The Eastern Bastards could really freeze in the dark this time.That’s because the biggest at risk commodity from a pending rail strike on Thursday are deliveries of propane from Alberta to provinces like Quebec and Prince Edward Island.And in fact, deliveries of the liquid fuel have already been disrupted for nearly a week already owing to the fact that it is a hazardous material that requires special handling and refrigeration even before 9,000 Teamsters members walk off the job at midnight Wednesday.The situation is particularly acute in PEI which relies on propane for almost all of its backup electrical power and cooking fuel in the event of power disruptions including facilities such as hospitals. In addition, farmers use propane for drying grain and heating buildings..The irony is that the phrase ‘Let the Eastern Bastards freeze in the dark was coined’ by then-Calgary mayor and former Alberta premier Ralph Klein during the infamous Energy Wars of the 1980s and now seems destined to come to pass through no effort of his own.While PEI hasn't had rail service since December 1989, the province still relies on rail connections through neighbouring New Brunswick, with loads transferred from rail to truck for the last leg of the journey across the Northumberland Strait."In the event that a work stoppage occurs, PEI Emergency Measures Office will stay in constant contact with critical infrastructure partners, neighbouring provinces, and the federal government to ensure that everyone is aware of the importance of goods continuing to be delivered to Atlantic Canada," a spokesperson from the PEI Department of Justice said in an email to CBC News.But the situation is similar across the Maritimes and Ontario and Quebec. Sarnia, in Southern Ontario, is also a major export point for propane deliveries into Michigan and the US Midwest and American buyers are growing nervous about the possibility of supply disruptions, as per the Wall Street Journal..Meanwhile back in Canada, about 85% of all the propane used in Quebec comes in by rail. And about 30% of that is used in agriculture. Depending on how much is stockpiled any of those regions may have about as much as a week worth of supply before it is rationedWhile provinces like Alberta use diesel fuel as emergency backup for electricity, provinces like Quebec rely on propane owing to its extensive hydropower network. According to the Canadian Energy Regulator 97% of all propane produced in the country — about 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) — comes from Western Canada. And virtually all of it is shipped to distribution points on both the East and West Coasts by rail before it is distributed on trucks to consumers.About 100,000 litres of propane can be carried in one rail car.Although it was proposed by former premier Jason Kenney in the last CN rail strike in 2019, there are presently no pipelines shipping consumer-grade propane out of Western Canada.
The Eastern Bastards could really freeze in the dark this time.That’s because the biggest at risk commodity from a pending rail strike on Thursday are deliveries of propane from Alberta to provinces like Quebec and Prince Edward Island.And in fact, deliveries of the liquid fuel have already been disrupted for nearly a week already owing to the fact that it is a hazardous material that requires special handling and refrigeration even before 9,000 Teamsters members walk off the job at midnight Wednesday.The situation is particularly acute in PEI which relies on propane for almost all of its backup electrical power and cooking fuel in the event of power disruptions including facilities such as hospitals. In addition, farmers use propane for drying grain and heating buildings..The irony is that the phrase ‘Let the Eastern Bastards freeze in the dark was coined’ by then-Calgary mayor and former Alberta premier Ralph Klein during the infamous Energy Wars of the 1980s and now seems destined to come to pass through no effort of his own.While PEI hasn't had rail service since December 1989, the province still relies on rail connections through neighbouring New Brunswick, with loads transferred from rail to truck for the last leg of the journey across the Northumberland Strait."In the event that a work stoppage occurs, PEI Emergency Measures Office will stay in constant contact with critical infrastructure partners, neighbouring provinces, and the federal government to ensure that everyone is aware of the importance of goods continuing to be delivered to Atlantic Canada," a spokesperson from the PEI Department of Justice said in an email to CBC News.But the situation is similar across the Maritimes and Ontario and Quebec. Sarnia, in Southern Ontario, is also a major export point for propane deliveries into Michigan and the US Midwest and American buyers are growing nervous about the possibility of supply disruptions, as per the Wall Street Journal..Meanwhile back in Canada, about 85% of all the propane used in Quebec comes in by rail. And about 30% of that is used in agriculture. Depending on how much is stockpiled any of those regions may have about as much as a week worth of supply before it is rationedWhile provinces like Alberta use diesel fuel as emergency backup for electricity, provinces like Quebec rely on propane owing to its extensive hydropower network. According to the Canadian Energy Regulator 97% of all propane produced in the country — about 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) — comes from Western Canada. And virtually all of it is shipped to distribution points on both the East and West Coasts by rail before it is distributed on trucks to consumers.About 100,000 litres of propane can be carried in one rail car.Although it was proposed by former premier Jason Kenney in the last CN rail strike in 2019, there are presently no pipelines shipping consumer-grade propane out of Western Canada.
