The three Prairie premiers are asking the federal government
to invest $1 billion to upgrade ports and other transportation infrastructure
to get more grain to overseas markets.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said the current transportation
system is "nearing its limit" and the delays this year were a wake-up
call.
"Japan, a long-standing customer for Canadian wheat,
just said, 'We have to take a pause here. We need these shipments to be
reliable,'" Wall is quoted by Canadian Press.
The three leaders met for two days as part of their New
West Partnership and focused on the future of regional transportation in light
of railway backlogs that plagued the Prairies earlier this year.
Western Canadian farmers harvested a record crop of grain
last year, but couldn't easily get it to market because of a railway
transportation bottleneck.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne should get on the ball and ask for at least $1 billion just to get agriculture products through Toronto.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said all kinds of
stakeholders came together to have a "frank discussion" on Wednesday
and Thursday in Regina.
