Canada’s history is closely linked to the history of transportation. One need only look at a map to understand the various geographical obstacles posed by the nation’s landscape. Transportation has always played — and will continue to play — a vital role in Canada’s relationship with the land.
Although it is the world’s second largest country, Canada ranks 28th in terms of population. With a population density of approximately three persons per square kilometre, Canada’s 30 million people are scattered across an area that is more than 10 million square kilometres in size, stretching 5,500 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.
What Canada needs is safe, efficient, sustainable transportation by the most appropriate combination of modes — air, surface and marine. Canada’s transportation system is well-positioned to make the best use of each mode and to ensure that the balance among the modes is both economically and environmentally sustainable.
Safety and Security
As a nation, Canada has an excellent aviation safety record. Despite the unprecedented growth in passenger travel in recent years, the number of aviation accidents actually declined by nearly 38 per cent between 1990 and 1997.
In 1996, marine accidents were at an 18-year low. Canada recently signed a joint declaration with many other maritime nations on port state control that will tighten the enforcement of international ship standards and reduce the number of unsafe ships plying Canadian waters.
Although highway traffic has doubled, Canada has seen a 50 per cent decline in traffic fatalities over the past 25 years. In fact, the figures for 1997 are the lowest since these statistics began.
Railway accident rates and crossing fatalities have reached their lowest levels in a decade.
Air Transportation
Canada’s aviation industry has expanded dramatically over the years. The number of registered aircraft increased by 147 per cent between 1970 and 1995 and climbed to 28,054 in 1997. The number of enplaned and deplaned passengers carried per year by commercial airlines reached an all-time high of over 78 million in 1997.
Canada’s domestic routes are served by its two major carriers, Air Canada and Canadian Airlines International, and their regional affiliates, as well as by smaller independent operators that use both jet and propeller-driven equipment. In 1997, some 1,502 licensed domestic carriers provided scheduled and charter services throughout the country. Scheduled international services to and from 60 countries are provided on the basis of bilateral agreements between Canada and each country. The 1995 “Open Skies” agreement with the United States, for example, has provided Canadians with significantly improved access to major U.S. business destinations.
New international all-cargo air services policies have recently been announced for both scheduled and chartered flights to provide shippers and air carriers with additional opportunities and more flexibility for moving cargo by air.
The cornerstone of the modernization of Canada’s air transportation system is the federal government’s National Airports Policy. The policy allows for the transfer of airports to local groups that know their market and are free to run their airport like a business. Since the policy was announced in July 1994, nearly 90 airports have been transferred. In fact, 90 per cent of all commercial air travellers in Canada now use facilities that have been transferred.
Since 1996, Canada’s air navigation system has been operated by Nav Canada, an independent not-for-profit corporation. Safety will continue to be regulated and monitored by Transport Canada.
Marine Transport
Canada has 59,509 kilometres of coastline plus 3,000 kilometres of inland waterways (excluding island coastlines).
The marine sector handles more than 200 million tonnes of cargo each year, generating over $2.5 billion in revenue annually and directly employing more than 45,000 Canadians. The Canada Marine Act, which received Royal Assent on June 11, 1998, will commercialize Canada’s public ports, enabling them to be transferred to local not-for-profit organizations.
The Act also allowed for the commercialization of the St. Lawrence Seaway on October 8, 1998. The Seaway is one of the world’s largest inland waterways (3,700 kilometres), stretching from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the western end of Lake Superior.
Road Transportation
Canada has more automobiles per person than any other country in the world except the United States, with at least one automobile for every two Canadians. Today there are more than 900,000 kilometres of roads and highways; the national highway system is over 24,000 kilometres in length. Canada also boasts the longest highway in the world — the Trans-Canada Highway — and the busiest section of highway in the world — Highway 401 through the Greater Toronto Area.
Intercity buses provide the most extensive public passenger services in Canada. Nearly 1,000 operators offer school bus, charter and urban transit services in more than 3,400 communities.
Roads also support one of the most highly used forms of cargo transportation; in 1997, about 86 per cent of total freight surface revenues in Canada were generated by the trucking industry. An estimated 118,000 large trucks that haul freight commercially; trucking revenues and services (including for-hire, private and courier) were valued at approximately $31 billion in 1996.
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in Canada’s highway system. For example, there is a pilot project in place to test the feasibility of allowing specially equipped trucks to cross the U.S. border without stopping; the time savings could make a significant difference to shippers, especially those hauling perishable goods.
Rail Transport
Railways continue to play an important part in Canada’s transportation network. Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) are responsible for operating most of Canada’s rail freight services. VIA Rail Canada, a federal Crown corporation, provides passenger rail service.
Approximately 46 Canadian railways operate on some 50,000 route kilometres of track. In 1996, some 4 million rail passengers travelled a total of 1.46 billion passenger-kilometres. Railways account for 280 billion tonne-kilometres of freight.
Technology
Canadians continue to introduce improvements across the spectrum of transportation technology. Developments also include a new commuter turbo-prop and turbo-fan aircraft, as well as a unique aircraft that can scoop up 6.6 tonnes of water from a lake in 10 seconds and drop it on a forest fire with pinpoint accuracy. Research is also being conducted into safer log trucks and airplane de-icing regulations.
With the launch of the Alouette 1 in 1962, Canada became the third nation in space and has since earned an international reputation in aerospace technology with such developments as the Canadarm, which was designed for the U.S. space shuttle program and is in ongoing use.
Canada is also a world leader in the development of alternative fuel sources. The Ballard fuel cell, for example, will power the cars of the future with no byproducts other than hot water; the auto industry has now invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this new venture. Equally innovative is the new “clean air truck,” which runs on natural gas with diesel pilot ignition; this truck emits 85 per cent fewer smog-producing byproducts than do regular trucks.
Sustainability
About 27 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation sources — mostly road transportation. In 1997, Canada made a substantial commitment in Kyoto, Japan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels over the period 2008 to 2012. This presents a particular challenge for the transportation sector. To meet this challenge, federal and provincial environment ministers met and approved a process for developing a national strategy on climate change. The process called for the establishment of a number of “issue tables,” including one that will deal with transportation. Sustainability must be at the heart of any credible strategy for Canadian transportation if a prosperous national future is to be secured.
