Canadian Pacific is aiming to hire 40 conductors in central Alberta this year for a whole grain harvest.

The company said it will host a job fair at the Hampton Inn in Red Deer this coming Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as it seeks to hire a number of new employees in the area.

“We’re hiring quite a number in many places and one of them is Red Deer,” said Patrick Waldron, CP’s assistant vice president of communications and media relations.

“We have about 40 conductor positions that we are looking to fill, but we also have a bunch of other positions that we are looking to fill.”

Some of the other positions include a track maintainer and a management level job.

CP says signing bonuses are available for qualified drivers, but no previous railway experience is required for many of the positions it seeks to fill – the company offers paid training.

“We are hiring now for the future, for the second half and as we approach 2023,” Waldron said.

“Especially here, we have seen solid growth in demand for the commodities and goods we transport. In particular, when we talk about the coming months, we are looking at a full Canadian grain harvest.

“Last year’s drought reduced the amount of grain coming from the Prairies. We expect a full grain harvest and to have the right resources in place to meet this demand.

The 2021 growing season has been difficult for Alberta farmers due to a lack of snow accumulation, runoff and precipitation, combined with prolonged heat waves. Several municipalities have declared an agricultural disaster.

All 40 conductor positions are going to be hired throughout 2022, but some positions are available immediately, Waldron said.

“Canadian Pacific, between Calgary and Edmonton, obviously there are energy markets that we serve and other general cargo. If you put all of that together with grain, then you’re going to see growing demand in the second half of the year. This is what we are recruiting for,” he said.

For more information, visit www.cpr.ca/en/careers/operations .

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