Responsibilities for Responding
Within the Government of Canada, under the Federal Emergency Response Plan (FERP), the Minister of Public Safety (PS) has the lead for responding to most domestic emergencies and incidents (e.g. terrorist incidents, flooding, forest fires); and the Minister of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has the lead for responding to international emergencies and incidents (e.g. evacuation of Canadians).
Within this framework, the Minister of Transport has extensive legal authorities related to the transportation system in Canada, which translates into an essential role in responding to emergencies, accidents and incidents that have a connection to the transportation system or transportation infrastructure. Specifically, the Minister of Transport:
- Leads in responding to aviation, marine, rail and transportation of dangerous goods incidents and accidents in Canada. As Transport Canada (TC) is not a first responder, its role is to gather, and share, the facts related to accidents and incidents; share knowledge and expertise with first responders; exercise regulatory power to minimize harm to Canadians and the environment as well as disruptions to the transportation system; and investigate possible regulatory violations.
- Works with other federal departments (e.g. Public Safety (PS)), agencies (e.g. the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)) or other levels of government (e.g. provinces, municipalities) to respond to a wide range of incidents and emergencies. Some examples include:
- to limit vessel traffic and speed on flooded waterways using authorities under the Canada Shipping Act;
- to restrict aircraft operating in the vicinity of forest fires or to expediting entry into Canadian service of foreign fire-fighting aircraft, using various authorities under the Aeronautics Act;
- working closely with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Public Safety, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in preventing and resolving Indigenous rail blockades;
- working closely with Global Affairs Canada, Privy Council Office, the Transportation Safety Board, national security agencies coordinating Canada’s response to passenger aircraft crashes abroad, such as the shootdown of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 over Tehran in early 2020; and
- working with Global Affairs Canada and air operators to facilitate the evacuation of Canadians abroad in the event of emergencies or disasters.
- May invoke Acts in exercising these authorities including the following:
- Aeronautics Act;
- Canada Marine Act;
- Canadian Navigable Waters Act;
- Motor Vehicle Safety Act;
- Motor Vehicle Transport Act;
- Railway Safety Act;
- Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.
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Depending on the nature of the incident, TC’s partners in these areas could include:
- The Canadian Coast Guard which plays a first responder role in marine accidents and incidents;
- Local first responders (e.g. local police, fire departments) which lead in responding to accidents involving trucks carrying dangerous goods;
- National security partners (e.g. PS, the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service) which lead on security incidents and investigations; and
- The Transportation Safety Board, a completely independent federal agency that investigates aviation, marine, rail and transportation of dangerous goods accidents.
Resources and Systems for Responding
The Government of Canada as a whole, and TC in particular, have well-established procedures in place to respond to an emergency or incident. For PS and GAC-led emergencies, the Government Operations Center (GOC) coordinates a whole-of-government response. The PS-led GOC is central to the government-wide network of departmental situation centres and operations centres. TC has four operations centres that operate on a 24/7 basis:
1. TC’s Situation Centre (SitCen)
The TC SitCen is located in Tower C. It co-ordinates with other departments and levels of government through the GOC, and serves as the department’s reporting and incident management response hub.
Regional TC SitCen offices are located in Moncton, Montréal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver and are only activated in response to a significant regional incident.
Transportation emergencies, accidents and incidents are typically reported to the TC SitCen. They are then shared more broadly within the department and with other federal departments. Through the SitCen, TC has robust lines of communication with the GOC.
Most transportation accidents and incidents are managed through an exchange of information via SitCen notifications, emails and phone calls. Management of such incidents can also include face-to-face briefings for the Minister and Ministerial staff.
Notifications disseminated by the TC SitCen can vary significantly, from a regulatory incident that requires inspectorate follow up to a transportation crisis that requires an immediate response. In 2023, the SitCen triaged 81,663 interactions that generated 5,212 notifications to internal and external stakeholders.
2. Aviation Operations Centre (AVOPS)
The AVOPS specializes in aviation safety. It monitors the national civil air transportation system 24/7 and responds to emergencies that require immediate intervention or coordination on behalf of the Minister of Transport. It is the initial point of contact for all aviation safety related occurrences at TC, and coordinates response and communications on accidents, occurrences and incidents that affect aviation operations within the national system. Monitoring and oversight activities conducted by AVOPS support other civil aviation efforts (e.g., trend and risk analysis, regulatory oversight, and enforcement). AVOPS also provide support to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) missions, defending Canada’s sovereignty with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) partners.
3. Canadian Transport Emergency Centre (CANUTEC)
CANUTEC coordinates with the SitCen and provides scientific and technical advice to first responders during incidents relating to dangerous goods. It deals with over 1,500 incidents yearly and takes part in over 300 simulations with first responders.
4. Passenger Protect Program Operations Centre (PPPOC)
TC operates the PPPOC which supports Public Safety-led efforts to manage potential matches against the Secure Air Travel Act (SATA) list, working with air carriers to ensure compliance with the Secure Air Travel Regulations. The Program is an air security program that prevents individuals who may pose a threat to air security or who may travel by air to commit a terrorist act through additional security screening or preventing them from boarding a plane. Passengers travelling to, from and within Canada are screened against the SATA list.
For significant incidents (e.g., loss of life, significant security incident, extreme weather events), a decision may be made to organize a National Incident Management Group. This ad hoc group brings together all the key players (e.g., officials from the relevant safety or security programs, legal services, communications, regions), to enable efficient information sharing, direction and decisions in response to the incident. The Minister’s office may be invited to the meetings of this group depending on the nature of the incident.
When required, following an incident response, investigations and enforcement actions are conducted in accordance with the relevant legislative framework.