According to the Association quebecoise du propane (Quebec Propane Association), the province is at serious risk of using up all of its propane reserves in the next 24 hours if the CN rail strike continues..The strike by rail workers has caused provincial governments across Canada – including Quebec and Alberta – to call on the federal government to introduce “back to work” legislation, outlawing the strike as a threat to the national economy. The AQP stopped short of calling for a legislated return to work, but said that both parties should come to the table to put an immediate end to the strike..CN Rail ships in excess of 170,000 barrels of Western Canadian oil per day..Alberta has called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to recall Parliament early to deal with the strike. It is not currently scheduled to be back until Dec. 5..Quebec Premier François Legault said Thursday the shortage will hit hospital heating systems and old age homes across the province..He called the situation an “emergency” and called on opposition parties in the House of Commons to support back-to-work legislation..Quebec gets it’s propane by rail, shipped in from Sarnia, Ont..“The strike cannot last, ideally, we hope for an agreement between the union and CN. But we can’t rule out the need for a special bill in Ottawa,” the premier told reporters in Quebec City..On Wednesday, the Quebec government began rationing the 12 million litres of propane they have left..The normal rate of consumption is six million litres per day, Legault said., adding rationing will cut it down to 2.5 million litres. .Hospitals and care home will get priority, he said..He said the province is trying to find enough trucks to transport additional propane by road from Sarnia..More than 3,000 CN workers went on strike Tuesday seeking, among other things, safer working conditions.
