Five projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the freight transportation sector have been selected to receive funding under Transport Canada’s Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program.

Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that the selected projects will receive funding totalling approximately $582,000. This funding will support a variety of initiatives ranging from enhancing the fuel efficiency of aircraft engines to the management of fuel consumption by trucking companies using a satellite tracking system.

“The companies awarded funding under this program have shown innovation and a willingness to experiment,” said Minister Cannon. “The results have the potential to enhance not only our environment, but also the processes and equipment that we use in freight transportation every day.”

The following organizations will receive funding under the program: Freight Wing Incorporated, Sunbury Transport Limited, Jazz Air Limited Partnership, Polymer Distribution Incorporated and Ronald A. Chisholm Limited.

The Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program supports the demonstration and evaluation of innovative tools, technologies and practices that have the potential to reduce the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from the freight transportation sector in Canada. The Government of Canada will contribute up to 50 per cent of eligible project expenses, to a maximum of $250,000, with applicants and their partners contributing the remainder.

This announcement represents the eighth round of funding under the program, and brings the total funding allocated under the program to approximately $4.7 million for 34 projects across Canada.

More information is available on the Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program.

Tags: greenhouse gas, freight, canada, emissions, sustainability, infrastructure, communities

Freight transportation is a key concern of the US Department of Transportation and nearly every operating administration listed in DOT Agencies.

The following major web pages at DOT are entirely dedicated to freight transportation on the American territory:

• Framework for a National Freight Policy
• National Freight Statistics and Maps
• Freight Information by State
• National Freight Data Sources

• Freight at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
• Freight at the National Transportation Library
• Freight Analysis, Professional Development, Intermodal Technology, and SAFETEA-LU Freight Programs at the Federal Highway Administration
• Freight Planning at the Federal Highway Administration
• Freight at the Federal Railroad Administration

• The Transportation of Hazardous Materials
• Pipeline Safety

If you feel these links don’t answer all your freight-related questions, you can write to the US Department of Transportation using this freight-specific e-mail address: freight@dot.gov.

Tags: freight, transportation, us, dot, safety, hazmat, highways, railroads, american, agencies

The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, met today in Vancouver with representatives of the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council.

Minister Emerson joined council members for a two-hour working session, following a comprehensive tour of the lower mainland component of the Pacific Gateway Region, as part of the federal government’s commitment to ongoing consultation with key private-sector and government stakeholders in the West.

“In an era of seamless global supply chains, our success in international commerce depends more than ever on efficient transportation systems and trade promotion strategies that build on our advantages in geography and transportation,” Minister Emerson said. “I am committed to moving forward with the federal government’s Pacific Gateway Initiative as we continue meaningful discussions like today’s.”

“We are making progress by working with British Columbia and other Western provinces, with the private sector and with regional and municipal levels of government to strengthen Canada’s growing capacity for global competitiveness,” the Minister added.

Captain Gordon Houston, President and CEO of the Vancouver Port Authority and chair of the gateway council, welcomed active and ongoing dialogue with the Minister on the Pacific Gateway Initiative.

“Our challenge as the Pacific Gateway region — and as a country — is to focus on issues of improved efficiency of the whole transportation system, new infrastructure projects and closely related security, trade, investment and environmental issues,” Capt. Houston said. “We are encouraged, through our discussions today with the Minister, by his commitment to this file and by the importance his government attaches to helping us meet those challenges.”

The official press release from Transport Canada is available here.

Tags: pacific gateway, vancouver port, transport canada, asia, freight, challenges, bc, naval shipping

Industry, stakeholders and members of the international community are meeting in Vancouver from April 18 to 20, 2006 to participate in the “North American Marine Conference – Towards a Shortsea Shipping Strategy for the North American Continent.”

The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Lawrence Cannon, will be on hand to welcome participants and give the opening address on April 19, 2006. Minister Cannon will also meet with United States and Mexican officials and key marine stakeholders on a variety of transportation related issues.

“This conference is an excellent opportunity to promote shortsea shipping as a means to improve the performance of the national transportation system and to contribute to environmental sustainability,” said Minister Cannon. “It will also serve as a public venue to discuss business opportunities and highlight obstacles related to shortsea shipping.”

Approximately 250 participants from Canada, the United States, and Mexico are expected to attend. Transport Canada is hosting this conference in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico.

The event is the result of collaboration between Canada, the United States and Mexico following the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on Shortsea Shipping in 2003.

The conference also represents a commitment among the three nations to increase the security, prosperity and quality of life in North America.

Shortsea shipping involves the movement of cargo or passengers by water over relatively short distances. It can occur within lakes and river systems and along coast lines. It consists mainly of domestic shipping but can also include cross-border traffic. It does not include shipping across the world’s major oceans.

Canada’s marine transportation system is a vital component of the North American economy and Transport Canada is committed to its ongoing economic vitality and efficiency. The department continues to work with its Canadian and international partners to promote more effective, efficient and sustainable shortsea shipping practices.

The official Transport Canada release is available here and more information about the event can be accessed on the official web site.

Tags: shortsea shipping, strategy, north america, partners, vitality, efficiency, canada, us, sustainable, freight

Mauril Sirois has founded this dynamic import, export, warehousing, customs clearance, transport and logistics company in 1982, in the city of La Prairie, which is located on Montreal’s South Shore. It’s a little over ten minutes drive from the Port of Montreal, which is one of their main operations hub.

Read about this truly efficient T&L company taking care of your cargo, when going through Montreal, Canada…