Wave Point Consulting Ltd.

10/04/2026

Is Canada’s freight system strong where it counts volume—and strained where it counts reliability?

Rail and some ports are setting records. CPKC moved 2.94M tonnes of grain in September. Vancouver handled 88.1M tonnes in the first half.

Manufacturers are feeling something else: PMI at 51.5, input costs at their highest since July 2022, delivery times at their longest since August 2022, and export orders falling for a fourth month.

Governments on both sides are adding pressure. Canada’s counter-tariffs hit roughly $27.6B of U.S. goods on Sept. 8. On Sept. 29, a U.S. ban on nearly US$1B of Canadian imports took effect. Trump predicted Canada would apologize. Carney said it wouldn’t.

So here’s the real question:

If Canada can move record grain volumes while businesses face higher costs, longer delays and less certainty, are we measuring the system’s strength—or just how much strain it can absorb?

09/30/2026

The September $1.2 billion ocean investment comes as 🇨🇦 accelerates project approvals and anticipates more maritime activity on the West Coast.

What caught my attention is the emphasis on monitoring, response and the operational side of managing increased vessel traffic.

The experience of the Oceans Protection Plan should remind us that building physical capacity is only part of the equation. Developing the people, expertise and institutional relationships to operate that capacity effectively takes time.

Can we build the capability as quickly as we are accelerating the activity it is meant to manage?

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced $1.2 billion in federal funding for ocean protections Tuesday, as the country moves toward decisions on a new pipeline to the West Coast and the expansion of a major port in Metro Vancouver.

09/27/2026

Hiding in Plain Sight: 🇨🇦 Trade Crossroads

Are this week’s tariff headlines distracting from the bigger story?

The real question may not be what tariff comes next — but how much structural strain is already working its way through Canadian supply chains.

The bigger risk isn’t a single tariff headline.

It’s cumulative friction: higher compliance costs, disrupted sourcing, thinner margins, delayed investment.

Port infrastructure and export diversification matter. But neither changes the underlying economics overnight.

The question for Canadian manufacturers isn’t “What is the tariff?”

It’s: “What does the fully landed cost of staying in this supply chain now look like?”

A few signals stand out:

Trade exposure is becoming a dividing line. Goods-producing sectors facing U.S. trade restrictions have been under pressure, while services and less-exposed parts of the economy have proved more resilient. The Bank of Canada notes that exports of aluminum, steel, lumber and motor vehicles have declined since tariffs were implemented.

Supply chains are absorbing the shock. In highly integrated industries such as automotive, the headline tariff rate doesn’t capture the full economic friction. Components can cross the Canada-U.S. border multiple times before the finished vehicle reaches the customer, making origin rules, compliance and cumulative costs just as important as the headline rate.

Diversification is happening — but slowly. July exports to markets outside the U.S. rose 7.4%, reaching a record high. That’s encouraging, but replacing deeply integrated North American supply chains takes time.

Gold can distort the picture. Canada’s goods exports fell 2.3% month-over-month, with lower metal and energy exports among the main contributors. Export volumes fell 1.5%.

09/26/2026

🇨🇦 Canada’s supply chains aren’t just being fixed. They’re being quietly redesigned.

Do you agree that this week’s transportation and supply-chain news points to a much bigger shift?

From efficiency to resilience
Canada is looking to diversify trade routes and reduce exposure to cross-border disruption.

Infrastructure is becoming strategy
Ports, rail, roads and terminals are no longer just assets that move goods. They’re becoming critical to Canada’s trade strategy.

Technology is changing the operating model
AI, automation, digital customs and predictive maintenance are moving supply chains from reactive to increasingly data-driven.

People still matter
Drivers, rail workers and skilled logistics professionals remain essential. Technology may change the work, but it doesn’t eliminate the workforce challenge.

Reliability has a price tag
Infrastructure investment, labour, technology and trade diversification all come with costs—but so does an unreliable supply chain.

The bigger takeaway:
Canada appears to be moving from supply chains optimized primarily for efficiency toward ones built for resilience, diversification and adaptability.

The question now isn’t simply:

“How do we move goods cheaper?”

It’s:

“How do we build a supply chain that can keep moving when the world changes?”

What are you seeing in your sector?



https://www.canada.ca/en/one-canadian-economy/news/2026/09/government-of-canada-releases-what-we-heard-reports-on-proposed-reforms-on-major-projects-trade-and-transportation-and-labour-relations.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the Hou...

09/20/2026

Canada’s new Transportation & Supply Chain Workforce Alliance could touch 50–70+ occupations. Did you know?

Not just drivers.

Think about the last thing you bought, shipped, stocked, imported or had delivered.

Behind it: people moving freight, managing inventory, scheduling routes, clearing customs, running warehouses, moving cargo through ports, rail and air—and keeping everything connected.

Many are roles we barely notice—until they’re not there.

Who in that chain are you most grateful for—and how confident are you that they’ll be there tomorrow?

Minister Hajdu launches the Transportation and Supply Chain Workforce Alliance

09/17/2026

Canada is putting a new focus on its oceans, from protecting marine ecosystems and supporting coastal communities to working with other countries on shared ocean challenges. 🌊

What do you think are the biggest issues Canada needs to tackle, both at home and internationally, when it comes to our oceans?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Diana Fox Carney — Prime Minister Mark Carney's wife — is stepping into a new, unpaid role focused on ocean conservation, including chairing an international conference set to take place in Halifax next year.

07/18/2026

06/19/2026

In 2025, a record 122 Canadian volunteers – including medical professionals, IT specialists and tradespeople – served on board Mercy Ships, the world’s largest non-governmental floating health care provider.

The organization relies heavily on the dedication of from around the globe, says Darryl Anderson, executive director of Mercy Ships Canada.

Sponsor Content

06/14/2026

This summer, 🇨🇦 is co-hosting the world and I couldn’t be more proud.

But in the middle of all the excitement, I keep coming back to a little girl named Sira.

Sira once couldn’t run. Couldn’t play. Couldn’t kick a ⚽ with the other kids. After surgery she held a football dreaming of what was now possible.

That image is why I do this work.

While millions celebrate the beautiful game in stadiums across North America, there are children around the world still waiting for their moment on the field. At Mercy Ships Canada, we believe every child deserves a home field — and surgery is how we give it to them.

This is our moment to score a different kind of goal. ⚽

If this summer has reminded you what football means — the joy, the belonging, the pure freedom of play — I’d be honoured if you’d journey with us. Give one surgery. Put one more player on the field.

👉 https://mercyships.ca/en/

06/03/2026

Delighted to see my former professor, colleague, and friend, Dr. Devinder Grewal, embark on this new voyage as a Member of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority - AMSA Board.

Over the years, I have admired Devinder’s ability to bridge academia and practice. Through his work at the Australian Maritime College and World Maritime University, and as a trusted advisor to the transport, logistics, and supply chain sectors, he has helped others navigate a rapidly changing maritime landscape.

Beyond his expertise, Devinder has a sharp understanding of the forces shaping our industry’s future. As maritime trade and global supply chains continue to evolve, his leadership and perspective will be a valuable asset to Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the broader maritime community.

Wishing you every success, Devinder. I look forward to seeing where this voyage leads.

I am pleased to appoint Dr Carla Boehl and Dr Devinder Grewal to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Board.