The future of the Halifax Grain Elevator is uncertain as the Port of Halifax pursues an ambitious expansion aimed at enhancing its cargo and cruise ship operations. Kim Batherson, the general manager of Halifax Grain Elevator Limited, expressed concerns over the potential loss of the elevator’s export pier. Established in 1924, this facility is vital for storing and shipping various commodities like soybeans, milling grain, and wood pellets. Batherson noted that the company’s lease ends in 2026 and emphasized the urgency for answers regarding its operational future, hoping for a solution that accommodates both the port’s expansion and the elevator’s continued use.
The grain elevator possesses 365 silos with a capacity to store 140,000 tonnes of grain, handling around 500,000 tonnes of business last year. Batherson warned that if port expansion compromises their ability to export, the elevator would lose 60% of its business and likely become unviable. The port authority’s long-term plans, released in 2022, include filling in the elevator’s export docking berth, which could significantly impact the elevator’s operations.
In response to the concerns, the port authority stated its commitment to finding a solution that upholds both the elevator’s operations and the broader port expansion objectives. Ongoing discussions involve provincial and federal representatives, agricultural stakeholders, and Halifax Grain Elevator Limited. However, as the harvest season approaches, Batherson and her clients urge for timely decisions, stressing the need for clarity before the end of the year to facilitate crop rotations and other planning processes.
Soybean farmer Bill Biggs echoed these sentiments, noting that Maritime farmers need timely information to make decisions about crop planting and seed orders. His farm produces around 3,000 tonnes of soybeans annually, primarily exported through the Halifax facility. Biggs warned that losing the elevator would necessitate shifting exports to Montreal, leading to increased costs for local farmers—a blow to the Maritime soybean industry.
Concerns extend to other sectors, such as the wood pellet industry, represented by Veselin Milosevic, COO of Great Northern Timber Holdings. His operations heavily rely on the Halifax facility for storage and export, moving over 100,000 tonnes of wood pellets each year. Milosevic highlighted the logistical challenges of relying on more distant facilities, like Belldune, N.B., arguing that transportation inefficiencies could jeopardize their business viability without a nearby solution for exporting.
Batherson reiterated the elevator’s significance beyond its financial contributions to the port, stressing its critical role in supporting economic activity across the Atlantic region. This sentiment was echoed by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, who asserted the importance of the grain elevator and promised to advocate vigorously for its preservation amid ongoing discussions about its future with the port’s expansion plans.
