for pdf-ing - Canadian Transport Research Forum

JULY
2000
FORUM ation
JULY
2000
Bridging the Gaps at CTRF 2000
Transportation Commercialization: How is it going?
The Canadian Transportation Research Forum
2000 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.. opened with a
plenary panel of most distinguished speakers.
Nick Mulder (former Deputy Minister and long
time supporter of CTRF), currently President of
Mulder Management Associates and Chair of the
Board of the Ottawa Hospital moderated this lively
and far-reaching panel session. The five speakers
hailed from very different backgrounds and
brought most interesting and sometimes
conflicting perspectives to the theme of
Transportation Commercialization.
Louis Ranger, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy,
at Transport Canada discussed the status of and
current challenges facing the transportation
sector in Canada. The past decade has been a
period of immense change in every mode, with a
long list of impressive successes at moving the
federal government out of the business of owning
and operating most transportation facilities and
towards a focus on monitoring the safety,
economic health and environmental impacts of
transportation in Canada. Recent developments
include the changing role of government in the
operations of VIA Rail, the privatization of Air
Canada and Canada’s air navigation services. One
hundred four of 136 non-remote airports have
been privatized. The privatization of the
Canadian National Railway was closely followed
by the emergence of a large number of shortline
rail carriers. The motor vehicle test centre has
been privatized; the 13km Confederation Bridge
linking Prince Edward Island with New
Brunswick has been erected; the St. Lawrence
Seaway has been commercialized; eighteen
port corporations have been created while 357
smaller ports have been decommissioned; the
Newfoundland dockyards were sold for $1.; and
the ferry service in Atlantic Canada has been
privatized.
Mr. Ranger explained that no single Transport
Canada model of commercialization exists. Other
countries are beating a path to our door to find
out the secrets of Canada’s successes in
transportation commercialization. Rather, Mr.
Ranger said, the successes are a series of distinct
initiatives tailored to best suit the industry, mode
and customer base to be commercialized. There
are, however, three key areas to examine in
attempting to define the commercialization
activities and results over the past several years.
These are: the governance structure, pricing and
rents. The ports governance model is very different
than the aviation model. NAV CANADA is an
unqualified success, operating under eight
pricing principles, it has already passed the test of
time. But no matter which specific
commercialization model was created, all of the
new management Boards will have to make
decisions in the best interests of their
organizations, a marked contrast with history. In
fact, much entrepreneurial spirit is becoming
evident in these revitalized organizations. It
ranges from significant productivity improvements in the Marine Atlantic ferry services offseason usage of the ferries to Vancouver, and port
and airport authorities’ joint meeting with
stakeholders to identify ways to attract more
freight and cruise ship business. These are the
true measures of success of commercialization
according to Mr. Ranger.
Mr. Ranger went on to look into the future to
articulate the next generation of issues facing
transportation in Canada. Should there be any
effort to harmonize between and among modes?
Should we recognize that some aspects of
commercialization need to be renegotiated to
achieve improved equity among entities? There is
another important category of issues related to the
most appropriate role for government, for
example, in relationships with monopolies and
quasi-monopolies. Should the government
monitor quality of service and user fees by such
organizations, including NAV CANADA, the
airports, and Air Canada? The government needs
to ensure accountability and transparency
through monitoring.
Mr. Ranger concluded by recounting other
measures of the resounding success of
The Newletter of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum
La revue du Groupe de recherches sur les transports Canada
commercialization. One measure is the level of
investment generated by the new framework. The
airport community has seen $3 billion in new
investment while pipelines have seen over $3
billion in extra investment. Ports no longer have
to seek federal approval to borrow capital. The
declining marine subsidies in the Bay of Fundy
reach none this year with no perceptible impact
on the level of service. There has been only one
service complaint since 1997.
partnership, with two competing consortia both
sharing in the work of building the road which
was completed on time. There was a four month
delay in the tolling implementation, which
witnessed a significant change in travellers’
transportation habits, exceeding forecasts of
usage on the new Highway 407. The extension
and full privatization of Highway 407 will see a
99-year lease with no oversight on tolls.
George Davies, President, Hagler Bailly
Canada, reviewed developments in commercialization for roads in Canada and North America.
Mr. Davies was involved in the development of
Highway 407 in Ontario. While this toll road has
been a success, not all such ventures are worthy
of implementation. For example, Ontario saved
$10 billion by not installing high-speed passenger
rail service.
Mr. Davies described two aspects to commercialization of roads: the outsourcing of road
operations, which is occurring at a faster rate in
Canada than the U.S., and the construction of toll
roads. Canada’s first roads were built as private toll
roads, which were eventually abolished due to
poor service and patchwork flows.
This led to involvement by governments. The
recent experience in the 80’s and 90’s was that
most toll roads did not achieve their forecasts.
Highway 407 was built in two phases. Such
projects require a strong financial/economic case,
sustained political support, effective
communications and accountability. Highway
407 had a strong economic rationale. Eastern and
northern Ontario shippers felt Toronto was a most
serious obstacle to efficient transportation flows
with the existing Highway 401 already being one
of the busiest highways in North America. The
public, on the other hand, felt that new road
infrastructure could only be supported by tolls.
But there was some hesitation since no toll roads
had been built in Ontario since 1925 and
Highway 407 was almost 25 times larger than any
previous project. Engineering and administrative
problems faced the designers since every 1.25
miles of the new road would cross an existing
north-south artery. It would have been
impractical to have tollbooths at every
interchange, so the all-electronic tolling system
was developed. This was a true public-private
PAGE 1
Two other roads of note are the Fredericton to
Moncton N.B. road, where tolls were recently
removed and the Highway 104 toll road in Nova
Scotia with a revenue incentive system which has
improved productivity. Lessons learned are that a
balanced transportation strategy is required to
sustain public support, which must accompany a
strong economic rationale in order to succeed.
The evidence of success is that people are willing
to pay!
Paul Benoit, President and CEO of the Ottawa
Airport Authority and Chair of the Canadian
Airports Council, discussed the public debate with
the Minister of Transport over rents charged to the
airports. Mr. Benoit does not view airports as
monopolies but as enterprises in strong
competition with each other. Since air travel is
thriving and investments are growing, this is good
news for employees bringing market wages
without freezes, vastly improved infrastructure,
and local decision-making. There are better
connections to global markets and this is also
beneficial for Canada since the Crown is saving
$100 million year and collecting rents. But the big
question is ‘Are airports cash cows for the
government or basic infrastructure?’ Rents are
expected to grow from $196 million in 1998 to
$1.4 billion in 2003. Governments also collect
15% of revenues. Passenger counts are expected to
grow 27% by 2004 against a projected rent
increase of 197%.
The rent agreement with the federal government
did not predict and does not factor into the
charges other forms of government downloading,
industry restructuring, municipal tax increases,
and new government fees. In short, Mr. Benoit
requested that the rents be reviewed now and
insisted that they must be fair.
John Crichton, President and CEO of NAV
CANADA, negotiated the purchase of the air
navigation system for $1.5 billion. NAV CANADA
was incorporated in May 1995 as a non-share
capital corporation. The transfer involved 6,200
federal employees. The fifteen member Board of
Directors includes representatives of the airlines
(4), the federal government (3), the unions (2),
general aviation (1), and Board appointees (4
independent and 1 CEO). As a private company,
profits are reinvested or used to reduce fees. 100%
debt capital is used with no share equity. NAV
CANADA has the lowest cost of capital of any
major corporation in North America, with four AA
or better credit ratings. Having paying customers
on the Board has shifted the focus away from the
traditional profit motive and towards costs and
service quality.
The pre-privatization vision was to run a safe
system; to reduce costs to governments and
customers; to invest in technology; and to
improve the levels of service. The postprivatizaton reality is a priority on safety with
better OI (Operating irregularity with loss of
separation) rates and the world’s first corporate
safety plan. The international CANSO definition of
the critical rate per 100,000 movements is
decreasing. As for costs, the federal government
received a $1.5 billion payment to pay down the
deficit, saved $200 million per year; shed liability
for employees; and shed self-insurance operations
liability as well as contractual liabilities.
Investments in technology totalled $400 million
in four years. There have been many leading-edge
achievements providing major international
marketing opportunities. After providing evidence
of improved service levels, transparency and
accountability, Mr. Crichton concluded his
presentation with the tally of privatization for NAV
CANADA being improved salaries, lower payroll,
lower cost of flying, and raised productivity!
The fifth panel member, Mitch McLean,
President and CEO, Bay Ferries Ltd., reported that
privatization in his business had been a success
and not a “ferry tale”. In 1996, six companies
submitted proposals for the privatization of ferry
routes in the Bay of Fundy. Conditions included a
requirement to operate the ferries for five years but
that subsidies would be eliminated after two years.
Mr. McLean proudly reported that Bay Ferries Ltd.
is now a profitable company running a safe and
efficient service using a smaller number of
administrative staff. The company has
successfully introduced new technology in the
form of a high speed 91 metre catamaran with a
capacity of 900 passengers, which crosses between
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor, Maine in
2.5 hours compared to the 6 hour crossing
previously. This also permits two round trips per
day and requires fewer crew. Costs savings
included a 50% lower wage bill made possible by
reducing head office overhead and eliminating
the third crew. Mr. McLean reported that the
company’s focus is now on quality and not
quantity of employees. Service improvements
were implemented for departure scheduling,
check-in and maintenance. Traffic doubled in
1998 over 1997; increased by 20% in 1999; and is
up by 13.8% so far in 2000. A focus on strategic
partnerships and creative marketing resulted in
an interesting charter arrangement in the off
season. This ship is chartered to the Tasmanian
government and travels a route between
Melbourne, Australia and Tasmania.
In spite of the successful transition from
government to private sector, the Bay Ferries Ltd.
still faces challenges ahead. Transport Canada
still owns the ferry terminals and Mr. McLean’s
company would like to buy and operate them.
Finally, Mr. McLean feels that private marine
operators are paying for inefficient government
marine services for navigational aids and icebreaking and would prefer to purchase these
services from the private sector.
In conclusion, it was clear from this CTRF panel
session that Canada has made significant and
successful progress in commercializing many of
its transportation services and facilities but that
no single generic model works for every mode or
for every type of service. The commercialization
process has unleashed much creativity and
entrepreneurial spirit which has already spawned
profitable enterprises and service improvements.
The future holds many challenges, not the least of
which will be continuing to adapt to customer
needs, innovating with new technologies and
other productivity improvements, and
maintaining the right balance of government
oversight with private sector independence.
ITS Panel Session
Another interesting panel was the one on
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). In
recent years, a number of broad range diverse
technologies have been developed and applied to
and/or integrated with transportation facilities to
save lives, time and money. Mr. Peter
Vuillemot, an ITS Canada board member,
launched the session with an overview of ITS in
Canada as well as of this organization. He gave an
excellent picture of the importance of this growing
industry with a good sense of its potential for
Canada in terms of a share of that pie. He talked
about vision, objectives, policy and strategy. In
such a specialized field, he gave a sense of the
importance of “standards” and the work currently
under way at ITS Canada to that effect. This
presentation was followed by one delivered by Ms.
Helena Borges, a Transport Canada senior
official responsible for the federal ITS plan. Her
presentation centered around that federal plan
put in place to achieve “intelligent mobility”. She
explained that the “how” proposed in that plan
centers around the encouragement of the use of
intelligent transportation systems to promote
safety, trade, tourism, the improvement of our
quality of life and to sustain strategic investment
in transportation. The ITS plan focus around
partnerships among all levels of government, the
private sector and ITS Canada; a Canadian ITS
architecture; a multi-modal ITS R&D Plan; the
deployment and integration of ITS; and the
strengthening of Canada’s ITS industry. The last
presentation was by Mr. James Reid, another
Transport Canada official. His presentation was
on the status of the development of an ITS
application undertaken in a joint partnership
environment. The application is developing and
testing an electronic identification of containers as
they enter a port facility, an identification which is
done now by having an employee making the list.
To understand the importance of such an
application, Mr. Reid explained the numerous
requirements for such a list, including the
institutional and regulatory requirements. This
particular application helped to show
how efficiency improvements can be achieved
through ITS.
There was plenty of time at the end of the session
for questions, and the resulting interaction
between panelists and participants was served well
by this increasing participation of other countries’
transportation researchers at CTRF conferences,
the Charlottetown conference having been no
exception to that trend. Questions asked were
more than clarification questions. For instance,
there was an interest in knowing the labour
relation issues resulting from the introduction of
the port container identification ITS application,
given that such a system would mean the
replacement of an employee function by an
electronic system achieving in a more timely way
a higher level of efficiency for that particular task.
Another aspect which was the object of good
discussion was tied to the whole question of the
measurability of efficiency improvement resulting
from ITS application. Overall the session was well
appreciated by participants, as presentations were
excellent and they were followed by stimulating
and interesting exchanges between speakers and
attendees. In simple terms, if you were not at the
session, you missed something and you should
not miss such an opportunity next year by
registering ASAP to the Vancouver conference to
held next May.
PAGE 2
President’s Message
S = O – E (Satisfaction equals Outcome
minus Expectation). This is an equation
Barry Bisson brought from Harvard to a
course I took at UNB. It is one of the keys
to the success of Southwest Airlines.
Satisfaction is dependent on two variables
which can be manipulated and exploited.
Higher satisfaction can be achieved by
raising the outcome, or by lowering the
expectation. I have always tended to keep
my expectations in the basement. I’m
rarely disappointed, and sometimes
pleasantly surprised. This is not to say I
strive for the basement, only that I expect,
despite my best efforts, that something
beyond my control (or someone named
Murphy) will render an outcome which an
optimist would find utterly unsatisfactory.
A few days after the April 2000 meeting of
the CTRF Board, I received a voice mail
message from President Lloyd Ash,
concerning a matter of “some urgency”
with respect to the composition of the
Board for the up-coming year. When I
returned Lloyd’s call, I fully expected to be
asked to step down from the Board to
restore regional balance. I expected my
relocation from PEI to Manitoba had upset
the geographic distribution of the Board
membership. To say I was pleasantly
surprised to be offered the nomination as
CTRF President would be a definite
understatement. My immediate response
was dead air, to the point Lloyd had to ask
if I was still on the line. I was compelled to
accept the offer.
Upon reviewing the list of Past Presidents
in the CTRF Directory, I decided my
personal goal as CTRF President is to not
get caught in the commission of any
impeachable offences and to thereby sneak
my name onto that list of esteemed
Canadian transportation professionals. I
checked the duties of CTRF President in
the Administration Manual and scanned
the list of nominees to the Board. I noted
the one-year term of office would be
abbreviated since the Charlottetown
PAGE 3
Conference was scheduled for June 2000
and the Vancouver Conference is slated for
May 2001. There is a full year’s business to
conduct and less time in which to do it, but
the caliber of individuals on the Board
more than compensate for the time
restriction.
I don’t know what delegates and
companions expected when they registered
for the 35th Annual Conference in
Charlottetown. As one of the conference
organizers, I expected something would go
awry. For instance, we had not signed a
contract with Richard Wood, and my
expectation was that he would receive a
more lucrative offer to go on another
foreign tour to Europe or Japan. I was
most relieved and pleased when Richard
arrived at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers.
By the way, we had offered deposits to
Richard, the Hotel, the bagpiper, etc.
Nobody would accept a deposit. Some
arrangements were made on a handshake,
some by phone. Even as a displaced
Atlantic Canadian, I find it remarkable.
More than 100 people attended the Bison
Cup Debate and there wasn’t a loser in the
room. The Nick and Dick team won. It is
hoped they will be available to defend their
title next year. One suggested topic is:
“Give them drink tickets and they will
come.”
The Conference exceeded my expectations
and, judging by the lack of negative
feedback, it appears we were all satisfied
with the outcome. In spite of the odd
printing error, and a President who
couldn’t spell CPR (and I don’t mean
cardio-pulmonary resuscitation), I believe
the Charlottetown Conference of 2000 was
a success in almost every regard, including
financially (the piper has been paid).
Contributions of the following are
gratefully acknowledged: conference
sponsors; authors and presenters; session
chairs; delegates and companions; The
Honourable Don MacKinnon and
members of his PEI Transportation &
Public Works staff; Rodd Charlottetown
Hotel; The Singing Strings; Confederation
Bridge; New Glasgow Lobster Suppers;
Boyde Beck on shipwrecks; Janet
MacQuarrie on bagpipes; Richard Wood
on fiddle; Trius Tours; PEI Dirt Bags;
Confederation Players including (not yet
Sir) John A. Macdonald, Thomas D’Arcy
McGee, and George-Etienne Cartier; Eric
Hildebrand for his technical program
among other details; and Gail Sparks for
handling all the administrative
arrangements from publishing advance
notices to tracking sponsorships and
registrations to paying the bills.
Speaking of bills, we have an up-coming
Double Bill: Bill Raney is in charge of the
Semi-Annual Meeting to be conducted via
videoconference November 6, 2000 in
Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary … ?
And Bill Waters II has invited us on an
odyssey to Vancouver for the 36th Annual
CTRF Conference May 6-9, 2001.
I’m looking forward to the next 10
months. My expectations are tending to
creep upward because, with the quality of
the Board membership and the excellent
condition in which past presidents have
left the CTRF, I don’t see what can go
wrong. On the other hand, there is one
vacant seat on the Board. I expect Murphy
to occupy it.
Gordon Tufts, President
Message du Président
S = R – A (Satisfaction égale Résultat
moins Attente). Cette équation a été
amenée par Barry Bisson de Harvard à un
cours que je suivais à l’UNB. Il s’agit là
d’une des clés du succès de Southwest
Airlines. La satisfaction dépend de deux
variables qui peuvent être manipulées et
exploitées. On peut atteindre une plus
grande satisfaction soit en augmentant les
résultats, soit en diminuant les attentes.
J’ai toujours eu tendance à maintenir mes
attentes à un niveau bas, ce qui fait que je
suis rarement déçu et qu’il m’arrive même
d’être agréablement surpris. Cela ne
signifie pas que je m’efforce de rester à la
base; cependant je m’attends, en dépits de
mes meilleurs efforts, à ce que quelque
chose hors de mon contrôle (ou l’action de
quelqu’un nommé Murphy) aboutisse à
un résultat qu’un optimiste considèrerait
tout à fait insatisfaisant.
Quelques jours après la réunion d’avril
2000 du Conseil d’administration du
GRTC, j’ai reçu un message vocal du
Président Lloyd Ash concernant une
« affaire urgente » ayant trait à la
composition du Conseil pour l’année à
venir. En rappelant Lloyd, je m’attendais à
être invité à quitter le Conseil pour rétablir
l’équilibre régional. Je pensais que le fait
d’avoir quitté l’IPE pour le Manitoba
affectait la répartition géographique de la
composition du Conseil d’administration.
Dire que j’ai été agréablement surpris
d’apprendre que l’on me proposait comme
candidat à la présidence du GRTC serait
un pur euphémisme. Ma réponse la plus
immédiate a été le silence total au point
que Lloyd a dû demander si j’étais encore
en ligne. Je me suis senti obligé d’accepter
l’offre.
En parcourant la liste des anciens
Présidents dans l’annuaire du GRTC, j’ai
décidé que mon objectif personnel en tant
que Président consiste à ne pas me faire
prendre à commettre d’infractions
pouvant aboutir à une procédure de
destitution, ce qui me permettra de faufiler
mon nom dans cette liste de professionnels
canadiens en transports fort respectés. J’ai
vérifié dans le Manuel administratif les
responsabilités du Président du GRTC et
passé en revue la liste des personnes
nommées au Conseil d ’administration.
J’ai constaté que le mandat d’un an serait
réduit du fait que la conférence de
Charlottetown avait été planifiée pour juin
2000 alors que celle de Vancouver était
prévue pour mai 2001. Il reste une année
complète de travail durant une période de
temps moindre pour la mener à bien;
néanmoins, le calibre des individus
composant le Conseil compense, de loin, le
manque de temps.
J’ignore à quoi s’attendaient les
participants et leurs compagnes ou
compagnons en s’inscrivant à la 35è
Conférence annuelle de Charlottetown.
Étant un des organisateurs, je m’attendais
à ce que quelque chose ne tourne pas rond.
Par exemple, nous n’avions pas signé de
contrat avec Richard Wood et je craignais
qu’il ne reçoive une offre plus alléchante
pour une autre tournée à l’étranger, en
Europe ou au Japon. J’étais aussi rassuré
qu’heureux de voir Richard débarquer au
New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. Nous avions
d’ailleurs proposé de verser des dépôts à
Richard, à l’hôtel, à la joueuse de
cornemuse, etc. Personne n’avait accepté
de percevoir une avance. Certains
arrangements ont été conclu par une
poignée de main, d’autres par téléphone.
Même en ma qualité de Canadien des
Maritimes déplacé, je trouve cela
remarquable.
Plus de 100 personnes ont assisté au débat
de la Coupe Bison et il n’y avait pas de
perdant dans la salle. L’équipe de Nick et
Dick a gagné. Il faut espérer que ces
derniers seront disponibles l’an prochain
pour défendre leur titre. Quelqu’un a
suggéré le thème suivant : « Donnez leur
des tickets de boisson et ils viendront ».
La Conférence a dépassé mes prévisions et,
compte tenu du manque de réactions
négatives, il semble que nous soyons tous
satisfaits du résultat. En dépit de la bizarre
erreur d’impression et du fait qu’un
Président n’ait pu prononcer CPR (et je ne
veux surtout pas, ici, faire référence à la
« cardio-pulmonary ressuscitation »), je
crois que la Conférence de Charlottetown
de l’an 2000 a été un succès sur presque
tous les plans, y compris financièrement
(la joueuse de cornemuse a été payée). Il
faut rappeler notre gratitude envers ceux
qui y ont contribué : commanditaires de la
conférence; auteurs et présentateurs;
animateurs de sessions; participants et
compagnes/ compagnons; l’Honorable
Don MacKinnon et les membres du
personnel de son ministère des transports
et des travaux publics de l’IPE; Hôtel Rodd
Charlottetown; The Singing Strings; Pont
de la Confédération; New Glasgow Lobster
Suppers; Boyde Beck pour son histoire
d’épaves de navires; Janet MacQuarrie à la
cornemuse; Richard Wood au violon;
Tours Trius; PEI Dirt Bags; Troupe de
théâtre de la Confédération incluant (pas
encore Sir) John A. Macdonald, Thomas
D’Arcy McGee et Georges-Étienne Cartier;
Eric Hildebrand pour son programme
technique en plus d’autres détails et Gail
Sparks pour la prise en charge de tout le
volet administratif, de la publication de
notices à l’avance et au suivi des
commandites jusqu’aux inscriptions et au
paiement de factures.
Au sujet de ces « Bills », nous en avons
deux : Bill Raney est chargé de la
Conférence semi-annuelle qui se
déroulera le 6 novembre 2000 à Toronto,
en liaison par vidéo-conférence avec
Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary …? Et Bill
Waters II qui nous a invité à une odyssée à
Vancouver pour la 36è Conférence
annuelle du GRTC, du 6 au 9 mai 2001.
Je nourris beaucoup d’espoir pour les 10
prochains mois. Mes attentes ont tendance
à s’élever; avec la qualité des membres du
Conseil d’administration et l’excellente
condition dans laquelle les anciens
présidents ont laissé le GRTC, je ne vois pas
comment quelque chose ne fonctionnerait
pas bien. Par ailleurs, il reste un poste à
combler au Conseil. Je m’attends à ce que
Murphy l’occupe.
Gordon Tufts, Président
PAGE 4
CTRF Scholarship Winners 2000 - 2001
CTRF PRESIDENT’S SCHOLARSHIP
Attah Boame
Current Program: Ph.D. Economics
School: University of Manitoba
Previous Degrees: M.A., Economics, University
of Manitoba, Candidata Politicarum,
Economics, University of Bergen, Norway,
Candidata Magisterii, Economics, University of
Bergen, Norway, B.Sc., Planning, University of
Science and Technology, Kumasi.
Area of Research: econometric analysis of
Canadian Urban Transit Systems.
Mr. Boame has a strong international
component in his background and has worked
as both a university lecturer and researcher.
CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION
EDUCATION FOUNDATION
SCHOLARSHIP
Louis Caron
Current Program: Ph.D. Economics
School: University of Montreal
Previous Degree: MA, Economics, and B.Sc.
Mathematics, University of Montreal
Area of Research: Insurance contracts in the
Transportation Industry.
Mr. Caron has a strong track record of
publication and obtaining research grants
along with some teaching experience.
CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY
COMPANY SCHOLARSHIP
Brian Cheguis
Current Program: MA Urban and Regional
Planning
School: University of Waterloo
Previous Degree: BA, Urban and Environmental
Studies, Carleton University
Area of Research: Transport networks Design
and urban land use in relation to
pedestrian movement.
PAGE 5
Mr. Cheguis has a history of previous
scholarships and has been on the Dean’s honor
list for academic achievement. He has
completed considerable volunteer work and has
considerable professional experience for
someone at this stage in his career.
Conference Paper Winners
FIRST PRIZE ($1500) BEST
CONFERENCE PAPER
Multiple Objectives: Agency Costs vs. Level of
Service on Northern Low Volume Highways, Dr.
Gordon A. Sparks, Dr. Curtis Berthelot, Mr. Paul
Christensen, University of Saskatchewan
SECOND PRIZE ($750)
BOMBARDIER SCHOLARSHIP
Paul Christensen
Current Program: Ph.D. Civil Engineering
School: University of Saskatchewan
Previous Degree: MA, Economics, and BA,
Economics, University of British Columbia
Area of Research:
Optimal Roadway Management
Evaluating Advnaced Pickup and Delivery
Systems: A Simulation Study, Dr. Liping Fu,
University of Waterloo
THIRD PRIZE ($750)
A Looming Crisis for Western Canadian Grain?
Erica Vido, Agricultural Economics, University of
Manitoba; Mark Ojah, Jake Kosior, The Transport
Institute, University of Manitoba
FOURTH PRIZE ($750)
Mr. Christensen is the winner of last year’s
CTRF President’s Scholarship. He has an
impressive background of industry experience
to draw from and is clearly a worthy recipient
again.
Re-inventing Public Transit in Canada: Why
Jitney Buses Need a Fare Chance, Dr. Darren
Prokop, Transport Institute, University of Manitoba
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY
SCHOLARSHIP
Kevin Washbrook
Current Degree: MA, Department of Resource
and Environmental Management School:
Simon Fraser University
Previous Degree: BA, MA, University of British
Columbia, Cultural Anthropology
Area of Research: Analyzing the
impacts of proposed transportation policies
on mode share, energy use, and air quality.
Mr. Washbrook has held numerous scholarships
and fellowships and has been on the Dean’s
Honour list. All indicative of the quality of his
research. Also, his degree background speaks to
the multi-disciplinary nature of transportation
CTRF Wishes to thanks the Scholarship donors
for their contributions.
CTRF Board of Directors
2000-2001
Announcements
Victor Rueda (Transport Institute, University of
Manitoba) won the draw for those who submitted
a conference evaluation form. He receives: a
genuine PEI Dirt Shirt to complement his dirt
bag. Congratulations Victor!
That Newfie can dance!
CTRF WISHES TO THANK ALL OF THEIR VERY
GOOD FRIENDS - THE CORPORATE SPONSORS.
Without the support of organizations such as
these, CTRF would not be the successful
organization that it is today. We are hoping
eventually to link each and every sponsor to their
own website for our mutual use and benefit.
2000 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SPONSORS
3M Company Canada
Armour Transportation Systems
Bison Transport
Bombardier Inc.
CANAC Inc.
Canadian Freightways Limited
Canadian National Railways
Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Transportation Agency /
Office des transports du Canada
CGTX Inc. (GATX Rail Canada)
Charlottetown Airport Authority
Confederation Bridge
David D. Taylor & Associates Inc.
GE Capital
Halifax Port Authority
Halifax-Dartmouth Port Development
Commission
IBI Group
Industry Canada / Industrie Canada
KPMG Consulting
Labatt's
LDK Engineering Inc.
Manitoba Highways and Government Services
Marine Atlantic
Mi-Jack Products
Navigation Technologies Canada Inc.
Premier's Office, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island Dept. of
Transportation & Public Works
Reefer Sales & Service
Saint John Port Authority
Statistics Canada / Statistique Canada
The Greenbrier Companies
Thermo King of Toronto
Thrall Car Manufacturing Company
Top Lift Enterprises
Tourism PEI
Transport Canada
Trimac
Trinity Industries, Inc.
TTX Company
University of New Brunswick,
Transportation Group
VEMAX Management Inc.
It is with great regret that
CTRF has learned of the death of
Ron Rice, August 20, 2000.
The full obituary was in the
Globe and Mail, Tuesday, August
22, 2000 (www.globeandmail.com). Ron was a
long time and very active member of CTRF and
served on the executive for many years, in the
capacity of Vice President Awards, and then as
Executive Vice President. Ron was a very gentle
man with a quiet sense of humor, and we will all
miss his presence among us. Our sympathies go
to his wife Lydia and his family at this very
difficult time.
CTRF has learned of the passing of P. Mark
Bunting, August 17, 2000. Mark was a former
employee of Transport Canada, and served as
principal of P.M. Bunting & Associates in recent
years. Mark had been involved with CTRF for
numerous years. Those CTRFers who attended
the recent debate in Charlottetown will remember
Mark's wit and humour. Our condolences to his
wife Jennifer and the family.
2000-2001 SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION
SPONSORS
Bombardier Inc.
Canadian National Railways
Canadian Pacific Railways
Canadian Transportation Education Foundation
Gouvernement du Québec
Marine Atlantic
1999 STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION
SPONSORS
Air Canada
CIT - CSL Group Gold Medal
Albert Stevens Money Market Fund
Jim Davey Memorial Trust Fund
“I can’t believe I ate the whole thing”
Gord Sparks
PAGE 6
The hat saga continues....
Richard Wood
FORUMATION IS THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CANADIAN
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH FORUM
AND IS PUBLISHED 5 TIMES YEARLY.
Canadian Transportation Research Forum
209 - 15 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Place
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7N 2X8 Canada
Phone: (306) 242-6199
Fax: (306) 242-6199
www.ctrf.ca