OTTAWA — Transport Minister David Collenette today released an interim report on railway access issues prepared by the five member Canada Transportation Act (CTA) review panel.

"The CTA review panel has consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, whose interest and participation in this process demonstrates the importance of increased competition in the railway sector," said Mr. Collenette. "This report highlights stakeholder positions, presents a review of the various proposals and provides a framework for their further analysis. The panel has identified several key questions to be answered as their review continues."

The Minister had asked the CTA review panel to submit an interim report by December 31, 2000, on ways to increase competition in the railway sector, including enhanced running rights, proposals for regional railways and other access concepts. The panel was to assess these concepts in the broader context of increasing North American integration and ensuring cost-effective service for shippers over the long term.

"The panel has determined that more detailed work is necessary, especially if they are to properly assess the full economic, regulatory and legal impact of competitive rail access," said Mr. Collenette. "Importantly, they have recognized that there are many points of contention to be examined before progress can be realized. I look forward to their final report this summer."

The full text of the report, as well as more information on past and planned panel activities, is available online at: http://www.reviewcta-examenltc.gc.ca

The CTA review panel began work on July 1, 2000. It has a one-year mandate to review legislation under the responsibility of the Minister of Transport pertaining to the economic regulation of transportation activities.

In addition to the six-month interim report on rail competition, the Minister has asked that the review panel consider other issues. These include:

• the effectiveness of the legislative and regulatory environment to sustain capital expenditures required to enhance productivity and promote innovation;
• support for Canadian transportation stakeholders in meeting global logistics requirements and adapting to the new e-business environment;
• public policy issues that may emerge from newly arising industry structures;
• government powers to support sustainable development objectives; and
• the advisability of measures to preserve urban rail corridors for future mass-transit use.

The biographies of the Canada Transportation Act review panel members are attached.

Contact: Anthony Polci, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Ottawa, (613) 991-0700

BIOGRAPHIES

CANADA TRANSPORTATION ACT  REVIEW PANEL MEMBERS

Mr. Glen Marshall Findlay was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature in 1986, and has served as Minister of Agriculture, Minister responsible for Telecommunications and Minister of Highways and Transportation. Mr. Findlay retired in 1999 and currently owns and operates a family farm in Shoal Lake, Manitoba.

Mr. Findlay holds a doctorate in nutritional science from the University of Illinois, and received a B.SC Ag. and a master's degree from the University of Manitoba. Following post-doctoral research funded by the National Research Council of Canada, he was a professor with the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba from 1970 to 1977.

In addition to working with professional organizations, Mr. Findlay has been involved in numerous community activities.

Mr. Brian Flemming, CM, QC, is a Halifax consultant, columnist and lawyer. He graduated in science from Saint Mary's University, and in law from the Dalhousie Law School, University College London and the Hague Academy of International Law. Admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1963, he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1978, and called to the Ontario Bar in 1981. He practiced law for many years with Stewart McKelvey Stirling and Scales, and its predecessor firms.

Between 1970 and 1976, Mr. Flemming was a member and vice-chairman of the Canada Council, and director of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He also taught commercial law at Saint Mary's University and public international law at Dalhousie University and is currently a member of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, the International Ocean Institute, and the Pearson College of the Pacific. He is a former director of Noranda Inc., VGM Capital, and Brunswick Mining and has led, or been part of, many Canadian delegations to international conferences and meetings, and was founding chair of the International Centre for Ocean Development. He recently led the group that commercialized Marine Atlantic's Bay of Fundy ferry services for the Government of Canada.

From 1976 to 1979, Mr. Flemming was Assistant Principal Secretary to the Rt. Hon. Pierre Elliot Trudeau. In 1984, he left active law practice to pursue private business interests. Currently, in addition to serving as a consultant, Mr. Flemming writes a weekly column for the Halifax Daily News, and he is writing a book on the future of government regulation in the information economy.

Mr. Flemming was awarded the Order of Canada in 1989 for his contributions to law and his volunteer community activities. He received the Canada 125 medal, as well as an honourary doctorate from the University of King's College, where he is currently chairman of its Board of Governors.

Mr. Jean Patenaude received both a BA and a degree in law from the University of Ottawa and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1976. He has over 20 years of experience in transportation and law.

Mr. Patenaude was counsel to the Canadian Transport Commission in both the National Capital Region and in the Commission's Western division, where he participated in the planning of the Canadian western rail network and the development of recommendations for the transportation of dangerous goods by rail.

Mr. Patenaude served as general counsel for VIA Rail Canada Inc., and as a policy advisor for the Department of Transport and for the Railway Safety Act Committee. Most recently, he has been vice-chairperson of the Canadian Transportation Agency.

The Honourable Robert Keith Rae is currently a partner at the Canadian international law firm of Goodman Phillips & Vineberg. He has extensive experience in negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Mr. Rae led the New Democratic Party of Ontario from 1982 to 1996, and became the premier of Ontario in 1990.

Among his numerous academic credentials are a BA and an LLB from the University of Toronto, a B. Phil. degree from Oxford University, and Honourary Doctorates of Laws from both the Law Society of Upper Canada and the University of Toronto. Mr. Rae was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1984, and was appointed to Her Majesty's Privy Council in 1998.

Mr. Rae is the president of the Forum of Federations, chairman of the Royal Conservatory of Music, and a director of the Canadian Ditchley Foundation. He recently served as the chief negotiator in the restructuring of the Canadian Red Cross Society. He is a panel member of the International Trade Disputes Tribunal, and a panel member of international commercial arbitrators with the Canadian Council for International Business, and a member of the Security and Intelligence Review Committee for Canada.

Dr. William G. Waters II has been a professor and director at the Centre for Transportation Studies in the faculty of Commerce and Business Administration at the University of British Columbia for 30 years, and has had visiting appointments at Oxford University and the Universities of Sydney and Tasmania. His courses include economics, transportation and government-business relations, and he has published extensively on many transportation-related topics.

Dr. Waters has been a consultant to various organizations including the Economic Council of Canada, the World Bank, the Association of American Railroads, and co-authored the background report for the Transportation Industry Forum of the 1997 APEC Conference. He is also a past president of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum (CTRF) and is serving on the Forum's board of directors this year. He was also editor-in-chief, Transportation Research, E (the Logistics and Transportation Review).