 10 hours to unload a train full of grain
at a port terminal.
Vancouver’s port has nine berths at seven terminals. Prince Ru-
pert has one berth at one terminal.
Vancouver has 14 anchorages in English Bay.When vessel traf-
fic exceeds that number, some vessels are sent to anchorages
along Vancouver Island.
Demurrage costs (fee paid to a vessel’s owner when a con-
tracted cargo is not loaded at the agreed time) can range from
$12,000–$18,000 per day.
CONTRACTSANDDELIVERY
Long gone are the days when a farmer simply arrived at the elevator with
a load, without the manager knowing in advance what type or quality
to expect. Today, virtually all grain is contracted by the elevator and de-
livered on call. When a manager is unable to ship grain out because of a
shortage of rail capacity, the elevator may stop contracting for delivery.
MAKINGTHEGRADE
Generally, the farmer provides a crop
sample to the elevator manager prior to
delivery so they both knowwhat quality to
expect. At delivery, a sample is taken by an
automated system, transported to an on-
site lab and graded for quality—moisture,
protein, contaminants, etc. Once the basic
quality is determined, the load is accepted
andmoved to general storage.
WEBOF STEEL
1885
Canada's railway was completed on Nov. 7, when the last
spikewas driven.
2,263,200 km
2
The approximate area served by Canada’s railway system.
28,694 km
Total railway network length inWestern Canada.
CN transports a variety of crops, including oilseeds, which
represents the biggest portion of its storage at 32 per cent.
FROMTINY TOMASSIVE
Today, a typical inland terminal's
capacity is 25,000–40,000 tonnes.
VANISHINGSENTINELS
5,226
Grain elevators in 1962
1,004
Grain elevators in 1999
386
Grain elevators in 2012
VALUEADDED
We have all types of processors
in Canada. Wheat, barley, puls-
es, canola, rye, flax, sunflowers
and hemp are processed to be
crushed for flours, oils and other
end uses.
Spring
2014
grainswest.com
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