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Haul it on time

Letter

Dear Editor

Having arrived from what I believe a well-deserved break after 60 years of toil, I’ve been scanning through newspapers that have been collecting during my absence. Considering myself as a bit of a business optimist, naturally articles that affect the business world are of utmost interest to me. I did find a number that were positive and uplifting; the construction of the new hotel on Carlton Trail is progressing, the long overdue Sask Hospital is well on its way and wow what a structure it will be. A credit to the community and the different levels of government that participated with our hard-earned green back.

There were several articles regarding one particular subject that I found as downers and in fact did P**s me off. Let me start with a backdrop. My grandparents came to Canada in1897 and claimed their 160 acres for the grand sum of $10. To get to this prized piece of Terra Firma, mode of transport was CNR; yes, on that newly minted railway, heading west out of Winnipeg. This railway was built for many reasons but one was to transport settlers to their new claim, where they would build homes and produce grains, etc. Logically it follows that same rail company with its given monopoly shared only by CPR was to carry the kernels of grain produced to the markets found out east.

Now here’s my point; CN and CP have been hauling western Canadian #1 Northern for 121 years and in 2018 I am reading that they (the suits in Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary) haven’t figured out how to get the job done? Ladies and gentleman, grain is the financial life blood of Western Canada. We know from your past dismal performance that it is not your number one priority; one need only count the oil tanker cars behind any moving locomotive.

You were not only given a monopoly, but, in addition as added incentive, large tracks of prime western Canadian land; for that you have a fiduciary duty. Haul it, haul it on time; you’ve had 121+ years to figure it out, any excuse is an insult to our proud industry that made western Canada. Western Canadian grain farmers are number one in the west and deserve rail services that get the job done.

Harry Zamonsky

North Battleford