All aboard, job seekers; CP Rail holding career fair

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/04/2022 (1292 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A year of exceptional growth has Canadian Pacific Railway calling for resumes.

“This will be one of our largest hiring years on record,” said Chad Rolstad, the rail company’s vice-president of human resources.

Supply chain complications and demand for Canadian goods like grain and potash have caused business to boom, Rolstad said.

“That need (for Canadian products) is exacerbated in this time of political uncertainty,” Rolstad said. “A lot of the products that Canada supplies… Ukraine does as well.”

Plus, many shippers have turned to CP Rail amid rising costs booking trucks.

“We haven’t seen it in the past, in terms of this type of business growth and this type of hiring volume,” Rolstad said.

Around 1,300 people in Manitoba work for CP; about 1,000 of those are based in Winnipeg. The company is looking to hire at least 70 more in the province. Across the continent, it will hire over 2,000 workers this year to reach a total employee count of over 13,000, Rolstad said.

Train conductors are top of the list. Qualified hires will receive a $10,000 signing bonus, and there are signing bonuses for folks who aren’t qualified, according to Salem Woodrow, CP Rail’s media relations and community affairs manager.

Track labourers, heavy duty mechanics and signal maintainers are among those needed in Manitoba. The company provides paid training for all roles.

It’s holding a career fair at Canad Inns Destination Centre Garden City on Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The event — CP’s first in Winnipeg since pre-pandemic times — allows potential employees to learn more about the company and meet employers face-to-face, Rolstad said.

The hiring spree is spread across the continent. CP Rail plans to hire 35 staff in both Kenora and Thunder Bay, among other places. Rolstad is flying to the United States — CP Rail bought Kansas City Southern railroad that connects to both Canada and Mexico, and the line needs staff.

“It’s not surprising me that (CP Rail is) recognizing there’s a need to build up some capacity,” said Rick Reid, executive director Supply Chain Canada’s Manitoba branch. “There’s lots of demand.”

Business is returning to pre-pandemic levels, and companies are opting to use rail for most of their goods’ voyages because it’s cheaper, Reid said.

“It doesn’t exactly solve their other problem, which is a shortage of rail cars,” he added.

CP’s job fair comes less than a month after Statistics Canada reported Manitoba’s employment rate decreased 0.6 per cent — by 4,200 jobs — despite the national rate rising.

Other sectors have been vying for staff post-pandemic. The hospitality industry is holding a job fair at the RBC Convention Centre on April 27.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com