Transport Canada () is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities (TIC) portfolio. The current Minister of Transport is Pablo Rodriguez. Transport Canada is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario.
History
The Department of Transport was created in 1935 by the government of William Lyon Mackenzie King in recognition of the changing transportation environment in Canada at the time. It merged three departments: the former Department of Railways and Canals, the Department of Marine, and the Civil Aviation Branch of the Department of National Defence (c. 1927 when it replaced the Air Board) under C. D. Howe, who would use the portfolio to rationalize the governance and provision of all forms of transportation (air, water and land). He created a National Harbours Board and Trans-Canada Air Lines. The Department of Transport Act came into force November 2, 1936.
Prior to a 1994 federal government reorganization, Transport Canada had a wide range of operational responsibilities including the Canadian Coast Guard, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, airports and seaports, as well as Via Rail and CN Rail. Significant cuts to Transport Canada at that time resulted in CN Rail being privatized, the coast guard being transferred to Fisheries and Oceans, and the seaway and various ports and airports being transferred to local operating authorities. Transport Canada emerged from this process as a department focused on policy and regulation rather than transportation operations.
In 2004, Transport Canada introduced non-passenger screening to enhance both airport and civil aviation security.
Headquarters
Transport Canada's headquarters are located in Ottawa at Place de Ville, Tower C. Transport Canada also has regional headquarters in:
Vancouver – Government of Canada Building, 820-800 Burrard Street
Edmonton – Canada Place, 9700 Jasper Avenue NW
Winnipeg – Macdonald Building, 344 Edmonton Street
Toronto – Government of Canada Building, 4900 Yonge Street
Montreal – Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, 700 Place Leigh-Capreol
Moncton – Heritage Building, 95 Foundry Street
Structure
Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez
Deputy Minister, Transport Canada, Arun Thangaraj
Associate Deputy Minister, Dominic Rochon
Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security, Lisa Setlawke
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security, Nicholas Robinson
Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Stephanie Hébert
Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Serge Bijimine
Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Ryan Pilgrim
Chief Digital Officer, Raj Thuppal
Director General, Communications, Jacqueline Roy
Director General, Major Special Projects, Nathalie Nye
Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive, Chantal Roy
Departmental General Counsel, Alain Langlois
Regional Director General, Atlantic Region, Daniel Kumpf
Regional Director General, Quebec Region, Mélanie Morier
Regional Director General, Ontario Region, Duwayne Williams
Regional Director General, Prairie and Northern Region, Shari Currie
Assistant Deputy Minister, Pacific Region, Robert Dick
Enforcement
Transport Canada is responsible for enforcing several Canadian legislation, including the Aeronautics Act, Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Canada Transportation Act, Railway Safety Act, Canada Shipping Act, 2001, Marine Transportation Security Act amongst others. Each inspector with delegated power from the Minister of Transport receives official credentials to exercise their power, as shown on the right. These inspectors are public officers identified within the Criminal Code of Canada.
Road
The Motor Vehicle Safety Act was established in 1971 in order to create safety standards for cars in Canada. The department also acts as the federal government's funding partner with provincial (and territorial) transport ministries on jointly-funded provincial transportation infrastructure projects for new highways.
TC also manage a database of traffic collisions in Canada.
Rail
Transport Canada's role in railways include: