The CN rail strike won't affect Saskatchewan as much as other provinces, at least as far as the energy sector here is concerned.
Quebec producers rely on propane—which they mostly get by rail—to dry out harvested grain. It's also used for heating and cooking by more people and organizations there.
Only a few communities in Saskatchewan—including some areas in the north, and parts of some resort communities—use propane for heat. It's transported by truck or pipelines from processing facilities within the province or Alberta.
SaskEnergy spokesperson Dave Burdeniuk says 92 per cent of the province is served by natural gas.
"All the supplies that we need for any homes or businesses or industry all comes in via pipeline and then we serve our customers via pipeline so it's all through a pipeline network, It's not impacted by anything on the railways," he told CBC.
Federated Co-operatives Limited (Co-op) told CBC by email that it primarily relies on pipelines and trucks to transport its propane.
A Co-op spokesperson said some Saskatchewan farmers are still using propane for grain drying, but that demand is beginning to decline heading into winter.
Quebec uses more than 6-million litres of propane per week but has been rationing that use to less than half since the strike started on Tuesday. For now, hospitals and seniors' home will have priority.
The premier described the situation as an "emergency" and called on federal opposition parties to support back-to-work legislation.
