Gender-based analysis plus

On this page

• Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity
  • Governance
  • Capacity
  • Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus
• Section 2: gender and diversity impacts, by program
  • Core responsibility 1: A Safe and Secure Transportation System
    • Program name: Aircraft Services
    • Program name: Aviation Safety Oversight and Certification and Aviation Safety Regulatory Framework
    • Program name: Aviation Security Oversight and Aviation Security Regulatory Framework
    • Program name: Emergency Management
    • Program name: Intermodal Surface Security Regulatory Framework
    • Program name: Marine Safety Oversight
    • Program name: Marine Safety Regulatory Framework
    • Program name: Marine Security Oversight
    • Program name: Marine Security Regulatory Framework
    • Program name: Multimodal Road Safety Oversight
    • Program name: Multimodal Road Safety Regulatory Framework
    • Program name: Rail Safety Improvement Program
    • Program name: Rail Safety Oversight
    • Program name: Rail Safety Regulatory Framework
    • Program name: Rail Security (former known as Intermodal Surface Security Oversight)
    • Program name: Security Screening Certification
  • Core responsibility 2: Green and Innovative Transportation System
    • Program name: Climate Change and Clean Air
    • Program name: Environmental Stewardship of Transportation
    • Program name: Indigenous Partnerships and Engagement
    • Program name: Navigation Protection Program
    • Program name: Protecting Oceans and Waterways
    • Program name: Transportation Innovation
  • Core responsibility 3: Efficient Transportation System
    • Program name: National Trade Corridors Fund
    • Program name: Transportation Analysis
    • Program name: Transportation Infrastructure
    • Program name: Transportation Marketplace Frameworks

Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity

Governance

Transport Canada’s Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) Centre of Excellence (Centre) provides oversight and guidance on all the department’s GBA Plus initiatives. In late 2020, a new Gender Inclusiveness Champion was established, bringing together the Champion of GBA Plus and the Champion of Gender Diversity and Inclusive Services. There were no changes to the governance structure or resourcing levels for the 2023-24 fiscal year. While working in close collaboration with the support of subject matter experts across the department, the Centre has continued to:

• Support and monitor all Transport Canada GBA Plus initiatives.
• Lead a “GBA Plus Intra-departmental Network” to promote greater integration of GBA Plus tools and knowledge into our operations and practices.
• Serve as the main Transport Canada point of contact for:
• The Department for Women and Gender Equity (WAGE); and
• The broader Government of Canada GBA Plus Network.
• Support the “Gender Inclusiveness Champion” whose role includes:
• Promoting and provide leadership on Transport Canada’s commitment to applying GBA Plus and the Policy Directive on Sex and Gender Information Practices to modernize how the department collects sex and gender information.
• Ensuring that Transport Canada’s policies, programs and initiatives are inclusive of all individuals by considering other identity factors beyond sex and gender, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.
• Promoting continued advancement of more informed and responsive policies, programs, and initiatives using GBA Plus as an analytical tool to systematically consider the various obstacles, barriers and conditions faced by different groups of people, in all their diversity, to achieve overarching goals of improving gender equality and contribute to a more fair and equitable society.
• Advancing the department’s work related to updating the collection, display, and use of sex and gender data to align with the Policy Directive on Sex and Gender Information Practices.
• Representing Transport Canada at Assistant Deputy Minister-level meetings and working groups.
• Providing overarching guidance to support subject matter experts (e.g., within air, rail, marine, etc.) with respect to questions that impact the development of GBA Plus assessments related to Cabinet documents.
• Supporting Transport Canada access to online GBA Plus training and other pertinent resources.

Capacity

Transport Canada’s GBA Plus Centre of Excellence continued to:

• Promote GBA Plus mandatory training with over 90% of Transport Canada employees completing the online GBA Plus training offered by CSPS (previously offered by WAGE).
• Regularly engage the approximately 90 Plus GBA Plus Network members at Transport Canada through email updates and meetings.
• Offer GBA Plus learning events for employees across the department including a panel discussion on employee experiences in male dominated work domains as part of GBA Plus awareness week learning activities in May 2023.
• Participate in interdepartmental and international meetings and events and promote GBA Plus best practices (e.g. in Spring 2023 the GBA Plus Centre of Excellence participated in information sessions for the completion of GBA Supplementary Information Tables for the departmental results report exercise hosted by Finance and Management Services).

Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus

1.5 full-time employees were dedicated to working on GBA Plus at Transport Canada during the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Section 2: gender and diversity impacts, by program

Core responsibility 1: A Safe and Secure Transportation System

Program name: Aircraft Services

Program goals: Aircraft Services Directorate (ASD) is a federal government internal aviation service provider that operates a fleet of 50 aircraft, delivers aeronautical services to Transport Canada and Other Governmental Departments (OGDs) and supports the Government of Canada (GoC) in response to the surveillance of the waterways through the National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP).

Target population: Specific regions or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The target population of the ASD’s services relate to specific regions or sectors of the economy. ASD’s program services are provided almost exclusively to internal to government clients from either the Civil Aviation directorate at Transport Canada with the majority of ASD's services being provided to OGDs, especially the Department of National Defense (DND) and Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Other key program

The GoC employees benefitting from the services provided by ASD have been predominantly male identifying to date. While ASD does not develop or maintain overall GoC recruitment strategies, internally, ASD staff involved in hiring processes must complete the Canada School of Public Service course COR120 – Inclusive Hiring Practices for a Diverse Workforce. ASD is putting GBA Plus into action through its internal hiring practices to develop a more diverse workforce.

As identified in the Human Resources Tool Survey and associated strategies for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24, ASD reaches out to industry, educational institutions, tradeshows, and attends the Canadian Women in Aviation (CWIA) symposium, to promote our industry and with the intent of developing a more gender balanced environment within the directorate. ASD strives to creatively come up with ideas and initiatives to better represent society.

During FY 2022-23, ASD launched the “Women of ASD” network, which continues to-date. This is an initiative that serves as a networking mechanism to support and strengthen the community of women across the directorate by increasing communication, providing training and resources, tips, and tools.

GBA Plus data collection plan

ASD has taken a targeted approach to increasing the diversity of the maintenance team. The Technical Services branch was able to reach their goal of female students hires over the past few years in hopes of increasing interest in our industry. The statistics for FY 2022-23 were 67% female (6/9); and in 2023-24 the statistics were 50% female (4/8). Selection processes have been specifically targeted toward under-represented populations and work is ongoing with internal human resources specialists to attract a more diverse workforce through future career opportunities within the program.

To promote ASD among the Employment Equity (EE) groups, ASD has tapped into job advertising via several means such as LinkedIn, X (formally Twitter) and aviation specific external job boards (Aeroweb and Elevate Aviation magazines). While it is difficult to say with certainty whether these efforts have yielded positive results, for example, the Technical Services branch has noticed increased interest in a remote position (Prince Rupert, BC), by individuals from EE groups, where previously there was none.

Program name: Aviation Safety Oversight and Certification and Aviation Safety Regulatory Framework

Program goals: The Aviation Safety Oversight and Certification Program verifies that the aviation industry complies with the regulatory framework through certifications, assessments, validations, inspections, and enforcement.

The Aviation Safety Regulatory Program develops policies, guidelines, regulations, standards, and educational materials to advance civil aviation safety in Canada and align with international civil aviation standards.

Target population: The aviation industry, including the remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) industry.

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Advancing the safety of civil aviation in Canada.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Indicator 1: Through the Drone Management Portal (DMP), the program disaggregated data for users based on province and age but not for gender as gender does not directly relate to the administration of the program.

Indicator 2: The Canadian Drone Advisory Committee (CanaDAC) key diversity targets and objectives for committee membership.

Indicator 3: The program conducts public opinion research studies approximately every three years, allowing the collection of gender-disaggregated data.

Indicator 4: Human impact severity study with Western University to compare impact injuries caused by Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) between the average male and specific groups, including women.

Indicator 5: Safety campaigns are designed with gender, age, and ethnic diversity in mind using neutral or inclusive imagery, text, and visuals, contributing to an inclusive safety education campaign.

Indicator 6: The Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) captures gender-neutral data concerning operational occurrences within the National Civil Air Transportation System.

Indicator 7: Medical assessments for the certification of Licensed Aviation Personnel require biological sex as a data point.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

The program continued to collect data related to Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) users in Canada through the Drone Management Portal (DMP). Based on the knowledge that the RPAS industry is male-dominated and generally serves higher-income individuals, the Program will encourage opportunities to advance ideas on how to support increased gender parity and representation for equity-deserving groups within the industry and continue to promote gender-neutral language with respect to RPAS and aviation both within Canada and abroad. The program officials continued to study the social acceptance of RPAS to better understand how the technology impacts various demographics and sectors, including equity-seeking groups. Where specific impacts are identified, the Program sought additional engagement with affected groups to better understand how the initiative could be tailored to meet the diverse needs of the people directly impacted. The program continued outreach activities with Indigenous groups to identify opportunities for increased participation and engagement. The program assessed the social and economic impacts of aviation safety policy recommendations on diverse groups of Canadians, in accordance with Canada’s commitment to carrying out GBA Plus for all aviation safety regulatory development. Where specific impacts are identified, Transport Canada ensured additional engagement with affected groups to better understand how the initiative could be tailored to meet the diverse needs of the people directly impacted. Civil Aviation's medicine group is in the midst of transformative activities that will enhance the ability to collect data and better quantify the aeromedical risk profiles of our user population.

For example: Sex-related cardiovascular risk profiles. The implementation timeline is to be determined. National Aircraft Certification formed a Diversity Committee within the branch. Included in the Committee mandate is the direction to develop specific Canadian Aerospace demographic data that can be used to supplement the Transport Canada demographics data. Diversity data representative of the Canadian aerospace industry will allow the assessment of the diversity in industry.

Program name: Aviation Security Oversight and Aviation Security Regulatory Framework

Program goals: The Aviation Security Oversight Program ensures that Canadian aviation regulated entities (e.g., aerodromes, air carriers, Primary Security Line Partners, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and Air Cargo Security Program participants) remain in compliance with the Canadian aviation security regulatory framework.

The Aviation Security Regulatory Framework Program ensures that regulated entities comply with security regulations and measures. This includes aerodromes, commercial passenger and cargo air carriers, Primary Security Line Partners, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and Air Cargo Security Program participants, and explosive detection dog and handler teams.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Not available

Key program impacts* on gender and diversity

Not available

Key program impact statistics

Although Aviation Security does not have indicators specific to GBA Plus, other factors, such as regions (all Canadian regions including Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairie and Northern, and Pacific), specific geographical location (e.g., urban centers), or class of airport (class I, II, etc.), are considered and/or integrated when developing and/or implementing specific programs, policies and regulatory work.

Other key program impacts

Transport Canada Aviation Security does not collect specific GBA Plus data. However, Aviation Security is exploring leveraging external data sets that may exist to help with better program design (e.g., Stats Can data about air passengers). A variety of factors are considered when designing and/or implementing programs/policies; one of which is the specific needs of a region or geographical location.

For example, Class I airports in major Canadian cities are equipped to process larger volumes of travellers, more efficiently. The program continued to conduct analysis for regional or geographical impacts, and/or other GBA Plus factors, with the data that is available.

Moving forward, GBA Plus factors will be considered for any new work that does not currently require this analysis, as well as continue to conduct thorough GBA Plus assessments when drafting new regulations and/or developing policies/programs to ensure inclusivity.

Supplementary information sources

Quantitative Data:

• Household Expenditures: User Guide for the Survey of Household Spending, 2021 (statcan.gc.ca)
• Statistics Canada Transportation Data and Information Hub: Air Transportation
• Air Passenger Origin and Destination (Canada- U.S.A. and Domestic journeys only): Air transportation (statcan.gc.ca)
• 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability
• Aviation Security considers data from international organizations (Airport Council International (ACI), etc.) when available.

Qualitative Data:

Inspectors provide valuable GBA Plus information in terms of first-hand accounts from oversight activities as they are the ‘boots on the ground’. Also, extensive qualitative consultations and analysis with the GBA Plus lens are conducted with the aviation industry and other government departments.

• A targeted approach has been taken by Aviation Security in reaching out to strategic air industry stakeholders in Canada (such as major air carriers and select airports) to ensure that regulations and policies continue to address gender equality, diversity, and inclusiveness in its work with both the domestic and international community.
• Aviation Security continues to consult regularly to ensure a GBA Plus lens on various files, with a wide range of industry stakeholders using existing forums, such as the Advisory Group on Aviation Security (AGAS), the Air Consultative Committee (ACC) and the Canadian Airports Council (CAC). It also meets regularly with other government departments to share GBA Plus information and exchange ideas through other forums and working groups.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Like many modes within Safety and Security, since GBA Plus information is not collected directly as part of the program design, Aviation Security faces a challenge due to lack of data available, limiting our opportunity to conduct a thorough GBA Plus analysis. As such, Aviation Security seeks to do a GBA Plus analysis in other ways. Last year, during a Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submission process, Aviation Security took action to strengthen collaboration with WAGE to better understand the GBA Plus lens and to integrate their opinions and advice in the preparation of cabinet documents.

Aviation Security continues to actively work on integrating the GBA Plus lens into the program and participating in Transport Canada's GBA Plus Community of Practice (to ensure Aviation Security is aligned with other modal colleagues for data and indicator considerations going forward). Work with WAGE will continue to better understand how this can be done and the external data sources available. Ongoing, Aviation Security’s new business solution systems will aim to collect, report, receive, analyze, and leverage oversight data, which will consider GBA Plus factors; however, it will take time before the system has sufficient data to conduct relevant future GBA Plus analysis.

Program name: Emergency Management

Program goals: The program is responsible for administering Transport Canada’s responsibilities under the Emergency Management Act as they relate to:

• prevention/mitigation strategies
• emergency preparedness, and
• response to and recovery from transportation-related emergencies.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Transport Canada’s Emergency Management program is intended to ensure the department can fulfill its obligations under the Federal Emergency Response Plan and the Emergency Management Act. Its functions aim to ensure that during and in anticipation of transportation incidents, the safety and security of the Canadian population is supported. It complements and supports whole-of-government operations in planning and mitigating the impact of disruptions from the transportation system, benefiting the Canadian population.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Other key program impacts

The program ensures preparation and response to safety and security incidents, emergencies, and emergency preparedness strategies/plans but does not distinguish any population subgroups. The program has no direct or indirect beneficiaries, rather, it aims to improve the safety, security, and well-being of Canada’s population, environment, economy, and overall prosperity.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Given the Emergency Management Program is focused on incidents across the transportation system and activities to enhance transportation resiliency and emergency preparedness, the data framework focuses on incident response data from transportation sector stakeholders (owners, operators, first responders, other government departments). The data is used to assess emergency management procedures of stakeholders and inform departmental and whole-of-government engagement and intervention as necessary.

Although the program does not collect data at the individual level, geographic data provides some understanding of community-level impacts (e.g., latitude/longitude of incident) and may help to distinguish urban versus rural considerations when undertaking future policy decisions. Though this does not inform impacts on distinguishing features it can augment understanding of any disproportionate impacts on communities and thus contributing factors affecting the well-being and prosperity of those within the communities.

Emergency Management also considers impacts on the supply chain in its tracking of, and reporting on, emergency situations, to mitigate issues such as the lack of access to essential supplies for remote and isolated populations. For example, if a wildfire cuts off a main rail line for transporting supplies to an isolated community, efforts under the Emergency Management program would entail working with partners to identify alternative delivery routes or modes. Data is also collected on the diversity of the workforce to inform staffing decisions.

Program name: Intermodal Surface Security Regulatory Framework

Program goals: The Intermodal Surface Security Regulatory Framework (ISSRF) Program encompasses policy, regulatory, and operational activities that support broader security efforts for the resiliency and protection of the transportation system. It includes security and intelligence assessments, intelligence dissemination and advice on actions in support of national security as coordinated across federal security partners with contributions from Transport Canada.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The program is aimed at the Canadian population and supports government operations, engagement and promotes public safety and security of the Canadian transportation system.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The program does not negatively or disproportionately impact any group of persons based on identity factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, age, etc.

GBA Plus data collection plan

As a partner in the federal security and intelligence community, work within the intermodal surface security framework follows the community’s practice of considering gender and other identifying factors of diverse groups (e.g. age, culture, ethnicity, religious belief, orientation, and ability) when preparing intelligence assessments or recommending courses of action for security enhancements. The goal is to prevent the unconscious biases that the National Security Transparency Advisory Group identified with racialized, marginalized, and other minority groups in Canada.

Recognizing proposals and response measures are geared to protecting the transportation system and addressing security incidents (e.g., cyber-attacks, hostile interference, illicit activity) data is not collected on the impacts that the program activities have on an individual basis. To prevent unintended consequences in program operations, the GBA Plus lens is a required activity for all assessments of threats and the development of proposals.

To expand sensitivity within the program, broad environmental data is also monitored to enhance intelligence management and governance accountability, aligned with broader efforts for marginalized groups. Such data contributes to an ongoing GBA Plus perspective and reinforces the importance of separating the actions of hostile groups from specific individuals or communities. To further illustrate, GBA Plus is applied to limit unintended impacts on diaspora within Canada that can experience various forms of mistreatment, such as being targeted by adversarial actors where regional conflicts occur abroad, recruited by hostile foreign actors to support foreign state objectives, suffer prejudice if wrongly associated with actions of others. Within the program operations, data is maintained on the workforce to enhance hiring of diverse backgrounds, talents, and perspectives that are representative of Canadians.

Program name: Marine Safety Oversight

Program goals: The Program provides oversight and certification of the marine industry, including domestic non-pleasure (commercial) craft and pleasure craft and foreign commercial vessels, to enhance the safe operation of the marine transportation system by promoting and verifying compliance with regulatory requirements.

Target population: Specific regions or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Canada’s marine transportation safety oversight benefits all Canadians by ensuring a safe transportation system. While those directly involved in the marine transportation system benefit directly through the marine safety oversight regime, a safe transportation system is essential for Canada. The direct beneficiaries of the Marine Safety Oversight and Certification programs, notably owners, operators, and crew of marine vessels, are predominantly male.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

GBA Plus data collection plan

The programs carry out oversight and enforcement activities, and statutory inspections on vessels regardless of seafarers' sex, age, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, etc. There is no GBA Plus data collected concerning oversight or statutory inspections of the marine transportation system – i.e., promotion and verification of vessel (statutory) compliance with requirements, audits, and other oversight of recognized organizations (the bodies authorized to inspect on behalf of Transport Canada), and enforcement actions taken in the event of non-compliance. Currently, no planned actions to collect GBA Plus data with respect to oversight of the marine transportation system are being considered at this time where negative differential impacts as a result of this approach are highly unlikely.

For illustration purposes, Marine Safety and Security has the following databases that collect certain GBA Plus related data.

1. Automated Certification Examination System (ACES): Age, gender, location, and language preference of seafarers who are certificated by Transport Canada.
2. Multimodal Personnel Document Issuance System (MPDIS): Age, gender, location, and language preference of seafarers who are certificated by Transport Canada.
3. Pleasure Craft Operator Competency (PCOC) Database System: Sex, age, location, and language preference of PCOC card holders in Canada. Analysis can be performed for GBA Plus purposes based on the known data available at Transport Canada on Canadian seafarers and Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) holders in Canada.
4. Transport Canada Inspector Database (TCID): Age, location, and language preference (not gender) of Transport Canada marine inspectors.

In addition to the above-noted systems, work on modernizing the seafarer certification databases is ongoing. It is hoped that more GBA Plus analysis will be able to be conducted once these efforts are completed.

Program name: Marine Safety Regulatory Framework

Program goals: The program contributes to protecting the public interest by developing, regulations, standards and policies that establish minimum requirements for safety and environmental protection and promote safe marine practices.

Target population: Specific regions or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Canada’s marine transportation safety regulatory framework benefits all Canadians by ensuring a safe transportation system. While those directly involved in the marine transportation system benefit directly through the marine security regulatory framework, a safe transportation system is essential for Canada.

Marine Safety & Security (MSS): In conjunction with the Protecting Ocean and Waterways Program, MSS supports the Marine Training Program (MTP) to support underrepresented groups, like Indigenous Peoples, Northerners, and women, in launching their careers in the marine industry. Although this is reported by the Protecting Ocean and Waterways Program as well, various inputs related to this initiative have been included below.

Marine Training Program: Indigenous groups, Inuit, Northerners, and women may benefit directly or indirectly targeted by the MTP funding, as they face barriers to access or participation in the marine sector:

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Marine Training Program: Four MTP service providers/schools were funded by Transport Canada for a maximum of $58.7M (2017-27). The MTP funding helped to facilitate access to basic marine training for underrepresented groups, focused on Indigenous peoples and women; and increased awareness of career opportunities in the marine sector. The funded projects include:

1. The development of marine training programs or curricula relating to marine safety and environmental protection which incorporates the learning needs of women, Inuit, and Indigenous peoples;
2. The promotion of public awareness of training and job opportunities in the marine sector, particularly among groups underrepresented in the sector;
3. The promotion of access to training and job opportunities in the marine sector by expanding traditional learning, e-learning, mobile training, and blended learning programs; and
4. The enhancement of existing marine training institutions’ infrastructure and technologies to provide greater opportunities for underrepresented groups to enter the industry.

The MTP reimburses recipients up to 90% of eligible expenditures. As a result, 1,989 students graduated since their program start dates, enhancing the marine sector workforce in Canada. The program increased participation from underrepresented groups, with 274 women and 357 Indigenous students graduating. The target of the MTP is for 70% of graduates to be employed in the marine sector by March 2027. As of May 2024, three schools reported approximately 60% of graduates who were employed in the marine sector. The funding supported the capacity of the schools to create a safe learning environment and equitable work culture for their students and increase public awareness of marine career opportunities by working with community partners.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

The Marine Training Program was described as “life-changing”, as it empowers women to work, support their families, experience the world, and be active members of the wider seafarer community. Women were able to participate in discussions on:

1. their training and development;
2. the recruitment and retention of women in the marine industry;
3. the barriers faced by women in the maritime industry and how to mitigate them;
4. the state of the marine industry in Canada and internationally;
5. the trends and skillsets required in the maritime industry; and
6. any adjustments to training, to facilitate the retention of women in the marine industry.

While Economic Reconciliation is not specifically mentioned in the terms and conditions for the MTP, the concept of economic redress of historical injustices to Indigenous Peoples is included, for example, in the development of marine training programs or curricula relating to marine safety and environmental protection, which incorporate the learning needs of Indigenous groups. To strengthen the connection between training and employment, future targets include active recruitment from MTP/ Ocean Protection Plan (OPP) programs into full-time positions e.g. in the Canadian Coast Guard.

Supplementary information sources

Marine Training Program (canada.ca) 

GBA Plus data collection plan

Marine Safety Regulatory Initiatives:

• All Marine Safety Regulatory initiatives undergo a detailed GBA Plus analysis; however, the Marine Safety Regulatory Framework program does not collect sufficient microdata to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity. Available data is used as part of a GBA Plus analysis to assess the economic and social impacts of each Marine Safety regulatory amendment or new proposed regulations, as required under the Cabinet Directive on Regulation. The Marine Safety Regulatory Program will continue to consider gender-based impacts to guide the development of future marine safety regulations.
• As stated in the Cabinet Directive on Regulation, departments and agencies are to undertake an assessment of social and economic impacts of each regulatory proposal on diverse groups of Canadians, in accordance with the Government of Canada's commitment to implementing GBA Plus. For this purpose, the Marine Safety program at Transport Canada conducts GBA Plus analysis for every regulatory amendment or new proposed regulation based on data/statistics available and/or collected by the Marine Safety & Security programs (under oversight).
• Transport Canada is an active member of the International Maritime Organization’s Gender Equality Network. We advocate increasing the representation of women and other underrepresented groups in the maritime sector. So far, Canada has renewed funding for the Empowering Women for the UN Ocean Decade Program, which improves gender equality in ocean science. These efforts are part of the department’s ongoing work to advance the UN 2030 Agenda, supporting Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Marine Medical Certificates:

• Concerning the Marine Medical Certificates, the department is modernizing the collection of “gender” and “sex” data collected based on the Treasury Board of Canada directive titled: “Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada’s Sex and Gender Information Practices”. At an international level, Transport Canada is bound by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention), 1978 and the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC,2006). The STCW Convention captures “gender” data in a binary context and the MLC,2006 uses the term “sex”. Changes made by Transport Canada must align with these two conventions which are in the process of modernization.

Marine Training Program:

• In conjunction with OPP, MSS supports the MTP to support underrepresented groups, like Indigenous Peoples, Northerners, and women, in launching their careers in the marine industry. As of 2023-24, 1,989 students have graduated from this program since 2016. Canada is committed to advancing gender equality and inclusion in the maritime industry and being a supportive partner in removing barriers. These efforts are part of the department’s ongoing work to advance the UN 2030 Agenda, supporting Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduce inequality.

Program name: Marine Security Oversight

Program goals: The program is an important contributor to Canadian security. The program is responsible for overseeing all matters related to marine safety for Canadian vessels, foreign vessels in Canadian waters, and Canadian marine facilities and ports.

Target population: Specific regions or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Canada’s marine transportation security oversight benefits all Canadians by ensuring a secure transportation system. While those directly involved in the marine transportation system benefit directly through the marine security oversight regime, a secure transportation system is essential for Canada.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Key program impact statistics

The program primarily deals with entities and not individuals. The program currently collects data on vessels, marine facilities, and corporations, and any information on individuals is limited to contact information for their roles related to vessels, marine facilities, or corporations.

GBA Plus data collection plan

There are no planned actions to collect additional GBA Plus data with respect to oversight of the marine transportation system are being considered at this time. However, the program will continue to consider gender-based impacts to guide the development of future initiatives including the recruitment and retention TIs (marine inspectors) within Marine Safety & Security (MSS).

The program primarily deals with entities and not individuals. The program currently collects data on vessels, marine facilities, and corporations, and any information on individuals is limited to contact information for their roles related to vessels, marine facilities, or corporations.

Program name: Marine Security Regulatory Framework

Program goals: The program promotes a consistent marine regulatory framework, thereby allowing for a viable and secure marine transportation system for Canadians and industry and aims to streamline and harmonize Canada’s regulatory requirements to meet our international security obligations.

Target population: Specific regions or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Canada’s marine transportation security regulatory framework benefits all Canadians by ensuring a secure transportation system. While those directly involved in the marine transportation system benefit directly through the regulatory framework, a secure transportation system is essential for Canada.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

GBA Plus data collection plan

The program does not collect information directly related to GBA Plus at this time. However, all Marine Security regulatory initiatives undergo a GBA Plus analysis. The program will continue to consider gender-based impacts to guide the development of future marine security regulations. The Cabinet Directive on Regulation states, that departments and agencies are to undertake an assessment of social and economic impacts of each regulatory proposal on diverse groups of Canadians, in accordance with the Government of Canada's commitment to implementing GBA Plus. For this purpose, the Marine Security Program at Transport Canada conducts GBA Plus analysis for every regulatory amendment or new proposed regulation based on data/statistics available and/or collected by the MSS programs (under oversight).

Program name: Multimodal Road Safety Oversight

Program goals: To help prevent road-related deaths and injuries, the program serves drivers, passengers, and other road users by overseeing the safety compliance of vehicles and equipment used on Canada’s roads.

Target population: All Canadians

Operational Support Services (OSS): Transport Canada and other government department clients

Multimodal Integrated Technical Training (MITT): Transport Canada employees

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Not available

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

GBA Plus data collection plan

The program continues integrating best practices on GBA Plus data collection and analysis to all its program areas. Enforcement activities are concerned with the nature and/or gravity of non-compliance affecting Canada’s transportation system. They are undertaken for the benefit of all Canadians.

Transport Canada Inspector, delegated officer and employee clothing procurement is undertaken using a GBA Plus lens, to ensure that clothing fits different body types and genders and assures the safety of the wearer. By considering the different physical needs of inspectors, delegated officers, and employees, as well as the remote nature of some of their work (e.g., wearing cold-weather gear needed for remote inspections, flame retardant clothing for task hazard analysis that identifies a risk while performing oversight inspections, etc.), Transport Canada ensures that all inspectors, delegated officers and employees are safely equipped and fitted with proper clothing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Operational Support Services (OSS) transitioned the Transport Canada clothing and equipment catalogue to include a wider selection of women’s and men’s sizes, and they implemented processes to address both needs at the time of procuring new or replacement items. A unisex option is only adopted if there are no alternatives. The OSS continued to update the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on issues presented by Transport Canada employees and managers on Transport Canada clothing and equipment, including any related GBA Plus issues.

The Occupational Health and Safety Project Management Office led the initiative to establish a new Transport Canada Clothing and Equipment Committee (CEC) under the ADM, Finance and Management Services. This committee, which includes a broader membership representing all Transport Canada employees, is crucial to our commitment to ensuring compliance with the Government of Canada National Joint Council Uniform Directive and the Canada Labour Code, Part II. It also aims to improve union and management engagement in decisions related to adherence to standards and Transport Canada - issued clothing across modes and regions. The CEC will address clothing standards, fit, cleaning, maternity clothing, tailoring, material used, equipment cost, and more. Clothing and equipment include the uniforms, personal protective equipment, materials, and devices provided by the employer for identification and personal protection while on duty. The CEC will operate as a subcommittee of the National Policy Health and Safety Committee (NPHSC).

In April 2023, MITT presented its Diversity and Inclusion Guidelines to the Transport Canada GBA Plus Community of Practice and conducted a GBA Plus presentation for all MITT staff. This session aimed to familiarize and train staff on the intent, policies, and best practices related to GBA Plus. MITT applied a GBA Plus lens to ED-EDS-02 and ED-EDS-03 staffing competitions through the BIAS assessment and continues to encourage its team to apply GBA Plus in their work, including the application of the Course Review Criteria for Diversity and Inclusion.

Program name: Multimodal Road Safety Regulatory Framework

Program goals: The program’s top priority is to reduce the number of motor vehicle injuries and fatalities on Canada’s roads by actively protecting and improving road and motor vehicle safety. Multimodal and Road Safety Programs (MRSP) also aim to address recurring systemic and horizontal legislative and regulatory issues by developing legislative amendments, policies, and guidelines.

Target population: All Canadians, Transport Canada legislative/regulatory and oversight programs, and other federal department regulatory programs.

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Although the target group is the automotive sector (e.g. manufacturers, industry, technology companies, and academia), these initiatives are expected to directly benefit all Canadians, including drivers, passengers, and other road users (e.g., pedestrians, bicyclists), by reducing deaths and injuries resulting from motor vehicle collisions. Furthermore, increased mobility options can benefit larger sectors of the population, particularly those with mobility challenges. However, people in rural and remote communities may not initially experience the benefits of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) due to their prohibitive cost and the lack of required infrastructure.

Ultimately, all Canadians should be the beneficiaries of CAV-related technologies as end users of Canadian roads. This work will be led by individuals with a high level of education or expertise in the CAV industry, as well as associated fields (data analysis, cyber security, artificial intelligence). These disciplines tend to be male dominated rather than gender balanced. Although the number of women represented in the engineering field has risen, the current national percentage of women is a mere 18%, according to the Queens University Journal, in 2020. Men still vastly outnumber women in the engineering profession. Similarly, the percentage of women in the information communication technology sector is 17% (according to the Information Technology Association of Canada) and 17% in the construction sector (according to Ingenuity).

Additionally, all Canadians should benefit from improvements made to regulatory frameworks managed by the Department. Since 2020, Transport Canada is providing federal leadership in developing the Regulatory Platform (the Platform), a web tool designed to organize and structure information about Canadian federal acts and regulations and generate data needed for regulatory management, analysis and assessing impacts on Canadians. Among its functionalities, the Platform will automate the identification of federal regulatory provisions that introduce administrative burden, associates federal regulations to specific sectors of industry to enable the assessment of regulatory cumulative impact on specific sectors. While GBA Plus analysis is not a direct component, the eventual data generated by the Platform may have the potential to assist federal departments to better understand the demographic and intersectionality of individuals in the transportation sector, and other sectors of the economy.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

GBA Plus data collection plan

MRSP continues to participate in the Cyber Identity/Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) working group, led by Public Safety and co-chaired by the Communications Security Establishment (CSE). This working group provides a dedicated space to discuss and produce tools related to cybersecurity-related Bias Sensitivity, Diversity and Identity (BSDI) and GBA Plus challenges, opportunities and implications. The goal of the working group is to support transparent, informed, inclusive and equitable initiative development and decision-making for the cyber security community within the federal government.

Program name: Rail Safety Improvement Program

Program goals: The program provides funding to provinces, territories, municipalities, and local governments, road and transit authorities, crown corporations, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (including academia), Indigenous groups, and private landowners for projects that increase safety at grade crossings and along rail lines.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

All Canadians.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

Operation Lifesaver, a recipient of funding from RSIP, reported in their annual project report on the results of their funded project “Expanding the Reach of Canada’s National Rail Safety Education and Awareness Program”. The report indicated the following:

• Graphics to increase the understanding of rail safety signs and signals had been translated into 14 Indigenous languages.
• The number of individuals from Indigenous communities reached through in-person/virtual outreach: 2,648.

GBA Plus data collection plan

In 2023-24, RSIP launched an intake for research and education projects aiming to reduce injuries and fatalities, railway grade crossing collisions, and trespassing incidents on railway property. Projects will focus on at-risk groups such as:

• youth/teenagers (aged 12-18)
• young adults (aged 18-35, particularly young male adults); and/or
• Indigenous communities (particularly those living near railway tracks)

Recipients will be required to provide, through final project reports, data that will allow the Program to understand and analyze the reach and outcomes of the target group. Additionally, in the program’s next call for proposals, the application will include Gender-based analysis Plus/Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion categories to describe the applicant organizations.

Program name: Rail Safety Oversight

Program goals: Transport Canada oversees federally regulated passenger and freight railway companies to provide Canadians with a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible rail network.

Target population: Specific Regions or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

A safer rail network benefits over 400 communities served by passenger rail (VIA Rail), particularly rural, remote, and Indigenous communities served by long-distance and regional routes where alternative forms of transportation may be limited or unavailable. Across all passenger rail routes, women make up 60% of ridership, young people and students make up 20%, and seniors make up 13%. Meaningful engagement with remote and Indigenous communities ensures that all voices are heard in the development of various aspects of the program. Overall, this program achieves safety and environmental benefits for all Canadians.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The program oversees federally regulated passenger and freight railway companies to provide Canadians with a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible rail network. We are responsible for verifying that federally regulated railways are compliant with railway safety legislation, regulations, rules, and engineering standards through conducting safety inspections of equipment, operations, track, bridges, crossings, and signals, to verify compliance with federal rules and regulations; performing Safety Management Systems (SMS) audits (which verify the development and implementation of a railway’s SMS); and, when required, taking enforcement action. By ensuring the safety of rail transport for all Canadians, Rail Safety also helps to ensure the safety of gender and diversity groups. However, Rail Safety does not measure the impact on these groups specifically.

GBA Plus data collection plan

The program looks for opportunities to collect information to monitor and report on GBA Plus commitments, such as through developing GBA Plus assessments related to Treasury Board Submissions, budget proposals, and regulatory proposals.

As the program does not collect data related to incidents and accidents because regulations require that the data is submitted from railways to the Transportation Safety Board, the program is limited in what derives from the data provided as it relates to GBA Plus as it is not required for railways to submit. However, Rail Safety complies with the required guidance on GBA Plus analysis as outlined in Transport Canada’s response.

Progress on the 2022-23 Departmental Results Report commitments:

1. Provide guidance and support on the implementation of the new sub section 36(2) of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) 36(2) - addition to the PSC Tool in the fall. Details regarding the new requirement for sub-delegated persons to comply with PSEA 36(2) was shared with all hiring managers in July 2023. Since then, the Rail Safety human resource team has been supporting and guiding managers with the completion of this new tool for new advertised and non-advertised appointments.
2. As part of a documentation review exercise, consider a GBA Plus lens in any revisions.
3. This exercise was part of a strategy for updating and consolidating risk terminology that was delayed, and subsequently, the exercise was delayed.
4. While incorporating GBA Plus into individual risk issues was considered and not found to be possible at this time, adding a GBA Plus lens to the revamping the RBBP process is being explored this fiscal year.
5. Rail Safety hiring managers were asked to report on completing the mandatory Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) course Inclusive Hiring Practices for a Diverse Workforce (COR120).
6. As part of the Risk-Based Business Planning (RBBP) process, consider a GBA Plus lens in developing risk issues
7. Add GBA Plus training to the diversity and inclusion committee working plan, for them to propose areas where we might generate meaningful analysis.

Rail Safety contributes to its goals of being a more inclusive workplace through diversity sessions at town halls, as well as values and ethics sessions.

Update on the statements made in the 2023-24 GBA Plus Departmental Plan:

Rail Safety created a working group focused on diversity and inclusivity in 2020, and implemented a multi-year action plan identifying targeted activities under three distinct pillars, including:

1. Celebrating our diversity together
2. Continuing diversity and inclusion learning and awareness
3. Strengthening workplace practices on diversity and inclusion

Rail Safety is currently an active participant in the Multi-Modal Diversity and Inclusion Safety and Security Committee. The Committee is currently working on an action plan for the safety modes to consider. As part of this work, Rail Safety plans to renew its Diversity and Inclusion Working Group with the view of identifying additional activities that will form the program plans to continue to foster inclusion, including specific activities to support GBA Plus.

Program name: Rail Safety Regulatory Framework

Program goals: The program’s mandate is to ensure that Canada’s federally regulated rail network is safe, efficient and environmentally responsible. To achieve this, the program provides a balance of tools, including:

• Legislation;
• Regulations;
• Rules, and
• Policies, standards and guidelines.

Target population: Broadly gender-balanced, with no significant distributional impact and no significant inter-generational impacts OR impacts on generations between youths and seniors.

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

A safer rail network benefits over 400 communities served by passenger rail (VIA Rail), particularly rural, remote, and Indigenous communities served by long-distance and regional routes where alternative forms of transportation may be limited or unavailable. Across all passenger rail routes, women make up 60% of ridership, young people and students make up 20%, and seniors make up 13%. Meaningful engagement with remote and Indigenous communities ensures that all voices are heard in developing various aspects of the program. Overall, this program achieves safety and environmental benefits for all Canadians. The Rail Safety Regulatory Framework also benefits the freight rail sector, which tends to disproportionately employ men.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The goal of the program is to have a safe railway transportation system. Our policies and regulatory instruments target municipalities, railway companies, and local railway companies.

The Program outcome is to have policies & regulatory instruments that are clear and provide necessary guidance. The program uses the following indicator to assess the impact of our regulatory instruments and policies: 5-year average of harm reduction actions to key risk areas, such as: infrastructure, equipment, operations, signals, and crossings.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is responsible for collecting data for incidents and accidents; therefore, it would be outside of Transport Canada’s purview.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Rail Safety does not comprehensively collect information directly related to GBA Plus. However, all proposed regulatory initiatives undergo a mandatory GBA Plus assessment. These assessments consider the practice of GBA Plus impacts to guide the development of future regulations.

Program name: Rail Security (former known as Intermodal Surface Security Oversight)

Program goals: The program is mandated to enhance the security of Canada’s intermodal and surface transportation system, with a particular focus on the security of Canada’s railway operations. The current mandate extends to certain urban transit systems and international bridges and tunnels.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The program is aimed at the Canadian population and supports government operations, engagement and promotes public safety and security of the Canadian transportation system.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The program does not negatively or disproportionately impact any group of persons based on identity factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, age, etc.

Other key program impacts

Information collected pertains to security incidents and other security threats but does not distinguish any population subgroups.

GBA Plus data collection plan

The program aims to enhance rail security in Canada and benefit those working in the rail industry, rail passengers, and all Canadians that are served by a secure and efficient rail system.

Though Rail Security regulatory programming does not collect data to enable reporting by gender and on diversity impacts, geographic data collected through the compliance inspection program can be used to show geographic distribution of inspections. Analysis of this dataset may be used to identify if there are urban versus rural considerations when undertaking future policy decisions. The types of rail security incidents that are recorded and the communities that they fall in, along with the circumstances regarding each incident can also point to any trends of emerging issues that could affect communities and then indirectly the individuals within them.

The program ensures that GBA Plus considerations are applied when implementing standard operating procedures, and when developing operational program documents such as security inspection checklists and stakeholder guidance documents. A GBA Plus lens is also considered when assessing new proposals within the program. Rail Security continues to monitor threats and examines any new emerging issues to develop and improve data collection and analysis tools.

When operating the program, data is collected on the diversity of staff. Gender requirements when procuring personal protective equipment for the inspectorate are also factored in. For example, the previous one-size-fits-all for inspector clothing neglected different size requirements for female inspectors.

Program name: Security Screening Certification

Program goals: The Transportation Security Clearance (TSC) Program is mandated under the Aeronautics Act and Marine Transportation Security Act are required to obtain a TSC to assess whether an applicant meets the standards set out in the program.

Target population: Specific regions or sectors of the economy

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The TSC program is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents sponsored by employers for employment in restricted areas of airport and marine ports. It supports government operations, engagement and promotes public safety and security of the Canadian transportation system. TSC are granted to those who successfully pass security background checks. More men than woman generally apply to the program in order to meet their work requirements. The resulting demographic distributions of TSC holders are dependent on the applications received.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Security Screening Programs (SSP) collects information from applicants which is required to conduct background checks and assess the level of risk individuals may pose to the security of the transportation network. Individual gender and diversity data points are not factored into the security background checks as they are not relevant in TSC decision-making. At this time, there is no indication to support that the conduct of security background checks and the collection of applicant information is disproportionally affecting any group of persons based on identity factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, age, etc. The quantitative data below describes the gender and diversity of current TSC holders.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

The launch of the online TSC application – the Transportation Security Service (TSS), has removed human intervention in data validation and allows for near error-free submissions, providing higher level of confidence in the data used for decision-making regarding TSCs. The program can analyze TSC data holders by selecting demographic features (male/female, age, and country of origin). The data does point to more male TSC holders than females. This result is linked to the applications that come in and trends with general demographics in the transportation sector. The SSP program is collecting more data on employment demographics in the transportation sector that would serve as a comparison for how reflective TSC holders are to the overall workforce. The program also continues to improve access to data from the TSC. To date, developers are required for access to more granular data. Interactive dashboards and reports to some degree can be pulled from the program’s record management system and continue to be fine-tuned to support reporting on GBA Plus. Planning is underway to examine options for greater data analytics, for example, on trends and to gather relevant data from TSC industry partners.

Greater focus is being placed on out-of-country applications for more information on trends regarding TSC holders in that area. Data is also collected on the diversity of the SSP workforce to inform staffing decisions.

Core responsibility 2: Green and Innovative Transportation System

Program name: Climate Change and Clean Air

Program goals: The program is focused on reducing Canada’s GHG emissions and air contaminants from the transportation industry to improve the health of Canadians and the environment.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Program (iZEV) is open to all Canadians, including individuals, businesses and organizations looking to purchase or lease eligible zero-emission vehicles. The Incentives for Medium and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles Program (iMHZEV) is open to all Canadian businesses and organizations looking to purchase or lease eligible medium- or heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

The iZEV program is open to all Canadians including individuals, businesses and organizations, however it will only be applicable to Canadians of driving age. As ZEVs become more affordable, it is expected that the future purchasers of ZEVs will reflect the general vehicle owner population, which comprises individuals of diverse language, education levels, gender, marital status, culture and religious beliefs. The iMHZEV program largely targets the medium and heavy-duty vehicle sectors, which are traditionally male-dominated sectors, however, the program is open to all Canadian businesses and organizations.

GBA Plus data collection plan

In 2022-23, the iZEV survey questions were adjusted to better understand GBA plus factors with a view to informing program design and delivery. For the 2023-24 iteration of the survey, the program worked with a behavioral scientist to further improve the surveys. The 2023-24 iteration of the survey was able to reach a larger sample size because of the increased interest in the program, allowing for more accurate results and representation of recipients. Transport Canada participates in the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Task Force with the U.S. and the multi-stakeholder ZEV council, two key stakeholder engagement fora in which aspects of accessibility have been noted, for example, affordability of ZEVs, the need for accessible vehicles and physical and technological accessibility considerations for charging. In addition, the needs of rural and northern communities were raised through the provincial-territorial working group on ZEVs. This information is also informing further analysis and program development, design and delivery. In 2023-24, research was undertaken to better understand the affordability of ZEVs (e.g., re-sale value in used market, financing for ZEVs), and their accessibility (e.g., costs of accessible vehicles, models available and particular considerations). Findings from this research will help to make future recommendations for Transport Canada’s ZEV incentive programs. Work is also underway to begin to develop an Indigenous engagement strategy on ZEVs, using existing engagement opportunities, to better understand any particular needs of Indigenous communities.

Program name: Environmental Stewardship of Transportation

Program goals: The program promotes the environmental stewardship of transportation by undertaking activities to meet the legislative requirements for impact assessments, managing and remediating Transport Canada’s contaminated sites, and promoting compliance with environmental legislation, guidelines and policies applied to federal lands as well as the greening of Transport Canada’s operations for owned and operated airports and ports, through the Greening Government Strategy.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Not available

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Supplementary information sources

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) stakeholder consultations on the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) program identified some inefficiencies in the current program and recommended improving program delivery by bundling sites, improving information sharing, engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities; and enhancing the FCSAP model and approach to performance measurement and reporting that conveys the program’s results to Canadians.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Transport Canada is an active participant in the FCSAP program where broader gender-based impacts are considered. The program commitment information is collected to provide the program with some understanding of a baseline with respect to, for example, the number of hours worked by Indigenous peoples and specifically Indigenous women on contaminated sites/projects.

The FCSAP program is directly linked to the key government priorities of protecting the health and environment of Canadians by minimizing threats from pollution, and greener communities by improving conditions for those living or working near the contaminated sites, both in cities and in rural and northern areas, especially Indigenous communities on and off reserves. There are no gender impacts in FCSAP funded remediation or assessment projects. Transport Canada sites are located both in urban, rural and remote areas. FCSAP funded remediation projects not only benefit the health of people in communities but also benefit to the local economy.

The application of GBA Plus to the impact assessment process is a legislative requirement under the Impact Assessment Act. In impact assessment, GBA Plus is used to identify who is impacted by a project and assess how people may experience impacts differently. GBA Plus insights are used to improve project design and develop mitigation measures that address these differential impacts. For impact assessments led by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, GBA Plus is integrated into all aspects of assessments: planning, impact statements, impact assessments, decision making, follow-up, compliance and enforcement. Transport Canada, in its capacity as a Federal Authority pursuant to the Impact Assessment Act, is committed to continuing to support and advance a greater understanding of the intersection of sex and gender with other factors within Canada’s Impact Assessment System.

The impacts of climate change are expected to affect all Canadians, with more impacts expected to remote and northern communities. The Greening Government Strategy (GGS) is the Government of Canada’s strategy to transition to net-zero and climate-resilient operations. While Transport Canada’s assets impact all Canadians, the implementation of the Strategy does not intend to affect services to Canadians. The implementation of the GGS at Transport Canada affects mostly Transport Canada employees and organizations contracted by Transport Canada to operate on Transport Canada’s behalf. These are distributed across Canada, both in urban, suburban, rural and remote settings. Some of the assets directly support the public (ferries), other departments (aircraft maintenance), and Transport Canada’s mandate (inspections for the Transportation Sector – all modes). Some of the procurements associated with the implementation of the GGS could impact specific groups, depending on the location and specific asset. As a result, GBA Plus considerations are being contemplated early in the procurement process before any decisions are made.

Program name: Indigenous Partnerships and Engagement

Program goals: The program is operating as a Centre of Expertise, which provides services to other Transport Canada programs to advance the department’s Indigenous reconciliation efforts and working with federal partners to support “whole-of-government” initiatives (i.e., across multiple departments).

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Not available

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The Indigenous Partnerships and Engagement Program (IPE) is responsible for Transport Canada’s reporting on the advancement of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Calls to Justice. During 2023-24, the IPE identified gaps in departmental results information and collaborated with various programs at Transport Canada and other government departments to provide additional data regarding this initiative. In 2024-25, a departmental environmental scan relating to the initiatives with impacts on MMIWG will be conducted with the results of this e-scan expected to impact future reporting cycles once we have assessed the gaps and opportunities from this process.

IPE also engaged with the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada on different Transport Canada-led initiatives. Having these groups participate in engagement opportunities is essential to understand the intersectional experiences of Indigenous women. We share all engagement opportunities for ongoing and new initiatives with these organizations, and the organizations establish which areas are of interest for further engagement and input.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

IPE recognizes the importance of GBA Plus considerations in its consultation and engagement approaches and day-to-day work. When undertaking consultation and engagement activities, we encourage internal stakeholders to work together with Indigenous groups and communities to identify approaches that are inclusive, community-based and community-led. Traditional Indigenous forms of governance, such as the clan system and Elders/Women’s/Youth Councils, are intrinsically inclusive and model GBA Plus considerations.

GBA Plus data collection plan

IPE continues to explore ways to identify better ways to capture and report on data related to training/awareness sessions, using GBA Plus as a lens for distinguishing participation at these events and training sessions. Starting in 2024-25, our Engagement and Consultation Hub, the departmental database for tracking engagement and consultation activity, will collect data on meetings with Indigenous women’s organizations, such as the Native Women’s Association of Canada. This data will support future decision making and integrate a GBA Plus lens into the work and consultations that are led by Transport Canada.
 

Program name: Navigation Protection Program

Program goals: The program is tasked with administering and enforcing the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, including authorizing ‘works’ (i.e., any human-made structure, device or thing) on Canada’s navigable waterways; and managing obstructions and enforcing prohibitions (i.e., depositing, throwing and dewatering (the removal of water)), and the Wrecked Abandoned Hazardous Vessels Act.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Not available

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The NPP supports the Government of Canada’s objective of ensuring that at least 5% of the total value of contracts are issued to Indigenous businesses by awarding contracts for the remediation and removal of vessels of concern in Canadian waters.

From the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA) perspective, NPP regulates physical impediments to the public right to navigate, which benefits all Canadians; regardless of whether one enjoys their public right to navigate, everyone benefits from the assurance of navigable marine shipping access for the movement of goods through Canada’s waters.

From the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA) perspective, NPP regulates abandoned vessels and dilapidated vessels. Addressing these vessels is beneficial to public safety, the environment and navigation in the area and for the coastal communities, which indirectly benefits all Canadians.

Other key program impacts

The NPP tracks many program elements related to demographics, such as rural/urban, gender and other GBA Plus proportion of clientele. The Indigenous Contracting for the remediation and removal of vessels of concern is an area where policy objectives are being pursued and hence could serve as an indicator of GBA Plus activity within the program.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Within the NPP, hiring managers have ensured to use GBA Plus criteria when staffing positions. NPP continues to develop and improve data collection methods regarding GBA Plus requirements beyond the general demographic information that we capture for application purposes.

Program name: Protecting Oceans and Waterways

Program goals: The program’s long-term goal is to enhance the demographic diversity of the people employed in the Canadian marine industry. This will be achieved by developing training programs that reflect traditional knowledge, by using culturally appropriate learning material, by meeting the learning needs of remote coastal communities, and ultimately by equipping participants with the necessary expertise to find employment in the marine sector.

Target population: Specific regions or sectors of the economy (coastal and northern communities, marine industry)

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Long term intended outcome: The demographic diversity of the people employed in the Canadian marine industry is enhanced, such that there is an increased proportionality of people from coastal and northern communities employed in the sector.

Key program impacts* on gender and diversity

As part of the Marine Training Program (MTP), Transport Canada is currently funding four recipient institutions with the following results:

1. British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in partnership with Camosun College: since 2019, 298 students have graduated - 218 women and 93 Indigenous students. A total of 176 graduates of the BCIT/Camosun College MTP have found employment in the marine industry.
2. Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC): since 2019, over 503 eligible students have participated in various Marine Foundations Programs and the Bridge Watch Rating Program. Of the 365 students who graduated – 86 were women and 279 were Indigenous students. A total of 218 graduates of NSCC MTP have found employment in the marine industry.
3. Nunavut Fisheries and Marine Training Consortium (NFMTC): since 2018 this institution has provided 213 training courses in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Of the 544 graduating students, 193 have found employment in the marine industry (Canadian Coast Guard, cruise ships, ferry operations); and,
4. Western Arctic Marine Training Consortium (WAMTC): a new Marine Training Program is now offered in Hay River, NT, in partnership with WAMTC. This new project was approved on March 10, 2023, and training started on January 10, 2024. WAMTC graduated its first cohort of students on April 27, 2024. A total of 35 students have graduated from the WAMTC MTP, 6 of which were women, and 18 were Indigenous students. Nine of these graduates were offered employment in the marine industry.

Key program impact statistics

GBA Plus data collection plan

On March 16, 2023, the program was extended for four additional years, with $29.8 million in funding being allocated to the program. With this extension, the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) has enhanced its quarterly reporting requirements to ensure we continue to track and monitor MTP efforts and performance targets. The OPP will carry out numerous surveys until March 2031 to measure the percentage increase in the involvement of Indigenous Peoples throughout the marine safety system.

Program name: Transportation Innovation

Program goals: The program exists to further transportation innovation and help Transport Canada, industry, and Canadians transition towards integrating new and emerging transportation technologies.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

There are no specific group outcomes – the work of the program is broadly gender balanced and focuses on emerging technologies that can benefit all Canadians.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The program area conducts a broad array of research, to inform the department's oversight of new transportation technologies. Broadly speaking, benefits of research accrue to the entire population of Canadians, i.e. through improvements to air quality, reduction of climate change impacts, and enhanced safety outcomes. Data collected includes number of projects funded, number of technical reports, presentations and papers produced.

In 2022-23, the program began tracking its crashworthiness research and development publications, specifically as it relates to assessing the occupant protection of women and children in vehicles. Outcomes of this work are peer reviewed technical papers used to inform test methodologies, crash test dummy designs, digital models and other tools used by the global community to enhance protection of women in passenger cars and light-duty trucks.

Key program impact statistics

Other key program impacts

The department has a long standing internationally recognized program that focusses on the protection of women in vehicles. Results are disseminated through peer reviewed publications, technical working groups, and technical presentations to industry and academia.

GBA Plus data collection plan

In 2022-23, the department funded a new project that will utilize physical and virtual test methods to advance crash safety of women occupants in vehicles. This is a three-year program that will conclude in 2025. Testing will help Transport Canada better understand the capabilities and limitations of the current crash test dummies when they are placed in different seat locations or postures (when compared to standardized test procedures). This is an innovative and efficient way to understand injury mechanism and identify potential safety countermeasures to enhance the protection of women in cars.

Core responsibility 3: Efficient Transportation System

Program name: National Trade Corridors Fund

Program goals: The program supports efficient market access for products through investment in Canada's trade corridors. Through the management of infrastructure funds, and the use of policy-based measures, the program is responsible for providing funding to help infrastructure owners and users invest in strategic projects.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Not available

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Transport Canada contracted the international infrastructure development firm CPCS to research to establish a current and reliable evidence base for GBA Plus. A final report was presented to the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) Call Coordination Team and NTCF Strategic Policy Group in the fall of 2022. The report revealed that while some federal and provincial agencies, as well as key transportation stakeholders, such as Canadian Port Authorities and industry associations, do publish gender-disaggregated data relevant to transportation infrastructure projects, most NTCF proponents do not. As a next step, Transport Canada officials are reviewing the report’s proposed recommendations and assessing whether and how they can be incorporated within the program’s application and reporting processes.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Transport Canada may consider the findings in the report as part of the path forward for the National Supply Chain Strategy, particularly the infrastructure elements, such as the development of the longer-term infrastructure plan.

Program name: Transportation Analysis

Program goals: The program exists to conduct research and analysis to gain a better understanding of the key indicators that affect an ever-changing and evolving transportation sector. Although the program does not directly collect information, the team purchased 2021 Census data on mobility and the Canadian transportation labor force over the past year. This was done in part to help identify any existing data gaps.

Transport Canada is undertaking ways to address labour and skills shortages across the transportation sector, focusing on recruiting underrepresented groups (e.g., women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, Inuit, and Northerners). The department is looking to find ways to promote and target these groups while finding solutions to offset high training costs and use innovative technologies to enhance training opportunities.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The transportation sector represents $88 billion (4.5%) of Canada’s GDP and employs 920,800 employees. The current status of the transportation sector is predominately white males (women only represent 7% pilots and 3% of truckers) with a significant percentage of workers being older (44% of the national labour force is aged 45 to 64 years). Indigenous Peoples are the fastest-growing population, but only makeup 5% of truck drivers and 3% of air pilots, flight engineers and instructors. Immigrants account for 29% of the Canadian population, but 24% are truck driver, 12% are pilots and 9% are marine deck officers.

Several key drivers and challenges have been identified in the transportation sector, which include, but are not limited to:

• demographic changes and a rapidly aging workforce;
• social, cultural, and economic barriers leading to challenges in recruiting and retaining underrepresented groups;
• innovation and emerging technologies that require new and upskilling of current skills;
• high training costs;
• low entry-level wages;
• work-life balance (especially for single parents);
• lack of awareness of career opportunities; and,
• regulatory barriers blocking innovative training methods.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

The program uses existing data collected by Statistics Canada to conduct internal analysis (notably to support analysis on transportation labour shortages, Marine Safety & Security and Ports Policy) and to support other teams within Transport Canada who need data for their own GBA Plus analysis.

Transport Canada has renewed the Marine Training Program to train underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous Peoples, Inuit, Northerners, and women, for employment in the marine sector. The department is negotiating reciprocal agreements with several countries for recognition of marine certifications to fill vacant seafarer positions in Canada. Other work looks at pilot testing digital methods to speed up the processing of worker certification and licensing in the aviation and marine sectors. For aviation, Electronic Personnel License initiative looks to introduce a digital credential system to streamline the management and verification process and conduct operational trials with light sport aircraft to foster innovation and use novel technologies within Canadian flight schools.

Other key program impacts

The program does not have specific indicators, but instead provides existing data to other groups within Transport Canada to support their ongoing work (e.g., measure of over-representation and under representation of certain groups in the transportation labour force such as the share of women+, racialized groups, immigrants and/or indigenous peoples and the employment earning gaps).

Key program impact statistics

Supplementary information sources

Source for all program data is Statistics Canada Census of Population 2016 and 2021.

GBA Plus data collection plan

In April 2023, the program built an analysis and a presentation focusing on diversity and inequality in the Canadian transportation labour force. In 2023, this presentation was delivered internally at seven different forums including an at an Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM)-level Committee, the Black and Other Racialized Employees (BORN) Network, and the Women+ network at Transport Canada. The presentation aimed to promote the use of 2021 Census data and engage a discussion on the importance and limitations of the use of disaggregated data in transportation policy work; as well as to raise awareness on the importance of GBA Plus and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. Additional engagement sessions are planned to be held with other stakeholders and clients within the department to continue to raise awareness and solicit their input to continue to refine this analysis. The addition of new GBA Plus indicators is being investigated to provide additional insights and user analysis. The program would also like to explore the National Travel Survey microdata available on Statistics Canada’s website to gather more information on transportation users disaggregated by level of income and sex.

Transport Canada actively engages with provinces and territories and other government departments, such as Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), to promote the collection of disaggregated data related to GBA Plus analysis. Transport Canada has also commissioned several reports to better understand the demographic and intersectionality of the transportation sector, including barriers to recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups. The results helped with projections and gaps, the cost and impacts of transportation shortages (increased prices for goods and services) and underscored the need to bring immigrants into the transportation workforce. Transport Canada hosted an online symposium on labour and skills shortages in November 2023. The objective of the symposium was to bring together key industry, academic, provincial, and territorial governments, unions, and other federal departments to identify opportunities of collaboration. The symposium allowed for discussions to occur on ways to address labour and skills shortages, and barriers and solutions to employment for underrepresented groups, including women, youth, Indigenous peoples, Inuit, Northerners, and ethnic and racial minorities.

In addition, Transport Canada also commissioned a public opinion research piece that allowed young Canadians (ages 16 to 24) to provide their opinions and impressions on employment opportunities in the transportation sector. The study identified the following objectives:

• Understand the perceptions youth have of jobs in the transportation sector in general, and if they can identify any potential challenges/barriers to entry.
• Examine whether youth are aware of job opportunities available in the transportation sector and determine their level of interest at their current stage of career planning.
• Explore the perceptions of youth regarding the level of diversity and inclusion within the transportation sector.
• Identify what might encourage youth to consider jobs in the transportation sector, and what resources are needed to facilitate this.

Contribute to the existing knowledge about youths’ perception of the transportation sector and explore how these experiences can provide insights for attracting young workers to the industry.

Program name: Transportation Infrastructure

Program goals: The program provides efficient and effective delivery of programs in the domains of transportation infrastructure and services in the air and marine modes to ensure that transportation assets and services are available for use.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

Not available

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Regarding managing Transport Canada’s legacy transportation assets (airports, ports, ferries) and other activities within the program, neither Transport Canada nor operators of Transport Canada-owned ferries and certain Transport Canada-owned airports collect socio-demographic data on users that would allow for monitoring differential impacts on clients of differing genders/other intersecting identities.

Activities are not expected to negatively impact Canadians based on gender or relative vulnerability. The operation of these assets plays an important role in terms of supporting local economic development, including tourism, as well as responding to social needs and serving local populations. For example, ferry services support tourism and commercial activities in eastern Canada through the continued provision of safe and reliable ferry services. Additionally, vessel repair and maintenance are done in Canada, which directly benefits the local communities through the provision of well-paying jobs while also providing industrial and broader long-term economic benefits (e.g., regional economic development and long-term job creation).

Transport Canada facilities and ferry vessels must comply with relevant regulatory and other requirements, including through the provision of separate gendered washrooms and accessible washrooms. For example, the three eastern Canada ferry services owned by Transport Canada are Canadian-flagged and must comply with Canadian Flag State rules and meet Canadian regulatory requirements, including safety issues and the inclusion of accessible washrooms on board. Ferry operators are expected to continue to offer family-friendly policies, such as children under a certain age traveling at no cost and different fares for children, students, adults and seniors, including both men and women.

GBA Plus data collection plan

Within the program, there are no planned actions to collect GBA Plus data at this time. Neither Transport Canada nor the operators of Transport Canada owned ferries and certain Transport Canada owned airports collect socio-demographic data on users that would allow for monitoring differential impacts on clients of differing genders/other intersecting identities. GBA Plus analysis is completed with respect to certain program renewals and Treasury Board Submissions within the program, such as for the renewal of the Ports Asset Transfer Program, and for new ferry vessel procurement.

Program name: Transportation Marketplace Frameworks

Program goals: The program creates the policies, laws, regulations, and international agreements that encourage Canada’s transportation sector to be efficient movers of people and goods, and competitive. One of the key objectives related to GBA Plus is to improve diversity and inclusion across the Transport Canada portfolio.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group outcomes

The Program benefits the demographic group identified given this group comprises the majority of appointees.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Data is collected to track progress and measure success in achieving the Government of Canada’s 50-30 objective to increase the representation and inclusion of diverse groups within the workplace, while highlighting the benefits of giving all Canadians a seat at the table.

Other key program impacts

Not applicable

GBA Plus data collection plan

Recognizing gaps in information collection as self-identification is voluntary, the program has implemented a direct communication with federal appointees within the transport portfolio to ask them to self-identify. This information is used to update data analysis tools already in place and provide more concrete and reliable information analysis. The program continues to collect this data as new appointments are made. Recruitment strategies focus on attracting qualified candidates who reflect Canada’s diversity in terms of linguistic, and employment equity groups (i.e., women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities), as well as members of ethnic and cultural groups.