Simply put, the purpose of the “Canadian National Advisory Board – Great Lakes Region” (“CN Advisory Board”) is to increase freight density and market share for freight originating and/or terminating on CN/WC lines.

Representatives of WCGroup’s contact committee and Canadian National agreed upon establishing an advisory board on 9/4/2012 at a meeting held at Packaging Corporation of America’s corporate offices, Lake Forest IL.

The Board held an initial meeting (conference call) on 12/12/12 and met in person on 1/23/2013 at Oakbrook IL, in conjunction with the winter meeting of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers. From some 25 names submitted by WMC, Wisconsin Paper Council and WCGroup, CN selected seven to serve as initial members of the CN Advisory Board: Biewer Lumber; Futurewood (affiliate of Johnson Timber); Green Bay Packaging; J.H. Longyear; Lousiana-Pacific; Marten Transport (intermodal); Packaging Corporation of America. The Advisory Board will focus on ways and means to refine and advance the projects of the 2012 “Joint Projects Initiative” (Logs; Indermodal; and Chicago/Chicago Gateway) which have been the subjects of CN/WCGroup collaboration through 2012. CN’s representatives include an equal number of staff responsible for various aspects of CN/WC lines, including intermodal and export freight, led by Tom Tisa, Director, CN Network Strategies.

At its meeting 1/23/2013, the Board approved creation of working committees for the Log and Intermodal Projects and extending invitations to additional shippers and other stakeholders to participate. CN has assigned staff specialists to both the Log and Intermodal Committees. Shipper members of the Advisory Board have designated representatives to both committees. Invitations to additional shippers and other stakeholders are in process. See CN/WCG Committees for additional information.

Meetings, deliberation and communications of the CN Advisory Board are subject to Confidentiality and Antitrust Compliance Guidelines.