National train strikes or lockouts could have trickle-down effect on P.E.I.

As the threat of two major railway work stoppages looms across the country, the province of Prince Edward Island said it is keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

Canada's two main railways, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. and Canadian National Railway Co., have already said they are halting shipments of some goods, including hazardous materials and refrigerated goods, in anticipation of a possible strike. Rail workers could be locked out as early as Thursday if no agreement is reached.

While P.E.I. hasn't had rail service since December 1989, the province still relies on rail connections through neighbouring New Brunswick, with loads transferred from rail to truck for the last leg of the journey across the Northumberland Strait.

The P.E.I. Emergency Measures Organization has reached out to officials in nearby provinces to discuss the possible outcomes of any type of railway disruption.

"In the event that a work stoppage occurs, P.E.I. EMO will stay in constant contact with critical infrastructure partners, neighbouring provinces, and the federal government to ensure that everyone is aware of the importance of goods continuing to be delivered to Atlantic Canada," a spokesperson from the P.E.I. Department of Justice said in an email to CBC News.

"Given a work stoppage has not occurred yet, the province of P.E.I. is hopeful that all sides can come to an agreement to keep the movement of goods flowing seamlessly throughout the region."

The threat of a rail stoppage comes as farmers look forward to the coming harvest, and as Atlantic Canada heads into peak hurricane season in a year that forecasters have been predicting could be a busy one.

A strike or lockout could limit the flow of propane into P.E.I., with repercussions for agricultural operations as well as emergency backup generators and barbecues during an extended power outage. 

The Charlottetown U-Haul has a 6,000-litre propane tank at its refill station, and sells upwards of 900 litres to many different types of businesses in a single day.

Customer service representative Kyle Richard said that although they haven't had any current issues with supply, a strike could change things.

"If they go on strike and it's a week or two weeks and then it looks like it's not going to turn around in the third week, then I'm going to start being concerned," said Richard.

"If it stretches long enough it certainly will cause issues."  

While P.E.I. has storage facilities on the Charlottetown waterfront for gas, diesel and heating oil that arrive by ship, Richard noted there's no equivalent facility for propane.

Irving Oil Ltd. does have a smaller site for propane storage on Allen Street in Charlottetown. There was no immediate response from Irving as to how its operations might be affected by a rail stoppage, however.