Grain Commission stays put

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

by DAVE PINK

The Canadian Grain Commission has reconsidered a plan to move its southern Ontario service centre from Chatham to either Guelph or Hamilton after strong “stakeholder feedback” from Chatham -area farm groups and industries, says CGC spokesperson Rene Gosselin.

But, while the centre’s 10 inspectors will remain in Chatham, the centre’s clerical and laboratory jobs will be moved to Montreal.

The Winnipeg-based CGC must now decide whether to downsize and modernize the existing office in the Chatham post office, or lease or build another building in Chatham-Kent. That decision will be made in a few months, says Gosselin.

The official certifier of Canadian grain, the CGC is a federal government agency and regulator of Canada's grain-handling industry. The CGC certifies the quality, safety and weight of grain delivered to domestic and export markets. It also protects the rights of Canadian grain producers when they deliver grain to licensed handlers and dealers.

Gosselin says the move from Chatham received serious consideration to cut down on the inspectors’ travel time to the port of Hamilton, where 85 per cent of southern Ontario’s grain production is shipped from, and Goderich, where much of the remaining grain in loaded.

The CGC has 11 service centres across Canada, including Thunder Bay. Other centres are located at Canada’s major port cities and in the major grain producing areas of western Canada. BF