Is this what is planned for Northgate?

[boarderbloke]

<a href="http://www.syngentafarm.ca/Alerts/AlertDetail.aspx?AlertTypeId=5&alertId=167677"targ et=blank>Northgate?????,/a>

[oneoff]

My guess that no senators would deliberately shunt a billion dollars of good US proposals and development into a different country. At least not when it was within a half mile of the 49th parallel. There are too many spin offs for any US state; .

The March 2012 shareholder notes for Ceres Global Ag Corp have been referred to in other threads on Agriville. Careful reading and some outside info will move this discussion back onto track. That will be refreshing, since the past secrecy is is not in character with how public business should be handled..

It doesn't take too much connecting the dots to now guess the modus operandi. Corus Land Holding Corp, Riverland Ag and Stewart Southern Rail are the key working companies at this point. Ceres has/is being transformed into their own working companies by selling off other companies shares and getting into the ag grain storage and transportation businesses. They see post CWB business in Canada to be a big opportunity; and give passing mention to land

The rising grain commodity prices have likely put a big setback into "building depleted storage inventories" which was probably expected to be bought at cheap surplus corn and grain prices. And Ceres just didn't have good financial performance , particularly in their Canadian portfolio in the latter part of the 2101 audit period.

There is lots of room with the Corus Land Holding Corp acquisitions for joint ventures with any and all business ventures. Corus/Ceres only needs a 10% or greater stake; and probably providing land will be their contribution. Since Corus has the Farm Land Security Board Exemptions; and the local RM has promised in a "written agreement" to facilitate the road closures; development permits and who knows what else; it all seems pretty staight forward once you get the investors and some good development plans. I wonder if everyone has forgotten the "open house" aspect of development approvals.
The prime real estate has been "99.99" assembled; and one would have thought that there would have been some disclosure and public announcement considering the deep involvement of the ratepayers in this proposed "facility".

But perhaps the speculators and promoters are running the show, and disclosure and consultation was certainly not a part of the deal.

[boarderbloke]

Do you know, was land purchased on the U.S. side as well?

Stewart RR operates on the old CPR line running from Regina to Stoughton(paralleling #33 Hwy), but isn't Northgate located on the old CNR line running up through Lampman(an old hub point), Griffin, Lewvan & Rowatt. Much of that old line is tore up isn't? Even if they went from Northgate to Lampman, and then NE to Carlyle, that stretch is currently being used by CNR. Even if they got to Carlyle, the old CPR line from there west to Stoughton is long gone and Right of way sold(I think sold?). If they went NW of Lampman on the old CNR line they could get to Benson, but there's no rail or Right of way straight north to Stoughton(about 14 miles paralleling #47Hwy).

How do you think Stewart RR connects this to Regina, or do they?

[oneoff]

Here's a link to the Sask Highways "Rail netwok" that is under Highways jurisdiction. So for the Sask Railway Act; see the Dep't of Holidays websites.

http://www.highways.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=333,328,81,1,Documents&Medi aID=5340&Filename=SaskRailNetwork Sep 22 2011.pdf

The CNR raibeds in RM's of Coalfield and Enniskillen have had the ties and light rail removed (as has the entire branch line. The CNR is current with their taxes on the railbed. They slipped out of paying the"grain dependent" buyout that those two municipalities were entitled to receiving. Other RM's tha had branchline abandonment all the way to Lewvan, SK did indeed receive the payment they were entitled to.

There is a misconception that rail transport is a thing of the past. But Warren Buffet just bought the BNSF that terminate at Northgate ND; and I think it was 37 Billion he paid for the BNSF stssyem in the USA.

I am told that probably Gavilon (just recently taken over by a Japanese trading house), purchased a quarter section on the Northgate ND side for a few millio. Thats the same company that Vitterra had eyes on just befor they got grabbed by Glencore.

Pioneer has the beginnings of grain terminal on the west side of the CNR rail yard in Northgate SK. It has 3 phase power from the USA; which is kind of interesting. Also it is listed as on the BNSF line even though it is well into Canada. They only have a 37 car spot (quoted from memory); and a leg and bin or two; but it is the beginning of a "terminal".

The old CNR rail terminus in Northgate has not been given up, or reverted to the RM or anything like that. Heck we allow rail abandonment and no one even thinks of requiring that site restorations; culverts and considerable messes should be cleaned up before permission is granted to sell the scrap steel and salvage.

[oneoff]

Word a few months ago was that a crushing plant was proposed on the US side.

[cottonpicken]

Its oil,stewart is now shipping oil for crescent point
and the amount that company saves by bypassing
the pipeline is very very large,plus the pipelines
are maxed.

[boarderbloke]

Two things oneoff,
1)Richardson's are, at this moment, constructing a concrete plant at Estevan. Seems rather close to Northgate to have another terminal, unless it would be related to corn or ethanol or feed processing or something different from small grains and oilseeds.
2)How or/why would Stewart RR play any roll if no rail goes north of Northgate? If it goes north, perhaps it doesn't have to go all the way to Regina, maybe it would only go to Griffin or so, that's pretty good Bakken area. Come to think of it there used to be a rail line(CPR) running between Weyburn and Stoughton, through Griffin. Not sure of the status of that one either.
That would be some expense to rebuild rail bed and lay down ties w/ heavy rail.

[oneoff]

It costs big bucks to build any infrasture. That Crescent Point oil transload facility near Stoughton (and I admit not asking head office about feeder pipelines) was budgeted at about 20 million.

As for tying all Ceres business enterprises together.... that is like accumulating farm land. It might take a lifetime; and it may never get totally completed.

[oneoff]

When the new potash mines gets producing around Milestone; there will be rail line capacity issues; and it may make economic sense to invest in rail construction and upgrading; which never would have been considered for a grain dependent line.

[wedino]

The CPR line running through Griffin is now a piece of the Trans Canada Trail.

[BTO_farmall]

Its Very Simple. Its either A Canolie Crush Plant, Fertie Makey Plant, er' 4Oil. I am placing My Money on 4Oil. WHY????? Simple. There is Simply Not Enough Infrastructure To Get This Oil To Market Outta The Bakken Play. To Much of It Needs a Home And NOW. Cha, Cha, Cha, Cha, Trainnn is Thee Only Way Out. Besides Takes Way To F#$kin Long To Build a Pipeline. Why You Think Buffet Buy all that Rail Road Track anyway, Same Reason KeyStone Keeps Being Delayed, Its not What Yous Know, Its Who Yous Know..........