Alberta sees some supply chain shortages amid severe flooding in B.C.: expert
Posted Nov 29, 2021 2:26 pm.
Last Updated Nov 29, 2021 2:28 pm.
It may be harder to pick up your favorite liquor, fresh produce, or even to find that perfect turkey this holiday season, as Alberta is seeing some shortages of goods.
It’s mostly because some goods destined for this province are being re-routed to B.C. to help out as areas there have been flooded, covered in mudslides, or devastated by severe weather in recent weeks.
“I think what’s happening is that boards are talking to each other, between Alberta and B.C., obviously with Abbotsford being hit. The production of poultry eggs, dairy have been impacted as a result of floods, and I suspect that the B.C. board made some phone calls to the Alberta board to see whether or not they can redistribute some goods. So I’m not surprised to hear there are some shortages in Alberta as well,” explained Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food and Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
“We were expecting sporadic shortages here and there but they’re not going to be permanent. Obviously we’re just looking at a very extreme situation here affecting B.C. and I think Alberta is basically there to help B.C. residents as much as possible.”
The food distribution expert says he’s not expecting any dramatic shortages, but recommends Albertans curb expectations as some people will likely notice a few things missing here and there for the time being.
As for how long this kind of thing could last, Charlebois admits it’s not easy to determine.
“It could take a couple of days to a few weeks really,” he said, adding much of this will depend on rainfall and ongoing flooding.
“You want to adjust your expectations a little bit. The supply chain is actually delivering, but it’s not going to be perfect either … what’s going on in B.C. is quite extreme. I hope that people would appreciate that,” Charlebois told CityNews on Monday.
“If it means that instead of turkey you’ll have to buy ham, it’s not a bad sacrifice compared to what’s going on in B.C. with some of the heartaches that we’re seeing in the news right now. It’s just devastating to watch.”
Related articles:
- Supply chains cut off by B.C. floods could impact Canadians at grocery stores
- Turkeys expected to be pricier, harder to find this Christmas
- Alberta sending emergency management experts to B.C.
- Abbotsford poultry farmer forced to leave thousands of chickens to die in the floods
Another issue contributing to some shortages in Alberta is that many items are stuck at the Port of Vancouver, and unable to be shipped out as quickly as they normally would due to highway closures and severe road conditions.
“Complaining that you can’t really find your favourite chocolate or your favourite product because it’s stuck at the port may not be the best thing right now,” he said.
An atmospheric river that swept across southern B.C. in mid November triggered devastating floods and mudslides in many areas. At one point, B.C.’s Lower Mainland, which includes Vancouver and its port, where completely cut off from road access with the rest of the country, forcing some people to drive across the U.S. border just to detour home.
While some highways have since reopened, an ongoing series of storms has the potential to complicate the situation further. However, many in the supply chain industry have vowed they will find a way around the problems presented in B.C. right now.
Charlebois says if you do happy to find turkey, you may be paying more than expected as the cost of wheat and feed grains went up. He estimates prices will likely be about 25 per cent higher for a bird this year.
