Communications

Mandate

The Communications Branch provides the following key services to Transport Canada: 

  • Strategic communications planning, advice, and execution in support of departmental objectives
  • Internal and corporate messages, including support for the Deputy Ministers (events, messages to employees, speaking remarks)
  • Communications products (e.g., news releases, statements)
  • Media relations inquiries and interviews, as well as spokesperson media training
  • Media monitoring and analysis
  • Ministerial event support, including speechwriting
  • Social media
  • Web services
  • Creative services (graphic design, video, etc.)
  • Public opinion research, consultations/engagement, and advertising

Profile:

Jacqueline Roy

Director General, Communications

Bio

Director General, Communications: Jacqueline Roy

Size: 135 employees (112 the National Capital Region and 23 in the regions)

Directorates:

  • Director's General Office 
  • Strategic communications
  • Media and Ministerial Services
  • Internal/Corporate Communications and Editorial Services
  • Digital Communications, Outreach and Creative Services
  • Regional Offices

Overview:

Director General’s Office

  • Coordinates taskings within the Communications Group such as corporate requests, requests for communications assessments and ATIPs
  • Provides resources and planning services for the branch.
  • Organizes TC-wide events on behalf of the Deputy Ministers such as TC Talks (all-staff meetings), the Awards of Excellence ceremony and the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC), and provides peripheral advice to Corporate Champions for their respective events

The point of contact for the Director General’s Office: TC.F AEDGOComms-CommsBDG@tc.gc.ca

Strategic Communications

  • Provides advice to advance Transport Canada’s mandate and priorities through four teams:
    • Air team
    • Marine team
    • Surface team
    • Horizontal team, for cross-modal projects or those not specific to any single mode (examples: Indigenous relations, international relations)
  • Develops communications plans, campaigns and strategies that include intelligence, evaluations and coordination, through briefings, key messages and communications assessments for the Minister’s Office and other departments.
  • Coordinates announcements made by the Minister, and develops:
    • technical briefings
    • news releases (including quotes in third-party news releases)
    • statements
    • media lines and questions and answers
    • backgrounders
    • ministerial speeches
  • Provides crisis communication planning and response

To contact these teams please email:

Media and Ministerial Services

Media Relations

  • Acts as the main point of contact for the media, and manages inquiries on behalf of the department
  • Advises internal stakeholders on public stance and media relations
  • Provides media training and prepare spokespersons for media interviews

The point of contact for all media inquiries: Media@tc.gc.ca 
613-993-0055

Media Monitoring and Analysis

  • Acts as the point of contact for all media monitoring and analysis inquiries 
  • Monitors the news cycle, as well as the media/industry/public environment, and distributes summaries of coverage, including daily social media clipping packages
  • Produces monthly media analysis reports and insights to senior management
  • Specific media analyses can also be provided as required

Ministerial Services

  • Coordinates services to the minister's office, ensuring efficiency and alignment with priorities
  • Coordinates external communication calendars, ensuring they are up to date
  • Ensures alignment with central agencies’ directives

The point of contact for ministerial events and planning:  AEMediaMinisterialServices-Servicesmediatiquesministeriels@tc.gc.ca

Internal/Corporate Communications and Editorial Services

Internal/Corporate Communications

  • Responsible for communicating with employees through different channels, including the intranet (myTC) and the department’s internal weekly emails (TC this week) 
  • Supports the Deputy Ministers, corporate champions (diversity and inclusion priorities) and other senior executives by advising and preparing email or video messages to employees 
  • Provides strategic communications advice on corporate issues

Editorial Services and Speeches

  • Prepares speeches/remarks for ministerial announcements, and video scripts the Minister may wish to record for events that they cannot attend
  • Prepares speaking points for the Deputy Ministers and video scripts on corporate topics and commemorative events throughout the year

Digital Communications, Outreach and Creative Services

Social Media 

Web

  • Manages the department’s website (tc.canada.ca) and intranet site (myTC)
  • Ensures compliance with Government of Canada policies and web standards, leads the Transport and Infrastructure theme page and is a key partner for the Travel and tourism page, as part of the government-wide www.canada.ca web presence
  • Offers advice and training on plain language and accessibility, two key elements of the web standards
  • Provides evaluation and metrics analysis of our outreach and advertising campaigns, and of various digital communications activities

Outreach and Advertising

  • Coordinates Transport Canada’s public opinion research and key consultation activities, including studies, surveys, focus groups, and the Let’s Talk Transportation consultation platform
  • Leads the reporting of departmental key consultations quarterly 
  • Manages the department’s various outreach and advertising initiatives

Creative Services

  • Provides digital design and video production services, as well as some limited prints
  • Manages the in-house studio where audio and video productions are recorded, and offers photography services for key events 
  • Oversees Transport Canada’s visual identity, including the Federal Identity Program (FIP), and coordinates copyright requests

Regional Offices

Regional communications teams report to their Regional Directors General and work with HQ to advance Transport Canada’s strategic communications priorities across Canada. They identify issues and opportunities, enable local storytelling, and ensure our tactics and activities are relevant to all Canadians. These teams also organize and provide on-site support for ministerial events and announcements.