Details on Transfer Payment Programs over $5 million

The Airports Capital Assistance Program assists eligible applicants in financing safety-related capital projects to ensure the continued safety of the Canadian travelling public.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

The objective of this program is to support a focused and reliable air network, suffering from massive unsustainable losses due to COVID-19, and the continued movement of essential goods and services to remote communities.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

The objectives of this program are to provide targeted support related to Canada's network of airports to prevent reduced connectivity, diminished competition, cancelled or deferred infrastructure projects, mitigate price increases for air travellers and to ensure that Canada's air transportation system remains financially viable, operational, safe, and secure.

The program does not have repayable contributions.

This program provides immediate financial relief to airport authorities to help mitigate the financial impact of reduced air travel because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of June 2022, 11 Agreements have been signed with eligible airports. 53 projects have been approved.

The Ferry Services Contribution Program provides financial assistance to maintain three inter-provincial ferry services in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec. More specifically, the contributions are for the following services:

• Between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia operated by Northumberland Ferries Ltd.;
• Between Cap-aux-Meules, Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec and Souris, Prince Edward Island operated by CTMA Traversier Ltée; and
• Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Digby, Nova Scotia operated by Bay Ferries Ltd.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

• Discussed and provided recipients with clear template-based contribution agreements, leases and charter party agreements;
• Reviewed and negotiated the performance objectives and budget required to deliver the ferry services as per the terms of the agreements;
• Informed recipients of service standards and reporting requirements based on each recipient's risk profile;
• Maintained an ongoing dialogue with recipients to assess change and progress via monthly conference calls;
• Followed-up with recipients as required on project activities, funding requirements and reporting requirements; and
• Notified recipients of the requirement to conduct audits and inform Transport Canada of the audit findings.

The Gateways and Border Crossings Fund (GBCF) is a merit-based program that funds transportation infrastructure and other related initiatives to:

• Develop and exploit Canada's strategic gateways, trade corridors and border crossings; and
• Better integrate the national transportation system.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

Transport Canada provides an annual grant to the Province of British Columbia to support its coastal ferry services. The program fulfills the federal government's legal obligations as set out in the agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia signed in 1977 whereby the Province would assume the sole responsibility for coastal ferry services in return for an on-going indexed grant from Canada.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

The Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Program (iZEV) is an initiative under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. It provides Canadians and Canadian businesses with point-of-sale incentives on eligible new light-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) leases and purchases^{Footnote 2}. The iZEV Program's objectives are to:

• Make it more affordable for Canadians to adopt this clean technology;
• Reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector; and
• Increase the adoption of these vehicles in support of meeting the Government of Canada's ZEV sales targets.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

The number of Canadians and Canadians businesses adopting ZEVs continues to increase^{Footnote 3}. In calendar year 2021, 5.6% of new light-duty vehicle sales in Canada were zero-emission vehicles. This represents an increase from the 3.8% market share achieved in 2020, 3.1% in 2019 and 2.3% in 2018.

The iZEV Program contributed to this trend in fiscal year 2021-22 as:

• Over 58,000 Canadians and Canadian businesses^{Footnote 4} received an iZEV incentive for an eligible new zero-emission vehicle lease or purchase; and
• Due to the strong demand for iZEV incentives:
  • In the Economic and Fiscal Update 2021, the Government of Canada announced a $73 million top-up to the iZEV Program taking total investments in the iZEV Program to $660 million through to March 31, 2022; and
  • As part of the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, in March 2022 the Government of Canada announced $1.7 billion in additional funding to extend the iZEV Program for light-duty vehicles until March 31, 2025.

Officials responsible for this transfer payment program consult with recipients through:

• the online iZEV claim application for dealerships, which in most cases is to request further information and/or a missing document for a claim submitted;
• the Program's generic email address to answer more general questions from the public and dealerships; and
• Annual online feedback questionnaires targeted at iZEV recipients (both individuals and businesses/organizations) and dealerships.

The National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) provides funding to contribute to the competitiveness and productivity of Canada and its transportation system through investments that:

• Support the flow of goods and passengers by reducing bottlenecks and address capacity issues;
• Help the transportation system withstand the effects of climate change and to ensure it is able to support new technologies and innovation;
• Address the unique transportation needs in Canada's North to improve safety and facilitate economic and social development; and
• Build on investments made by a variety of public and private sector partners.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2021-22, TC completed project approvals for the Arctic and Northern call, launched the Increasing the fluidity of Canada's Supply Chains and the Relieving Supply Chain Congestion at Canadian Ports calls for proposals, and closed the Continuous and the Relieving Supply Chain Congestion at Canadian Ports calls.

The Arctic and Northern Call closed on March 15, 2021, with project approvals following in FY 2021-2022. The Minister of Transport approved 16 projects committing $284.7M in NTCF funding and leveraging $410.4M in total investments from all project partners.

The Continuous Call for proposals closed on December 9, 2021.  As March 31, 2022, a total of $1.3B has been committed to 58 projects under this call, leveraging $3B in investments.

The Relieving Supply Chain Congestion at Canadian Ports Call for proposals was launched on January 31, 2022, and subsequently closed on February 25, 2022. Project announcements for the Ports call are expected throughout Summer 2022.

Finally, Transport Canada launched the Increasing the fluidity of Canada's Supply Chains call for proposals expression of interest phase, which closed on March 31, 2022. Assessments of these proposals are ongoing. Funding decisions for the Supply Chains call are anticipated in Fall 2022.

TC continued to support the implementation of NTCF funded projects and continued its assessments of project proposals under the various calls. In 2021-22, 32 projects were approved, representing a federal contribution of $788.8M, and leveraging a total investment of $1.5B.

• Transportation corridors get products reliably to market
• Transport Canada manages its assets effectively

The Northumberland Strait Crossing subsidy payments are made to the bridge operator to honour a constitutional obligation to provide a transportation link between Prince Edward Island and the mainland.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2021-22, the following was achieved:

• Pursuant to the Northumberland Strait Crossing Project Subsidy Agreement, funding assistance in the amount of $69.3M was made to the Bridge Operator for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
• Funding allowed for continuous and efficient year-round transportation of people and goods between Prince Edward Island and the mainland, to support an efficient, integrated, and accessible transportation system.

The Ports Asset Transfer Program was developed to facilitate the transfer of the remaining Transport Canada administered local port facilities. Ports can be acquired through sales or divestiture of the facility. Divestitures can include grant or contribution funding for acquiring parties. As of March 31, 2022, there are 34 ports remaining in Transport Canada's inventory.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2021-22, this program:

Successfully completed the transfer of the port of Baie-Comeau, QC. The program also advanced negotiations with parties for Les Mechins, QC and Pelee Island, ON.

The objectives of the Program to Protect Canada's Coastlines and Waterways (PPCCW), which is known publicly as the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), are to strengthen the safety of Canada's marine transportation system and protect Canada's coastlines and waterways. This aligns with our Department's core responsibility of providing Canada with a green and efficient marine transportation system. More specifically, the Program aims to:

• Protect Canada's coasts and waterways from hazards (e.g., by removing wrecked and abandoned boats);
• Engage with Indigenous and other coastal communities to share marine-related local knowledge and best practices to aid in the development of future policies and regulations;
• Increase the number of Canadians in the marine sector, particularly women, Northerners, Inuit and other Indigenous Peoples; and
• Support:
  • Indigenous reconciliation efforts;
  • Research into developing recyclable boats;
  • Safer marine operations in the North and protect northern communities from marine pollution incidents; and
  • Education, awareness and outreach projects.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2021-22, the COVID-19 global pandemic continued to impact most PPCCW grant and contribution programs and initiatives to varying degrees. For the:

• Marine Training Program, which provides federal funding to expand traditional learning, e-learning, and blended learning programs at Canada's marine training schools and raise public awareness of, and access to, training and job opportunities for underrepresented groups, was severely impacted by the pandemic. For the two southern projects, while some courses could be completed with online training, others requiring in-person, hands-on learning were either delayed or cancelled until 2022-23. For the northern project, training had to be suspended completely. Nevertheless, in 2021-22, for the three projects there were 189 graduates under the Program, as well as over 759 Transport Canada-issued certificates earned;
• Indigenous and Local Communities Engagement and Partnership Program, which provides funding for capacity building among Indigenous and local communities/entities as they contribute their knowledge towards OPP initiatives, we provided:
  • Ongoing funding for 17 out of the original 21 projects (four projects were completed in 2021-22) with Indigenous groups across the country. This funding supports their ongoing, long-term engagement and partnership on Oceans Protection Plan measures. Due to COVID-19, funding for some projects needed to be delayed until 2022-23; and
  • Continued funding to eleven Northern British Columbia Indigenous coastal communities under the Reconciliation Framework Agreement (RFA) that promote a more coordinated and efficient approach to the governance, management and protection of oceans along the Pacific North Coast of British Columbia, including marine ecosystems, marine resources and marine use activities. To date (since June 2018), the Government of Canada has funded a total of 11 RFA agreements;
• Program to Enhance Maritime Situational Awareness (PEMSA), we provided over $2.7 million in funding for consultation projects. Several of these projects are Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion accommodation measures in relation to strengthening the Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness system. The system helps Indigenous partners, coastal communities and stakeholders make evidence-based decisions by promoting collaboration and providing near real-time information about the marine environment. Local data available through the EMSA system includes vessel traffic, weather, hydrography, sensitive ecological areas and local historical knowledge of the waterways. COVID-19 had some impacts on PEMSA projects. This resulted in amendments to several of the contribution agreements in place, most notably transfers of unspent funds to 2022-23;
• Safety Equipment and Basic Marine Infrastructure in Northern Communities Initiative (SEBMINC), which provides funding to improve the safety of sealift and resupply operations in remote northern communities, continued to develop and implement agreements for the 18 approved projects representing over $89.1M in funding. COVID-19 has had significant impacts on many SEBMINC projects through northern travel restrictions, labour shortages, supply chain delays and increasing costs of material and labour, affecting the rate at which most SEBMINC projects have been advanced; and
• Abandoned Boats Program (ABP), we approved funding for 32 removal projects, to remove and dispose of boats that presented hazards to navigation and the marine environment in waters across the country. Over 300 assessment and removal projects have been funded since the inception of the Program. A total of 11 removal projects were delayed to 2022-23 because of removal complexities, the narrow removal time period in the eastern localities and because a boat substitution occurred. One research project was also delayed due to construction setbacks from the pandemic which affected the testing phase.

Officials responsible for this transfer payment program consult with applicants and recipients regarding the funding of PPCCW grant and contribution programs through:

• Information sessions;
• Various meetings and committees; and
• Progress/yearly reports.

Applicants and recipients also have access to a Program email inbox and Project Advisors are in place to ensure project implementation, monitoring and progress reporting functions are available.

Consultations are also provided by the Oceans Protection Plan team within Transport Canada for subject matter expert-related information.

The differences between actual activities undertaken and planned activities outlined in the 2021-22 Departmental Plan are that activities, consultations/training and infrastructure investments in the North have been reduced/delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

As previously mentioned, many of the PPCCW grant and contribution programs encountered delays and other challenges due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. As a result, expenditures for 2021-22 were much lower than anticipated. This included:

• For the $8.8 million allocated to the Marine Training Program (MTP), about half of these funds were spent contrary to what was expected because of the COVID-19 restrictions for example, schools were closed from April to mid September; and
• For the Abandoned Boats Program (ABP), a total of 11 removal projects were delayed to 2022-23 because of project complexities extending the removal process, the eastern located projects that could not be actioned during winter season and because of a boat substitution that occurred. One research project was also delayed to 2022-23 due to construction setbacks caused by the pandemic. ewer than expected funds were expended due to the late launch of Projects. This forecast variance caused a transfer of approximately $530,000 to 2022-23. 

2016-2017

The Rail Safety Improvement Program (RSIP) terms and conditions were amended in 2021-2022.

The Rail Safety Improvement Program (RSIP) provides grants and contributions to improve rail safety and reduce injuries and fatalities related to rail transportation.

The Program funds:

• Safety improvements to existing rail lines;
• The use of innovative technologies;
• Research and studies to improve safety;
• Closures of grade crossings; and
• Initiatives to raise awareness about rail safety across Canada.

The RSIP provides funding opportunities for Infrastructure, Technology and Research, Public Education and Awareness.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

• In 2021-2022, RSIP delivered $13.4M in projects to improve rail safety and reduce injuries and fatalities related to rail transportation.
• On May 20, 2021, the Minister announced more than $21M in funding for 135 projects.

This Program was last evaluated in 2019-2020.

It is scheduled for an upcoming evaluation in 2025-2026. 

Officials engaged with recipients as required on project activities, funding requirements, and reporting requirements.

These include:

• Quarterly meetings/conference calls with key recipients;
• Regular Canada-wide webinars engaging key stakeholders, e.g. provinces, municipalities, for and not-for profit organizations; and
• Community outreach through electronic communications, social media and targeted presentations.

This program provides funding to ensure that safe, reliable, viable and sustainable passenger rail services are provided to certain areas of the country where these services are the only means of surface transportation for remote communities. Funding for both operating and capital projects is provided.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

To establish nationally consistent road use frameworks, standards, policies, programs and outreach activities to reduce collisions, injuries and fatalities on the road, while also encouraging the safe and effective use of innovative technologies, encouraging harmonization, and economic growth.

The Program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2021-22, this program:

• Provided federal funding to the Provinces, Territories, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, and to various non-governmental organizations for road safety projects;
• Distributed $8.8M to support the enforcement of safety standards and frameworks for extra-provincial commercial motor carriers (heavy trucks and buses); and the delivery of national uniform training for commercial motor vehicle drivers and inspectors; and
• Distributed $9.3M to support the delivery of projects across Canada tackling persistent road safety challenges related to impaired and distracted driving, online training for novice commercial drivers, technology enhancement of inspection stations and vulnerable road users.

Engagement initiatives included:

• Completed a call for project proposals.
• Held webinars and conference calls with partners and stakeholders.
• Followed up with recipients as required on project activities, funding requirements, and reporting requirements.