No Grain in the Rain as Vancouver Export Ships Unable to Load
- Safety concerns halt vessel loading in rainy weather
- Industry says stoppages posing ‘challenges’ amid wet season
Photographer: Julius Reque/Moment via Getty Images
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As Canadian grain companies spend millions to upgrade and build new export terminals in Vancouver, a new problem is threatening to cause transportation bottlenecks at the nation’s largest port: vessels can’t load grain in the rain. And it rains a lot in Vancouver.
In Canada’s wettest major city, the practice of loading ocean-bound vessels with grain in rainy weather has been halted since January amid safety concerns for marine crews. Every time there’s a wet period, crews stop loading and wait for the skies to clear.