High Frequency Rail (HFR)

Mandate:

Transport Canada's (TC) High Frequency Rail (HFR) Group is leading the advancement of the High Speed Rail (HSR) Initiative for the Government of Canada and supports the Minister of Transport in its role as the Accountable Owner of the HSR Initiative. The Assistant Deputy Minister, HFR, who acts as the Project Authority for the HSR Initiative, oversees the TC HFR Group who collaborates with the other federal departments involved in the initiative.

Key federal partners include: Public Services and Procurement Canada; Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada; Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada; expert federal authorities such as Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada; the Canadian Transportation Agency; and VIA Rail and its subsidiary responsible for delivering the HSR Initiative (Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF)), to move the initiative forward.

Notably, the Group responsible for the HSR Initiative: 

  • Provides direction on the procurement process for the HSR Initiative;

  • Leads the oversight of Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF);

  • Collaborates with VIA HFR (Alto) and the private development partner to advance work related to design and engineering, land acquisition, impact assessment, and Indigenous Relations;

  • Coordinates policy initiatives for the HSR Initiative;

  • Ensures that the public interest is safeguarded by overseeing key commercial, legal, technical, safety and security decisions;

  • Ensures this initiative delivers the best value for money to Canada;

  • Coordinates governance among Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF), VIA Rail, the Provinces and other stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration.

Profile:

Vincent Robitaille

Vincent Robitaille

Assistant Deputy Minister – High Frequency Rail

Bio

The Assistant Deputy Minister, HFR: Vincent Robitaille

Number of Employees: 60

Directorates:

  • Policy and Partnerships
  • Technical Services, and Indigenous Relations
  • Commercial and Governance

Policy and Partnerships:

The Policy and Partnerships Directorate has two main areas of focus.

Policy: The Policy team is responsible for coordinating HSR policy initiatives for the HSR Initiative. This includes oversight of public interest considerations, alignment with Ministerial and Government-wide priorities, including coordination of any horizontal policy initiatives across the department more broadly. This activity involves coordination of strategic forward planning in support of decision making for HSR policy and the coordination/leading the development of Memoranda to Cabinet, Budget proposals, Treasury Board submissions and other Cabinet documents necessary to support the HSR Initiative. The directorate collaborates with the TC Communications team as the lead for Ministerial communications activities concerning HSR. The directorate also develops public facing messaging, communications materials, and coordinates communication activities with Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF).

Integration: The Integration team has a diverse role within the directorate and is responsible for the management of a variety of key files. The team leads on the development of a critical HSR Initiative accountability instrument, the Project Charter, and is the TC lead on the Transition of VIA Rail Corridor Services, working closely with Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF) and VIA Rail to plan for a smooth transfer of these services. The team also manages stakeholder relations, including federal-provincial relations, and provides direction and leadership on Human Resources and Financial Management matters for the initiative.

Technical Services and Indigenous Relations:

The Technical Services and Indigenous Relations Directorate is responsible for providing a centre of technical and Indigenous Relations expertise that provides analysis and advice to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister and Minister on the design and engineering assumptions and solutions advanced by Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF), proponents, and the private development partner to advance the key initiatives to a successful conclusion of the HSR Initiative:

The directorate is also responsible for leading or supporting project components within the direct responsibility of Government of Canada, such as reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, city access, land acquisition, assessing the economic, social and environmental impacts of the initiative; and advancing required impact assessment and regulatory review processes. Further, the directorate provides advice to Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF) on the development and management of the detailed work associated with development of the HSR Initiative.

Commercial and Governance:

The Commercial and Procurement Directorate is responsible for providing leadership and direction to the HSR Initiative’s procurement process in collaboration with the contracting authority - Public Services and Procurement Canada. Procurement process leadership responsibilities include the development, implementation and execution of the procurement and contracting framework of the HSR Initiative and associated contracting documents and the engagement and negotiation with bidders during the procurement phase. The directorate oversees the overall bidding process, including the negotiation and the resolution of any issues with bidders. The Directorate also ensures the integrity of the procurement process, such that the HSR Initiative is demonstrably fair, open and transparent.

The directorate is also responsible for the financial and commercial aspects of the HSR Initiative. Working closely with Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF), it ensures the implementation of the right incentivizes and mechanisms in the deal structure to develop the optimal solution for the HSR Initiative that protects the public interest and creates value for Canadians. The directorate ensures that the public interest is protected through robust analysis, adequate empirical data and expert judgment are behind the key commercial and financial related decisions for the HSR Initiative, and that an appropriate level of risk transfer is reflected in the contract structure of the HSR Initiative.

The Governance team is responsible for ensuring meaningful governance in alignment with project outcomes. The team coordinates and strategically plans meetings of the governance committees that oversee and guide the HSR Initiative. In partnership with TC’s Policy Group, the team ensures oversight of Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF) planning and reporting activities. The Governance team also liaises with Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF) on key governance matters. In addition, the team is responsible for risk management of the HSR Initiative. This involves developing and implementing an Integrated Risk Management Framework with all project partners, collaborating with federal institutions on government-specific risks, and providing input to Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF) on project risk management. Finally, the team leads the development of collaboration agreements between TC, Alto (formerly VIA HFR – VIA TGF), and VIA Rail to facilitate their respective roles and support the advancement of the project in alignment with the Government’s policy objectives for the HFR I at each phase.