TRAN March 21, 2024, Briefing on Infrastructure in Canada

3. Scenario Note

House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) 

Date: March 21, 2024

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  

Location: West Block, Room 035-B (televised meeting) (TBC)

Subject: Infrastructure in Canada

Witnesses: 

Transport Canada 

  • Hon. Pablo Rodriguez, P.C., M.P., Minister of Transport 
  • Arun Thangaraj, Deputy Minister of Transport 
  • Serge Bijimine, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy
  • Joshua Larocque, Director General, Transportation Infrastructure Programs

Opening Remarks: Minister to deliver 5 mins opening remarks. 

Question of witnesses: 

For the first round of questioning, six (6) minutes (for both question and answer) to a representative of each party in the following order (24 mins): 

  1. Conservative Party 
  2. Liberal Party 
  3. Bloc Québecois 
  4. New Democratic Party 

For the second and subsequent rounds, time allocation is as follows (25 mins): 

  1. Conservative (5 mins); 
  2. Liberal (5 mins); 
  3. Bloc Québecois (2.5 mins); 
  4. New Democratic Party (2.5 mins); 
  5. Conservative (5 mins); 
  6. Liberal (5 mins). 

About TRAN 

The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) was reconvened on December 16, 2021, following the opening of the 44th Parliament.  

The committee can study any aspect of the management and operations of Transport Canada and Infrastructure Canada, as well as any legislation, programs or policy areas administered by the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Infrastructure. The scope of issues related to transport, infrastructure and communities is quite broad and includes: 

  • federal programs and policies for air, rail, road and marine transportation; 
  • federal infrastructure funding such as the New Building Canada Fund, and the Gateways and Border Crossing Fund; 
  • Crown corporations (e.g., VIA Rail Canada Inc., pilotage authorities and the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated), administrative tribunals and agencies (i.e., Transportation Appeal Tribunal and the Canadian Transportation Agency), and shared governance organizations (e.g., port and airport authorities) within the Transport and Infrastructure ministers’ portfolios; and 
  • a range of issues affecting productivity and quality of life in Canadian cities and communities (e.g., traffic congestion and community infrastructure). 

Since the Committee has reconvened, it has undertaken several other studies while establishing its forward plan: 

The Committee has also decided to undertake studies on the operation of small towing vessels on Canada’s West Coast.

On January 9, 2023, the Committee voted to extend its study of airport delays to hear witnesses surrounding the travel disruptions that afflicted Sunwing and VIA Rail passengers during the December 2022 holiday travel season. The Committee thereafter undertook studies on the impact of commercial shipping on shoreline erosion, departmental estimates, inter-city transport by bus, adapting infrastructure to face climate change and McKinsey & Company and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, Bill C-33, Strengthening the Port System and Railway Safety in Canada Act (Bill C-33), high frequency rail projects and accessible transportation for persons with disabilities.   

In addition, the Committee has also adopted several reports: 

Committee activity within the last year 

Many studies have been completed at TRAN between November 2021 to March 2024. These studies touched on matters such as the threats posed by Russia on Canada’s transportation system, railway safety, labour shortages in the transportation sector, Canada’s supply chain and the reduction of costs for airports and air travel, accessible transportation, high frequency rail, air passenger protection regulations, inter-city bus travel, shoreline erosions, Bill C-33 and others.   ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Study: Mandate of the Minister of Transport 

  • Sponsor(s): N/A
  • Span of the study: February 17, 2022 (one meeting) 
  • Report: N/A 

Study: Mandate of the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities 

  • Sponsor(s): N/A 
  • Span of the study: February 28, 2022 (one meeting) 
  • Report: N/A 

 Study: Railway Safety 

 Study: Canada’s preparedness to respond to Russian threats to Canadian waters, ports and airspace 

  • Sponsor(s): Melissa Lantsman, CPC (Thornhill, ON) 
  • Span of the study: March 21 to March 24, 2022 (two meetings) 
  • Report: N/A  

 Study: Canada Infrastructure Bank 

 Study: State of Canada’s Supply Chain 

 Study: International Civil Aviation Organization 

 Study: Targeted Infrastructure Investment 

 Study: Reducing Red Tape and Costs on Rural and Urban Canadian Airports 

 Study: Main Estimates 2022-2023 

  • Sponsor(s): N/A 
  • Span of the study: May 30, 2022 (one meeting) 
  • Report: N/A 

 Study: Anticipated Labour Shortages in the Canadian Transportation Sector 

 Study: Impact of Commercial Shipping on Shoreline Erosion 

Study: Air Passenger Protection Regulations (including the treatment of air and rail passengers over the holidays) 

Study: Inter-City Transport by Bus in Canada  

 Study: Large port infrastructure expansion projects in Canada  

Study: Main Estimates 2023-2024 and Supplementary Estimates (C) 2022-2023 

Study: Adapting Infrastructure to Face Climate Change

Study: Bill C-33, an Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act

Study: Role of McKinsey & Company in the Creation and the Beginnings of the Canada Infrastructure Bank

  • Sponsor(s): Leslyn Lewis (Haldimand–Norfolk, ON) 
  • Span of the study: May 2, 2023 to February 1, 2024 (8 meetings)
  • Report: N/A

Study: Projects of High Frequency Rail Between Quebec City and Toronto, Between Calgary and Banff, and Between Calgary and Edmonton

Study: Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities

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