PODCAST
The TRANsmissions Podcast
by Russel Lolacher
Welcome to the TRANsmissions Podcast, broadcasting knowledge across the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.As part of our succession planning and knowledge management in this ministry, Host Russel Lolacher, Web and Social Media Services, will interview ministry staff across our province and at every level to hear about their experiences and best practices. Our focus is to share and learn more about our ministry, the work we do and why we do it.From emergencies to major projects, from highway maintenance to policy, from transit to stakeholder relations, we'll dig into what makes this ministry tick.
Episodes
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Ep008 - The Five Impactful Decades of Rodney Chapman
There are few people in any organization that you say their first name and everyone knows who it is… in our ministry, one person comes to mind. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Rodney Chapman, Director of the Construction and Maintenance Branch and recipient of the 2025 Premier's Award for...
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Ep007 - Leadership Lessons Learned in a MoTT Career
Knowledge transfer and thoughtful reflection are key components for any healthy organizational culture. And what better way than to check both those boxes than to pick the brain of a tenured leader in MoTT as he's leaving us. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Ashok Bhatti, now former Executive...
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Ep006 - Passing the Torch of Leadership in the West Kootenay District
In this episode, we discuss the importance of consistency in leadership through change and succession. Host Russel Lolacher sits down District Manager for the West Kootenay District Greg Kinnear, District Program Engineer for West Kootenays Ryan Oakley, and Director of Strategic Initiatives Hugh...
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Ep005 - Bringing Psychological Safety into the Workplace
In this episode, we discuss what is and isn't psychological safety and what it looks and feels like in the workplace. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Manager of Psychological Health and Well-being Amy Baskin and Director of Corporate Health and Safety Brittney Crump to focus on something that...
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Ep004 - Embracing the Pride of Pride Month
Description: In this episode, we dig into the diversity, inclusion, and belonging of LGBTQIA2+ Pride Month. Including what that looks and feels like far beyond those 30 days. In this episode, host Russel Lolacher sits down with National Safety Code Manager in the Highway & Regional Services...
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Ep003 - The Act and Principles of Reconciliation
How well do you know the Declaration Act and the 10 Draft Principles that Guide the Province of British Columbia's Relationship with Indigenous Peoples? In this episode, host Russel Lolacher joins members of our ministry's Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation team to discuss how these…
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Ep002 - A Look at the Legacy of Kevin Richter
The man, the myth, the legend. In this episode, host Russel Lolacher welcomes former Associate Deputy Minister Kevin Richter for a conversation about his lasting impact on leadership, culture, and progress over the past few decades. A long-standing pillar of this ministry, Kevin shares what has...
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Ep001 - Get to Know Our People Workforce Initiatives Branch (And a New Podcast Launches)
The ministry's podcast has returned! Introducing the Our People Podcast - new name, new focus, same great conversations. In this episode, host Russel Lolacher joins the People and Workplace Initiatives (PWI) branch leadership to talk about what they do, how their work has changed since the...
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Ep48 - Engaging Our Emergency Program
Today, we're getting into emergencies. We've gotten into them a few times on this show and we should, we seem to be getting into them more and more, every year. We're either in an emergency, preparing for an emergency or recovering from an emergency. It's almost like our ministry needs an…
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Ep47 - Understanding Maintenance Contracts
What do we have 28 of, across our province, that ensures our roads are well maintained through our many seasons? Maintenance Contracts! We work with various maintenance contractors across our province to keep our roads in working condition and travel ready. But what does that even mean? Host…
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Ep46 - Updating Digital Delivery
Change. It's probably the biggest constant in what we do. And nothing changes faster than technology. Not only in the tools we use but also in the public's expectations in how we serve them. One of the biggest changes I've seen in my time in government is this tectonic shift around digital...
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Ep45 - Getting Down with DFAA
When disasters strike our province, big/small, floods, fires, etc. we're there to work to reopen our highways. But what happens after those events? What's our role in recovery and financial assistance. Quite a bit actually and today we're going to talk about it… Disaster Financial Assistance...
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Ep44 - Into All Things Invasive Species
I'm not trying to scare you or anything but we're being invaded. By land, by water… we are being invaded by… invasive species. What does that even mean, what's our role and how afraid should we be? Our guests on the latest TRANsmissions podcast episode will get into all of that. Host Russel...
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Ep43 - The Path to Policy
"POLICY" - a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or individual. Is that what it is in the world of Transportation and Infrastructure? Is it a simple process or a complicated one? What's involved? Who's involved? Great questions our guests today have...
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Ep42 - Caring About Corporate Safety
Our number one priority is safety. You know it. I know it. But what does that MEAN?! Sure we prioritize safety but what are the behaviours? What does that look like as an organization? In this episode, we get into the corporate safety world to understand its influence and impact. Host Russel...
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Ep41 - Painting the Picture of Atmospheric River 2021
Natural disasters, big emergencies… flooding, wildfire… are becoming more and more common. The "new normal" as they call it. But here's the thing when we start saying "new normal"… there's a "new abnormal". And we got a big slice of that in November of 2021 when we got hit with one of the biggest...
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Ep40 - Understanding the Usefulness of Utilities
There are a LOT of what this ministry does that you don't see. That you might not even consider. Driving along, checking out our beautiful scenery with no idea the work that goes into making it all… work. I'm talking about utilities. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Utilities Project Analyst Ryan...
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Ep39 - Remember Your Records Management
Every once in a while we get an email reminding us about our records management. We look at, we know we gotta do it, we think about it, we wonder what "transitory" means… and go on with our day. Sound familiar? Well, records ARE a big deal. Prepare to learn! Host Russel Lolacher chats with…
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Ep38 - Into the Wilds of Wildlife Management
Our beautiful province is hugely populated by various wildlife, who make their way around the land. And they don't often travel by highways. But we still need to ensure they travel safely when they get to them, which is what we're talking about today. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Manager of…
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Ep37 - Anything and Everything Avalanche
Some of the most amazing photos/videos and coolest stories come from this program. From weather stations, to backcountry adventures, avalanche control to safety preparation. Hello Avalanche Program! Host Russel Lolacher chats with Senior Manager of the Avalanche and Weather Program Robb Anderson,...
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Ep36 - Get In Line for Inland Ferries
We talk a lot of highways on this podcast. Which makes sense as they cover a large part of our province, BUT there are some bodies of water that highways have to stop at and allow for other modes of transportation to step up. Inland Ferries! And all about them, is the topic today. Host Russel...
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Ep35 - An Understanding of GBA+ and IGBA+
Today on the show we'll be discussing GBA+ and IGBA+, Gender-Based Analysis Plus and Indigenous Gender-Based Analysis Plus. You'll hear personal and passionate stories of how important this learning and understanding is to how we can build better relationships, both with the public and with our...
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Ep34 - Take a Ride with DriveBC
DriveBC. You know it. You love it. It's one of the key products we use to communicate to the public on travel advisories, incident information, closures and construction impacts while also providing highwaycams, weather info and so much more to help you know before you go. And we're digging into…
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Ep33 - A Play by Play with Procurement
According to Wikipedia, procurement is "the process of finding and agreeing to terms, and acquiring goods, services, or works from an external source, often via a tendering or competitive bidding process. Procurement generally involves making buying decisions under conditions of scarcity." Is…
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Ep32 - Say Hi to BC HighwayCams
They are one of the most popular things we do. They are one of the many ways we help the public know before they go and they have a very happy home on our DriveBC web properties. They've also been an amazing source of fun in highlighting our province – sunsets, sunrises, winter maintenance, cone...
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Ep31 - Getting Insight into Integrated Transportation Planning
There are so many modes of transportation, and there really needs to be a more holistic look at how they compliment and work with each other. Including the use of technology in those relationships. And that's why we're talking about Integrated Transportation Development planning today! Podcast…
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EP30 - Everything Ethics
Ethics - "moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity." That's what dictionary.com tells us. And in this episode, we're going to hear from our ministry's Ethics advisor on how that pertains to us. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with David Greer to understand...
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EP29 - A Peek into the Passenger Transportation Branch
PTB. Do you mean the Branch or the Board? What's the difference?! Quite a bit actually and we're here to get into those details and so much more of what the Passenger Transportation Branch does. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Perry Dennis, Deputy Registrar and Director of Operations and Steve...
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Ep28 - A Sit Down with Structural Engineering
It's always a great time to get to know our engineers. We have many types that work within our ministry and in this episode, we give Structural Engineering the spotlight. Podcast host Russel Lolacher talks with Director of Structural Engineering Carl Lutz, Hydrotechnical Engineer Alysha Piccini,...
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Ep27 - Talking Traffic Data
Data, data, data. It's a big part of how we are informed to make the decisions we do. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with returning guest Director of Transportation Systems and Road Safety Engineering Kenedee Ludwar and Traffic Data Program Coordinator John Mazuruk to talk about traffic data –…
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Ep26 - Fun with Field Services
What do you call a team that is in charge of the roll out of our highway projects? Highway roll outers? Sorry, not very catchy. What we DO call them however is our Provincial Field Services team and in this episode, host Russel Lolacher speaks with Shawn Grant, Director of Provincial Field…
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BONUS 003 - A Moose Hide Campaign Conversation
For this episode, host Russel Lolacher talks with those behind the Moose Hide Campaign, a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence towards women and children. Campaign day is Feb.11. We're joined by campaign co-founder Raven Lacerte,...
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Ep25 – Get To Know Cariboo District Manager Todd Hubner
It's a very special episode. Very soon, a member of the MoTI community will be retiring and leaving a lasting legacy behind. That person, is Cariboo District Manager, Todd Hubner. Having been a part of our organization for decades, Todd has amassed an exceptional career: navigating numerous...
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Ep24 – The Who, What and Why of Web Services
When the public looks for information, they search the internet. Project details, tenders for bidding, forms to fill out, blogs to read, latest CVSE news… that content is all available. But it doesn't happen magically. There's a lot of work that goes into making sure it's up to date, it's easy to...
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Ep23 – Tuning into the Radio Program
Breaker Breaker One Niner. Maybe your experience with radio is mainly from television shows? Maybe you had a radio when you played as kids? I'm not talking transit radios either. Today it gets a lot more serious because radios in our ministry are really vital to our work. In this episode, we meet...
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Ep22 – Meet Up with Strategic Human Resources
The environment in which we work, the resources we have available, how we are supported, from the day we come into our "office" to the day we leave, are all vital to the quality of our employee experience. There is a group in our ministry that has a very important hand in supporting the health of...
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Ep21 – Inside the Provincial Sign Shop
Communication is so vital to what we do. And it takes on so many different forms. Whether it's our Dynamic Message Signs, Social Media, Drive BC, News Releases…One of the traditional ways we inform the travelling public is through our road signage. And there is a shop in Kamloops that makes that...
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BONUS 002 - Mindful of Mental Health
How are you doing? How are you feeling? Really. It's vital to understand that our mental health is an important part of our lives. Though it's been a part of who we are for as long as time, awareness around mental health and wellness has become a growing topic of discussion over the years, at…
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Ep20 – Socializing with the Ministry Social Media Team
The public's expectations around how, what and when we communicate continues to change and grow. One of the ways our ministry meets those expectations is through the Social Media Services Team, who use various platforms, social strategies and content creation to provide social customer care.…
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Ep19 – Info Session with the Information Management Branch
Technology is vital to our work. We really can't do much without it. Applications, data recording, DriveBC, highway webcams, digital storage, computers, map imaging and so much more we probably don't even know about. It's the Information Management Branch that has a hand in making this work for…
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Ep18 – Wonderful World of Weather Stations
It's Cold. It's Rainy. It's Hot and Dry. Weather has a huge, HUGE impact on what we do and how we do it. From floods, to avalanches, to wildfire and all the in between. Wouldn't it be helpful if we monitored the weather so we could make more strategic decisions? Spoiler: we do. Climate and…
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Ep17 - Time to Shift into Winter
Weather has a huge impact on our roads. Which is why it's more important than ever to raise your awareness in how you can be a better driver and be prepared to head out in winter driving conditions. Our ministry is a big part in highlighting the importance of this safety with the Shift into…
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Ep16 - Getting to know GCPE
Communications. Public relations. Media Relations. Public Engagement. Our ministry works very hard to connect with so many of our stakeholders. There's actually an entire BC government organization that helps us get the word out about what we do: GCPE. Government Communications and Public...
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BONUS - Prepare for Public Speaking
Not a lot of people like doing it or are comfortable doing it or want to do it. But, if you have an idea, a project or a program you want to get across to people, it's very important to be a strong public speaker. In this BONUS episode of the podcast, we sit down with Ari Hershberg Senior Program...
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Ep15 - Meet our Major Projects
You've heard of the Coquihalla Highway? Port Mann bridge replacement? Evergreen Line? We are heavily involved in making these a reality. We even have a department dedicated to it. In this episode, we chat with Jody Deane, Executive Project Director of the Highway 91/17 and Deltaport Way Upgrade...
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Ep14 - Travel the World of Corporate Finance
Money, money, money. The work of finance impacts everything we do. What we can, what we can't and where we need to be smarter about how we use our funds to go a little farther. It fuels our projects and programs while also letting us eat and pay our mortgages or rent. But how does it all work? In...
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Ep13 - Join Us on our Journey Towards Reconciliation
The work we do impacts so many communities across our province. Their history, their cultures and our relationship with them need to be considered whenever we put together a project. Our indigenous communities and our relationships with them is vital to our success. In this episode, we dig into…
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Ep12 - Inside the Road Runner Newsletter
What's 50 plus years old, the only one of its kind in all the BC Public Service and is driven by employees? Spoiler Alert: The Road Runner Newsletter. In this episode, we talk with long serving editor Nancy McLeod to get behind the scenes on this internal publication that has been a staple of our...
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Ep11 - Welcome to Development Services (formerly Development Approvals)
So you want to do some development along BC highways do you? Well that's where Development Services kick in. Formerly known as Development Approvals, it's one of those business areas that has bigger impacts that you may think. In this episode, we talk with Rajeeta Bains, West Kootenay District...
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Ep10 - Career Profile of Chief Engineer Dirk Nyland
46 years. 46 YEARS! In 1973, the Vietnam War was ending, a dozen eggs were 45 cents, and Elton John released "Crocodile Rock" AND our ministry's chief engineer Dirk Nyland joined MoTI. His history, his lessons learned, his missteps and the advice he'd provide new, mid-career and retiring staff is...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to the TRANsmissions Podcast, broadcasting knowledge across the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.As part of our succession planning and knowledge management in this ministry, Host Russel Lolacher, Web and Social Media Services, will interview ministry staff across our province and at every level to hear about their experiences and best practices. Our focus is to share and learn more about our ministry, the work we do and why we do it.From emergencies to major projects, from highway maintenance to policy, from transit to stakeholder relations, we'll dig into what makes this ministry tick.
HOSTED BY
Russel Lolacher
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The TRANsmissions Podcast have?
The TRANsmissions Podcast currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The TRANsmissions Podcast about?
Welcome to the TRANsmissions Podcast, broadcasting knowledge across the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.As part of our succession planning and knowledge management in this ministry, Host Russel Lolacher, Web and Social Media Services, will interview ministry staff across our...
How often does The TRANsmissions Podcast release new episodes?
The TRANsmissions Podcast has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The TRANsmissions Podcast?
You can listen to The TRANsmissions Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The TRANsmissions Podcast?
The TRANsmissions Podcast is created and hosted by Russel Lolacher.
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