Some grocery stores are beginning to feel the burden of Canada’s rail blockades, which have brought the country to nearly a full stoppage for weeks.
A supermarket in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for example, has started to see their shelves go empty, as dry goods, in particular, have seemingly gone missing.
Retailers are doing what they can, though stores will be missing products such as non-perishables such as sugar, toiletries, and condiments.
Retailers have been forced to transport goods via truck, a transportation method that costs retailers more money. Another downside of the trucks is the number of carbon emissions per truck, as it can take as many as three trucks to transport what’s in one single rail cart, CTV Atlantic reports.
With blockades still in effect, cargo shipping companies have announced they will send ships to ports in the U.S. and transport them north until the problem is resolved—another costly solution to a crisis many are calling unnecessary.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for their end of the blockades Friday, after mounting pressure from opposition parties, along with a lack of cooperation from protestors and activist groups.
“Every attempt at dialogue has been made but discussions have not been productive. We cannot have dialogue when only one party is coming to the table … The fact remains, the barricades must now come down. The injunctions must be obeyed and the law must be upheld.”
