THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Wednesday, October 25, 2023
(66)

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications met this day at 6:48 p.m., in room B45, Senate of Canada Building, the deputy chair, the Honourable Julie Miville-Dechêne, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Cardozo, Clement, Dasko, Klyne, Miville-Dechêne, Quinn, Richards and Simons (8).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senator Prosper (1).

Participating in the meeting: Jed Chong and Khamla Heminthavong, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, February 10, 2022, the committee continued its study on the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure in the transportation and communications sectors and the consequential impacts on their interdependencies.

WITNESSES:

Government of New Brunswick:

Rob Taylor, Deputy Minister, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure;

Jim Doyle, Director, Strategic Partnership and Trade Corridors, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure;

Melissa Cummings, Director, Environmental Services, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure;

Michael Pauley, Project Manager.

Government of Nova Scotia:

Peter Hackett, Deputy Minister, Department of Public Works;

Bonnie Miles-Dunn, Director, Federal Infrastructure Programs and Stakeholder Engagements, Department of Public Works;

Kevin Bekkers, Director, Resource Sustainability, Department of Agriculture.

CN:

Martin Guimond, Vice-President, Eastern Region (by videoconference).

Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association:

Chris McKee, Executive Director.

Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Incorporated:

Tracy Cloud, Director of Trilateral Negotiations (by videoconference);

Charles Labillois-Bjorndal, Director of Indigenous Knowledge (by videoconference).

The deputy chair informed the committee of the death of the Honourable Senator Shugart, P.C. The committee observed a moment of silence.

Rob Taylor and Peter Hackett each made a statement and, together with Kevin Bekkers, Melissa Cummings, Jim Doyle, Bonnie Miles-Dunn and Michael Pauley, answered questions.

At 7:42 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 7:47 p.m., the committee resumed.

Martin Guimond, Chris McKee and Tracy Cloud each made a statement and, together with Charles Labillois-Bjorndal, answered questions.

At 8:42 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Angus Wilson

Clerk of the Committee