21. TC MAIN ESTIMATES GRANTS

TRANSPORT CANADA

MAIN ESTIMATES GRANTS

INCENTIVES FOR ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES PROGRAM

The overall objective of the iZEV Program is to contribute to a clean transportation system by increasing the adoption of zero-emission vehicles in Canada through purchase incentives, as a means to reduce air pollution and/or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation.

Grant to the Province of British Columbia in respect of the provision of ferry and coastal freight and passenger services

The program fulfils the federal government’s legal obligations as set out in the agreement between the Government of Canada and the province of British Columbia signed in 1977 whereby the Province would assume the sole responsibility for coastal ferry services in return for an on-going indexed grant from Canada.

Program to Advance Indigenous Reconciliation

The purpose of the Program is to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by providing funding for projects and initiatives designed to:

• Encourage and support Indigenous participation in Transport Canada’s consultation and engagement processes regarding programs, policies, processes, regulations, legislation and directives;
• Build Indigenous capacity to support the development of partnership and collaborative opportunities for the purpose of administering and implementing elements of the transportation system; and 
• Create opportunities for Indigenous groups to gather information, provide their views, and collect, protect and utilize Indigenous knowledge for the purposes of implementing Transport Canada initiatives.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION FUNDING PROGRAM

The Community Participation Funding Program provides federal funding, in the form of grants, to encourage effective participation of Indigenous and local communities as well as increase the capacity of those communities to engage and share their knowledge and expertise in the development and improvement of Canada’s marine transportation system.

The Program contributes to Transport Canada’s Green and Innovative Transportation System core responsibility by:

• Assisting Indigenous and local communities in understanding, identifying, preventing or mitigating potential effects of marine transportation on their communities.
• Enabling Indigenous and local communities to work collaboratively and in partnership with federal and other stakeholders, and share their knowledge, to contribute to the development and improvement of Canada’s marine transportation system.

 

GRANT FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS CANADA

The program helps grow Canadian small and medium sized companies and support the development and adoption of technological innovation in Canada.  The program supports partnerships between government departments and Canadian businesses to develop early stage innovation solutions.

PROGRAM TO PROTECT CANADA’S COASTLINES AND WATERWAYS

The Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways provides federal funding for projects designed to:

• Modernize and strengthen the safety of Canada’s marine transportation system;
• Protect Canada’s marine ecosystem; and
• Increase Canadians’ awareness of, and capacity to, participate in marine safety.

These overall objectives ensure that the Program aligns with the Department’s core responsibility to provide Canadians with a Green and Innovative transportation system. More specifically, it aims to:

• Protect Canada’s coasts and waterways from hazards;
• Support safer marine operations in the North and protect northern communities from marine pollution incidents; and
• Increase the participation of Canadians in the marine sector, particularly from women and Indigenous peoples, as well as coastal and local communities.

GRANTS TO SUPPORT CLEAN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM

The Grants to Support Clean Transportation Program seeks to foster innovative thinking while serving a broad range of eligible recipients, including academia, industry, non-profit organizations, international organizations, foreign states, Indigenous communities and entities, and individuals.

This multimodal (i.e., aviation, rail and marine) grant program supports:

• Advanced research of technologies that will reduce criteria air contaminant (CAC) and greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector;
• Research and associated knowledge sharing activities related to technologies that contribute to the reduction of emissions, or the improvement of emissions measurement for the aviation, marine and/or rail sectors;
• The development, testing, deployment and/or installation of technologies that facilitate the reduction of GHG emissions and air pollutants from the aviation, marine or rail sectors; and
• The building of innovation capacity in Canadian universities.

RAIL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

The Rail Safety Improvement Program (RSIP) provides grant and contribution funding to improve rail safety and reduce injuries and fatalities related to rail transportation. The program funds:

• safety improvements to existing rail lines
• closures of grade crossings
• initiatives to raise awareness about rail safety issues across Canada

The Rail Safety Improvement Program has two key components:

• Infrastructure, Technology and Research (ITR)
• Public Education and Awareness (E&A)

This program builds on Transport Canada's Grade Crossing Improvement, Grade Crossing Closure, and Operation Lifesaver Programs.

GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE TRANSPORTATION ASSETS RISK ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE

The Transportation Assets Risk Assessment (TARA) Initiative provides funding for projects through a combination of transfer payments and operational funding that focus on improving the understanding of climate change related-risks and vulnerabilities to federal transportation infrastructure.

The TARA Initiative supports the:

• “Adaptation and Resilience” pillar of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change; and
• “Low Carbon Government” and “Modern and Resilient Infrastructure” goals under the 2016-2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

NATIONAL TRADE CORRIDOR FUND

Announced in November 2016 and detailed in Budget 2017, the Government of Canada will invest $10.1 billion over the next 11 years in trade and transportation projects to build stronger, more efficient transportation corridors to international markets and help Canadian businesses compete, grow and create more jobs for Canada’s middle class.

This investment includes the National Trade Corridors Fund - a $2 billion merit-based transfer payment program that will be the centerpiece of the initiative, and which will include up to $400 million in dedicated funding for Northern transportation infrastructure.

The program aims to:

•    Support Canadian trade by alleviating capacity constraints and bottlenecks, and strengthening connectivity between transport modes;

•    Increase the resilience of the Canadian transportation system to a changing        climate and its adaptability to new technologies and future innovation;

•    Address the transportation needs of Northern territorial communities, including safety and economic development; and

•    Leverage investments from multiple partners.

National Trade Corridors Fund funding will be allocated to projects based on their individual merits, which will be assessed according to how they help to strengthen the efficiency and resilience of transportation assets that are critical for Canada’s continued success in global trade and commerce.

Eligible projects include, for example, ports, airports, roads, railways, intermodal facilities, international bridges and border crossings – assets that are the primary building blocks of the supply chains that enable the physical exchange of goods around the world and also support the critical movement of people and goods in Canada’s Northern territories.

GRANT FOR THE NORTHERN TRANSPORTATION ADAPTATION INITIATIVE

To address the effects of climate change on northern transportation systems and help ensure that those systems remain efficient, safe and environmentally sustainable, Transport Canada’s Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) was established. The initiative was first funded through Budget 2011 with $11 million over a five-year period, then it was extended for an additional two years through Budget 2016 ($4.6M), and for a further three years in Budget 2017 ($6.9M) (through to 2020-21).

The NTAI supports efforts outlined in the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change related to taking action to support adaptation in vulnerable regions, such as the North and coastal regions. It supports projects that aim to:

• Increase awareness and understanding of climate risks and vulnerabilities to northern transportation assets;
• Support research, develop and test innovative technologies; and

Strengthen the resilience of existing and future transportation infrastructure to climate change.

The objective of the grant is to enhance the safety of air transport operations in parts of the world that require assistance.

This grant enables Canadians to travel to many Asia-Pacific countries with a higher level of confidence in aviation safety.

PROGRAM TO address DISTURBANCES FROM VESSEL TRAFFIC

Enhanced measures under this program will help promote the recovery of the Southern Resident killer whale in a manner that considers and accounts for legitimate concerns of First Nations, coastal communities and the fishing and transportation industries.

Grant funding of $100,000 will support the expansion of the Whale Report Alert System via Ocean Wise Coastal Ocean Research Institute grant.

• More specifically, the funding will increase the capabilities of the system to broadcast pertinent and real-time details of whale sightings. The system will alert bridge crew and pilots of large commercial vessels and allow them to implement operational measures to reduce the risk of disturbing or striking the whales.

PROGRAM TO ADVANCE TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION

The Program to Advance Transportation Innovation (PATI) helps Canadian provinces, territories (PTs) and municipalities prepare for the wide array of technical, regulatory and policy issues that will emerge as a result of new innovations in the transportation sector, including connected vehicles (CV) and automated vehicles (AV).  To achieve this, the Program provides federal funding to academia, PTs, and other stakeholders for projects that support CV and AV technology research.

The PATI contributes to Canada’s transportation system competitiveness and productivity through investments in activities that promote and:

• Enable transport-sector innovation by supporting the deployment of technology innovations, including CV and AV technologies;
• Facilitate capacity building and research on transportation-related issues; and
• Contribute to TC’s green and innovative transportation core responsibility.

TRANSPORT CANADA

MAIN ESTIMATES CONTRIBUTIONS

NATIONAL TRADE CORRIDORS FUND

Announced in November 2016 and detailed in Budget 2017, the Government of Canada will invest $10.1 billion over the next 11 years in trade and transportation projects to build stronger, more efficient transportation corridors to international markets and help Canadian businesses compete, grow and create more jobs for Canada’s middle class.

This investment includes the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) - a $1.9 billion merit-based transfer payment program that will be the centrepiece of the initiative, and which will include up to $400 million in dedicated funding for Northern transportation infrastructure.

The program aims to:

• Support Canadian trade by alleviating capacity constraints and bottlenecks, and strengthening connectivity between transport modes;
• Increase the resilience of the Canadian transportation system to a changing climate and its adaptability to new technologies and future innovation;
• Address the transportation needs of Northern territorial communities, including safety and economic development; and
• Leverage investments from multiple partners.

PROGRAM TO PROTECT CANADA’S COASTLINES AND WATERWAYS

The Program to Protect Canada’s Coastlines and Waterways provides federal funding, in the form of grants or contributions, for projects designed to modernize and enhance the safety of Canada’s marine transportation system, protect Canada’s marine ecosystem and increase Canadian’s awareness of, and capacity to participate in, marine safety.

The program’s overall objective is to strengthen the safety of Canada’s marine transportation system and protect Canada’s coastlines and waterways, which aligns with the Department’s strategic outcomes to provide a clean marine transportation system. More specifically, it aims to:

• Protect Canada’s coasts and waterways from hazards.
• Support safer marine operations in the North and protect northern communities

from marine pollution incidents.

• Increase the participation of Canadians in the marine sector, particularly

Indigenous, coastal and local communities.

FERRY SERVICES CONTRIBUTION PROGRAM

The Ferry Services Contribution program provides operating funding for the requirements for three regional ferry services: between Cap-aux-Meules, Îles-de la Madeleine, Quebec and Souris, Prince Edward Island; between Caribou, Nova Scotia and Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and between Saint John, New Brunswick and Digby, Nova Scotia.

AIRPORTS CAPITAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Airports Capital Assistance Program officially began on April 1, 1995 as part of the National Airports Policy. The Program was established to assist regional/local airport owners with safety-related capital infrastructure and to ensure the continued safety of the Canadian traveling public.

To be eligible, an airport must receive year-round regularly scheduled passenger service (minimum 1,000 passengers/year), meet airport certification requirements, and not be owned by the federal government. Funding is provided to eligible airports on a cost-sharing basis based on passenger levels.

There are currently 186 airports eligible to receive funding under ACAP.

RAIL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CONTRIBUTION PROGRAM

The Rail Safety Improvement Program (RSIP) provides grant and contribution funding to improve rail safety and reduce injuries and fatalities related to rail transportation. The program funds:

• safety improvements to existing rail lines
• closures of grade crossings
• initiatives to raise awareness about rail safety issues across Canada

The Rail Safety Improvement Program has two key components:

• Infrastructure, Technology and Research (ITR)
• Public Education and Awareness (E&A)

This program builds on Transport Canada's Grade Crossing Improvement, Grade Crossing Closure, and Operation Lifesaver Programs.

ROAD SAFETY TRANSFER PAYMENT PROGRAM

Since RSTPP began in 1987, Transport Canada has provided $4.44 million per year in federal contributions to provinces, territories (P/Ts) and more recently the CCMTA to improve the safety of roadways, road users and motor vehicles in Canada.

Contribution agreements for the RSTPP adhere to the requirements of the Treasury Board Policy on Transfer Payments and the terms and conditions of the program. The current terms and conditions indicate that contribution payments under the program are based on the reimbursement of eligible expenditures and, if applicable, on the achievement of pre-determined performance expectations or milestones. In practice, payments to P/Ts are based on a combination of a per capita costing formula and the reimbursement of eligible expenditures.

GATEWAYS AND BORDER CROSSINGS FUND

The purpose of the contribution program is to provide funding to support transportation infrastructure and other related initiatives to develop and exploit Canada’s strategic gateways, trade corridors and border crossings focusing on nationally significant projects supporting international trade and efficient and integrated supply chains.

REMOTE PASSENGER RAIL PROGRAM

The Remote Passenger Rail Program (RPRP) aims to ensure safe and reliable passenger service in remote areas that are established year round with no other transportation options and where the passenger service is the only transportation available for the communities it serves.

OUTAOUAIS ROAD DEVELOPMEMT AGREEMENT (ORDA)

The Outaouais Road Development Agreement (ORDA) is a cost sharing arrangement with the Province of Quebec for the improvement of the road system on the Outaouais side of the National Capital Region.

Signed in 1972 between the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the Québec government, it comprises of 13 projects, of which 7 have been completed to date. Canada contributes up to 50% of the overall cost of the work. The agreement ends when all projects are completed.

In 1995, as part of Program Review, Cabinet authorized the transfer of the management and the financial responsibilities of the Agreement from the NCC to Transport Canada (TC), without providing resources. The NCC retained the management responsibilities related to the federal properties involved in the different projects. In 1998-99, Treasury Board (TB) allocated $2.6M a year to Transport Canada’s reference levels until the end of the Agreement.

In 2005, Treasury Board renewed the terms and conditions of the Agreement until March 31, 2009, and approved supplementary funding of $29.2M to provide funding to the Province of Québec for 5 different projects identified in the Outaouais Road Agreement.

In 2006, Treasury Board increased TC’s reference levels to $20.2M to provide funding to the Province of Québec for Phase 1 and 2 of the development of Highway 5 between Chelsea and Wakefield.

In 2009, Treasury Board again renewed the terms and conditions of the Agreement and approved supplementary funding of $49.9M for Phase 2 of the Highway 5 project.

The purpose of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Transportation Infrastructure Fund is to address capacity challenges facing Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway. A number of projects are proposed to enhance the competitiveness, efficiency and capacity of Canada’s multi-modal transportation network focused on the movement of international commerce within the Asia Pacific region. The main eligible recipients include other levels of government, regional transportation authorities, and transportation services providers from the private sector.

The purpose of this class contribution program is to provide funding to eligible recipients for projects that support Transport Canada’s  mandate to promote safety in the marine sector and advance safety among waterway users through education and awareness.

The overall objective of the Program is to reduce incidents, injuries, property damage and loss of life due to boating accidents in Canada. The Program supports organizations that work to raise public awareness about boating safety; advance knowledge of boating safety issues, practices and behaviours in Canada and support regulatory compliance. The program has two components:

• The Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) component funds activities related to recreational boating; and 

• The Commercial Fishing Safety (CFS) component addresses safety issues onboard and around small commercial fishing vessels.

The project target groups for the program include:

•  Hunters/Anglers;

•  Paddling/Human Powered;

•  Power boating;

•  Sailing;

•  Other small pleasure craft; and,

•  Fishermen working onboard small commercial vessel

AIRPORTS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SUBSIDY PROGRAM

The Program finances operations and maintenance deficits at four designated TC-owned airports, by subsidizing shortfalls between revenues and operating costs.

These airports include:

• Chevery - Municipality of Côte-Nord du Golfe du St-Laurent;
• Natashquan Municipality of Canton Natashquan;
• Schefferville - Société aéroportuaire de Schefferville; and
• Kuujjuaq - Kativik Regional Government (KRG).

PROGRAM TO ADDRESS DISTURBANCES OF VESSEL TRAFFIC

Enhanced measures under this program will help to promote the recovery of the Southern Resident killer whale in a manner that considers and accounts for legitimate concerns of First Nations, coastal communities and the fishing and transportation industries.

Budget 2019 provided a total contribution funding of $7,500,000 over 5 years.  This funding will address the threat of acoustic disturbance from vessel traffic by reducing economic impacts associated with an expanded vessel slowdown.

PROGRAM TO ADVANCE INDIGENOUS RECONCILIATION

The purpose of the Program is to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by providing funding for projects and initiatives designed to:

• Encourage and support Indigenous participation in Transport Canada’s consultation and engagement processes regarding programs, policies, processes, regulations, legislation and directives;
• Build Indigenous capacity to support the development of partnership and collaborative opportunities for the purpose of administering and implementing elements of the transportation system; and 
• Create opportunities for Indigenous groups to gather information, provide their views, and collect, protect and utilize Indigenous knowledge for the purposes of implementing Transport Canada initiatives.

LABRADOR COASTAL AIRSTRIPS RESTORATION PROGRAM

The purpose of the Labrador Coastal Airstrips Restoration Program is to provide ongoing financial capital assistance to restore airstrips along the Labrador Coast to ensure the original operational capability of these airstrips is maintained – fulfilling Transport Canada’s commitment under the 1982 Labrador Air/Marine Service Agreement with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Since 2010/11 TC has contributed approximately $8M for work at 12 different airstrips in Labrador coastal cities such as Black Tickle, Charlottetown and Cartwright.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE NORTHERN TRANSPORTATION ADAPTATION INITIATIVE

To address the effects of climate change on northern transportation systems and help ensure that those systems remain efficient, safe and environmentally sustainable, Transport Canada’s Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative was established. The initiative was first funded through Budget 2011 with $11 million over a five-year period, then it was extended for an additional two years through Budget 2016 ($4.6M), and for a further three years in Budget 2017 ($6.9M) (through to 2020-21).

The Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative supports efforts outlined in the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change related to taking action to support adaptation in vulnerable regions, such as the North and coastal regions. The Pan-Canadian Framework Treasury Board Submission in which the three-year continuation of the Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative was included, was approved by Treasury Board at the end of September 2017.

Transport Canada’s Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) supports projects that aim to:

• increase awareness and understanding of climate risks and vulnerabilities to northern transportation assets;
• research, develop and test innovative technologies;
• advance knowledge and support capacity-building; and,
• enhance the resilience of existing and future transportation infrastructure to climate change.

Transport Canada is seeking access to the $1,045,000 Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative contribution for 2018-2019.

CONTRIBUTION TO ADVANCE TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION

The Program to Advance Transportation Innovation (PATI) helps Canadian provinces, territories and municipalities prepare for the array of technical, regulatory and policy issues that will emerge as a result of new innovations in the transportation sector, including connected vehicles (CV) and automated vehicles (AV). To achieve this, the Program provides federal funding, in the form of grants and contributions to academia, P/T, and other stakeholders for projects that support capacity building on CV and AV technologies. The PATI contributes to the competitiveness and productivity of Canada and its transportation system through investments in activities that promote and enable innovation in the transportation sector to:

• Enable transport-sector innovation by supporting the deployment of technology innovations, including connected and automated vehicles technologies (CV/AVs); and,
• Facilitate capacity building and research on transportation-related issues.

It also contributes to TC’s efficient and clean transportation strategic outcomes.

TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

The purpose of the contribution program is to provide funding to support transportation-related projects and programs managed by the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC). The multi-year funding program reflects an amalgamation of all Transport Canada activities with TAC under a single, five-year umbrella agreement. The TAC contribution agreement was signed on December 22, 2017.

One of the key expected results of the TC-TAC contribution is the development and publishing of research, technical reports, guidelines, and best practices. Through the TAC contribution agreement, TC provides funding to technical projects that are national in scope. For example, TC provided funding towards the update of the Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads, a foundational document used to establish uniform geometric design standards and procedures across Canada. TC also provided funding towards the Defining and Measuring Congestion project, which culminated in the publication of Guidelines for Defining and Measuring Urban Congestion to establish a common approach to measure and monitor traffic congestion, in order to promote methodological consistency among Canada’s urban areas.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUPPORT THE TRANSPORTATION ASSETS RISK ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE

The Transportation Assets Risk Assessment (TARA) initiative provides funding for projects through a combination of transfer payments and operational funding that focus on improving the understanding of climate change related-risks and vulnerabilities to federal transportation infrastructure.

This investment supports the adaptation and resilience pillar of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, as well as the Low Carbon Government and Modern and Resilient Infrastructure goals under the 2016-2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Contributions under this initiative support risk and vulnerability assessments, studies and research to investigate and understand climate impacts to federal transportation assets. For example, peak rainfall in certain areas of Canada have changed substantially. This is affecting the hydrology charts engineers use to design water control structures, culverts and bridges. Assessment would look at the risk of current designs based on changing peak rainfall and proposed options.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, TC has the statutory obligation to assume the responsibility for the payment of supplemental pension benefits to former NFLD Railway employees, who were transferred to CN Rail subsequent to the union of NFLD with Canada in 1949. The Program continues to serve as the most cost effective instrument to satisfy the Government of Canada’s obligations to support pension payments to former Newfoundland Railway employees. CN administers Canada’s payments as part of its current pension arrangements with these employees

This program has existed since June 22, 1954.

Since FY 2005-06, TC has contributed just over $5.6M. Historical funding between 1954 and 2005 is not readably available, due to the legacy nature of the program.

CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT CLEAN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM

As part of the Pan Canadian Framework, Transport Canada is entering into grants and contribution agreements with academia to seed innovative, blue sky thinking research and development (R&D) in the aviation, marine and rail sectors.

This investment will serve to complement the existing Clean Rail Academic Grant Program and provide a platform for innovative multimodal transportation R&D within Canada. As innovative thinking occurs across types of organizations, the program will also serve a broader range of eligible recipients, including academia, industry, non-profit organizations, international organizations, foreign states, indigenous communities and entities, and individuals.

Transport Canada’s Clean Rail Academic Grant Program is part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to reduce rail sector emissions and support research of new and emerging technologies. The program provides grants of $25,000 to existing academic research programs that are developing emission reduction technologies and practices for the transportation sector that could be applied to the rail industry. As part of the Clean Rail Academic Grant Program ten rail-related research and development (R&D) projects were awarded each year for a total of $250K per year, with topics including lightweighting, alternative fuels, aerodynamics, electrical energy storage, friction reduction, operational change, and computer simulation. A large selection of Canadian universities with developing expertise in these areas have received funding over the life of the Program through a competitive process.

Starting in 2018-19, the new Multi-Modal Clean Transportation Program will offer both grants and contributions to support:

• Advanced research of technologies that will reduce criteria air contaminant (CAC) and greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector
• Research and associated knowledge sharing activities related to technologies that contribute to the reduction of emissions, or the improvement of emissions measurement for the aviation, marine and/or rail sectors.
• The development, testing, deployment and/or installation of technologies that facilitate the reduction of GHG emissions and air pollutants from the aviation, marine or rail sectors.
• Build innovation capacity in Canadian universities

PAYMENTS TO OTHER GOVERNMENTS OR INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF AIRPORTS, AIR NAVIGATION AND AIRWAYS FACILITIES

To ensure that funds are available to cover the operation and financing of facilities and services provided by Denmark and Iceland for civil aircraft flying across the North Atlantic. 

This program has been in existence since 1956 and funding is ongoing.

CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH FORUM’S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The purpose of the contribution program to the Canadian Transportation Research Forum is to provide funding assistance to the scholarship program in an effort to promote and encourage transportation research in Canada, as well as and support capacity building in the sector.