If you’re looking to get the latest information about transports, in Canada, one of your favorite destinations could be the Transport Canada web site which is the national online gateway to the latest news, the regulations and countless tips on various subjects.

Here’s a list of regional offices for Transport Canada:

• Pacific Region (British Columbia)
• Prairie and Northern Region (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
• Ontario Region (Ontario)
• Quebec Region (Québec)
• Atlantic Region (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador)

To complement Transport Canada’s links, consider these Provincial and Territorial ministries responsible for transportation:

• Alberta – Alberta Transportation
• British Columbia – Ministry of Transportation
• Manitoba – Manitoba Transportation and Government Services
• New Brunswick – Department of Transportation
• Newfoundland and Labrador – Department of Works, Services & Transportation
• Northwest Territories – Department of Transportation
• Nova Scotia – Transportation & Public Works
• Nunavut – Community Government and Transportation
• Ontario – Ministry of Transportation
• Prince Edward Island – Transportation and Public Works
• Quebec – Transports Québec
• Saskatchewan – Highways and Transportation
• Yukon Territory – Highways and Public Works

Transportation is essential to our well-being. Canadians need a reliable, safe and sustainable transportation system to connect our communities, and to connect us with our trading partners.

Transport Canada works to help ensure that Canadians have the best transportation system by developing and administering policies, regulations and programs for a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly transportation system; contributing to Canada’s economic growth and social development; and, protecting the physical environment.

The department employs approximately 4,700 people at headquarters in Ottawa and in locations across Canada. The headquarters organization is made up of a number of groups:

• Policy overview
• Safety and Security
• Programs Group
• Corporate Services
• Departmental General Counsel
• Communications

Transport Canada takes an active role in communities across Canada. Together, Transport Canada’s groups and regions work to:

• Set policies, regulations and standards to protect the safety, security and efficiency of Canada’s rail, marine, road and air transportation systems, including the transportation of dangerous goods and sustainable development.
• Work in partnership with other federal, provincial, territorial and municipal departments and organizations, the Transportation Safety Board, the Canadian Transportation Agency, NAV CANADA, other private organizations, stakeholders, and members of the transportation industry.
• Promote and enforce departmental policies, regulations and standards through inspection, education and consultation.
• Monitor and assess the performance of the transportation system.
• Administer the transfer of ports, harbours and airports to communities and other interests and operate the facilities not yet divested.

You can get in touch with Transport Canada by calling (613) 990-2309.

Tags: transport canada, facilities, ports, harbours, airports, highways, communities, federal, provincial, territorial

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

Happy birthday Transport Canada!

Or, should we say “http://www.tc.gc.ca/” to be more precise — this abundant and resourceful public web site has celebrated its 10th year on the web on January 15th, 2006.

The full story is available here.

It’s one thing to create a web site of this scope but it’s another to maintain it daily. More than 8 million visitors came to TC’s web site in 2005 alone.

In their own words, TC looks into the future with these objectives in mind:

“As more Canadians turn to the Internet as a source of information, Transport Canada remains committed to providing accurate, timely, relevant information, tools and services that support business objectives and meet requirements under all relevant policies and standards.”

Let’s hope TC has many more successful years ahead with their web site destined primarily to the general public but also to the T&L industry specialists.

Tags: transport canada, 10th anniversary, celebration, successful years, transport, logistics