Want to boost the economy? Improve our transportation systems

Dear minister,Congratulations on your appointment as the minister of transport. You are leading a department with a proven track record of keeping Canada’s transportation system safe, secure, and operational across vast geographies and challenging conditions. However, over the past decade, the department’s role as a driver of economic growth has not been as prominent as it must now become. In an era of shifting trade dynamics, supply chain vulnerabilities, and urgent infrastructure demands, Transport Canada must evolve to ensure its role as steward of the transportation system actively supports—rather than inadvertently hinders—national competitiveness.Transport Canada can play a vital role in advancing the prime minister’s economic agenda by ensuring the seamless movement of people and goods across the country, helping to boost productivity across the Canadian economy, as well as reducing costs for Canadian travellers. Your department is structured by mode of transportation, and so I am offering targeted recommendations within each mode to support your efforts in ensuring that Transport Canada takes its full space in sustaining and growing Canada’s economy...