Protesters near major rail hubs across Canada have caused disruption in container movement by setting up blockades, standing on, and setting fire to, rail tracks. The protests are staged in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs in British Columbia who oppose the construction of a Coastal Gaslink pipeline through their territory.
The largest disruptions are being seen near Toronto, Halifax, and Montreal to the east, though delays are also occurring out of Vancouver and Prince Rupert to the west. The protests have persisted for about three weeks, and effects are beginning to lessen.
As both of these situations continue to develop, we encourage our customers to proactively plan around possible disruptions. Providing freight forecasts and early booking requests will allow OTS to avoid potential delays as much as possible.
We will continue to monitor the situation and update our customers accordingly. Please contact your OTS Sales representative with any questions.