Good morning, everyone.
My name is Sébastien Labbé, and I am vice-president of bulk at CN. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to participate in this examination of Canada’s supply chains. It’s an important topic.
As you probably know, there is no more important player in our supply chains than CN Rail. CN enables trade here and abroad. It enables Canada’s economy, and it does so safely and efficiently.
To an extent, the strength of our supply chains is a matter of confidence. Shippers and customers need assurance that the infrastructure required to stimulate and support economic growth is robust and protected. We all need to know that strategies are in place to cope with climate change, and we must see collaboration and knowledge transfer between government and industry. All of that is necessary if we are to create capacity and resiliency, and ensure our economy flows safely and efficiently.
Our supply chains have had moments of great stress in the past few years. One such was the so-called atmospheric river that appeared over British Columbia last December, and the severe flooding that followed. It was a catastrophic emergency, and CN had to respond quickly. During three weeks of widespread disruption, CN experienced 58 outages over a 150-mile stretch. The railroad mobilized more than 400 workers and over 110 pieces of heavy equipment, operating 24-7 to get the rail line back into service. We moved 282,000 cubic yards of rock, earth, and backfill materials to restore damaged locations. To put that into perspective, that’s more than 25,000 truckloads.
We also helped evacuate hundreds of stranded residents, brought urgent medical care to areas cut off by floods, and delivered vital medical supplies. Further, CN was able to use its exclusive access to the Port of Prince Rupert to divert shipments bound in and out of Vancouver. It took extra staff and resources, but we ensured consumer goods from overseas kept flowing to communities across the North American network. We were able to respond as nimbly and effectively as we did because of the strategic investments we’ve made in our capacity over the past few years. And we’re pretty proud of what we've accomplished.
Climate change is actually one of CN's most serious challenges. The floods in B.C. came after the province was scorched by the hottest weather on earth, followed by a winter that brought exceptionally brutal cold. CN's extreme weather readiness plans saw us through. Effective emergency response planning, constant risk and vulnerability assessments, and structural and physical engineering adaptations kept cargo moving, along with the deployment of our latest monitoring technology. This is our new reality.
We see the potential for government to work with industry, in particular to support, for example, the transition to greener technologies, including alternative fuels and battery-powered locomotives. One lever we would strongly encourage the government to continue using is the national trade corridors fund. The fund provides vital support across the supply chain. Increasing the funding, scope and efficiency of approvals can only strengthen supply chain fluidity. It will, quite simply, help move more Canadian goods to market.
We are looking forward. We expect to see a good grain crop this year, and we will stay focused on our customers. Given the current international climate, we know there will be a high demand for all commodities, particularly Canadian exports. As I said, CN may be one piece of the supply chain, but it is a crucial one. We and our partners will continue innovating and implementing solutions, and we welcome any help from our governments.
Finally, I want to thank you for the opportunity to appear before you.