Government of Canada invests in strengthening resilience to climate at the Port of Toronto

TORONTO, March 4, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada's trade moves through many federal transportation assets, such as the St. Lawrence Seaway, major ports, airports, and land border crossings. These are vital to the country's trade and economic competitiveness. In an era of rapidly moving global supply chains, federal assets are part of a transportation system that must be reliable, efficient and resilient to such things as changing climate and weather.

Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced that the Government of Canada is investing $50,000 to strengthen the Toronto Port Authority's infrastructure against the impacts of a changing climate.

The Port of Toronto is one of Canada's largest major inland ports. Through funding from the Transportation Assets Risk Assessment program, the Toronto Port Authority will undertake a vulnerability assessment of the port's infrastructure. The study will improve understanding of climate change impacts on their assets and operations, while also guiding future plans for infrastructure investments and improvements.  

By funding projects that assess climate risk, the Government of Canada is taking action to protect Canadians and their communities from the effects of climate change while strengthening the resilience of the transportation system.

Quote

"Canada needs to plan for climate change in order to keep people safe and healthy. The Government of Canada investing in the assessment project to ensure the Toronto Port Authority is prepared for unexpected disruptions and is ready for the climate change risks the future may bring."

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

• Climate change and extreme weather events can damage transportation infrastructure such as roads, bridges, rail lines, ports and airports, which can cause costly travel and transport delays, undermining the safety, efficiency, and reliability of our transportation system.
• The Transportation Assets Risk Assessment program funds the assessment of climate risk to provide information to asset owners and operators on what infrastructure components may be vulnerable to climate and weather-related hazards to support investment and asset management planning.

Associated Links

• The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change
• Transport Canada's 2017-2020 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Transportation Assets Risk Assessment program

SOURCE Transport Canada