2 years on, the Nunavut government is still trying to get elder mobility vans on the road

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Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-30 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Transportation, Seniors, Social Services, Infrastructure]

Two years after the Government of Nunavut spent $1 million purchasing five elder mobility vans for Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Pangnirtung, and Rankin Inlet, the vehicles remain parked and unused due to a failure to secure operational funding. The initial pilot project contract with the non-profit Northern Future Skills Development expired after the territorial government budgeted only for vehicle purchases and shipments without providing management funds. Premier John Main announced that the government has now approved $1.25 million in funding for the current year to establish an operational policy and seek new organizations to run the transportation service.

B.C. North Coast tanker ban to remain in place after Liberals vote down Tory bill

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-28 22:56:24.0
Tags: [National, British Columbia, Alberta, Energy, Resources, Transportation]

The federal Liberal government voted down Conservative Bill C-264 in the House of Commons, maintaining the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act that prohibits crude oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tonnes along British Columbia's North Coast. The defeated private-member bill aimed to repeal the tanker ban to support a private-sector proposal by Calgary-based Strathcona Resources to ship up to 250,000 barrels of Canadian oil daily via rail through Prince Rupert, B.C. Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government and the British Columbia government previously struck a deal to keep the ban in place, routing a separate proposed pipeline project south to comply with the moratorium.

Smaller airlines ask Transport Canada for pilots' shifts to last up to 14 hours

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-28 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Transportation, Labour, Industry]

At least 18 northern and regional air carriers, including Air Inuit, Air North, and Nolinor Aviation, have petitioned Transport Canada for regulatory exemptions to extend pilots' maximum daily flight duty period from 13 to 14 hours and weekly limits from 60 to 70 hours, while allowing up to 210 hours over a 28-day period. The carriers, represented by the Northern Air Transportation Association, argue that the stricter 2020 federal flight rules fail to accommodate northern weather unpredictability and infrastructure limitations, which lead to severe travel disruptions. The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA Canada) strongly opposes the changes, warning that increased shift lengths will elevate pilot fatigue to dangerous levels and jeopardize flight safety. Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon's office stated that Transport Canada officials are currently reviewing the draft regulatory files.

C-264 (45-1) - An Act to repeal certain restrictions on shipping

Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-10-26 12:35:25.0
Tags: [National, Transportation, Trade, Governance]

Private Member's Bill C-264, titled An Act to repeal certain restrictions on shipping, was introduced in the House of Commons during the 45th Parliament by Conservative Member of Parliament David McKenzie representing Calgary Signal Hill. The legislation proposes to remove specific statutory shipping restrictions and is currently undergoing debate at second reading. Similar legislative attempts to repeal these restrictions were previously introduced as Bill C-229 during past sessions of the 43rd Parliament but did not pass into law.

N.W.T. MLAs decry lengthy medical travel flights for seniors

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-23 17:34:19.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Seniors, Transportation, Governance]

Members of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, including Frame Lake MLA Julian Morse and Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins, decried the physical toll that lengthy, indirect medical travel flights lasting up to six hours to Edmonton take on seniors and elders. Lawmakers raised concerns that doctor-recommended requests for shorter flight exemptions are frequently denied by the Department of Health and Social Services, despite over 23,000 people utilizing the medical travel service annually at a significant taxpayer cost. Newly appointed Health Minister Denny Rodgers stated he is willing to review all aspects of the policy but declined to promise any immediate new exemptions as the government enters the final year of its term.

C-28 (45-1) - Canadian Space Launch Act

Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-10-23 09:34:19.0
Tags: [National, Technology, Defence, Transportation, Governance]

Bill C-28, titled the Canadian Space Launch Act, was introduced in the House of Commons by Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, aiming to amend the Aeronautics Act and other Acts to establish sovereign space launch capabilities in Canada. The legislation underwent debate at second reading on October 23, 2026, following its initial introduction and first reading on April 21, 2026. The bill is part of a broader federal push complementing a $200 million investment by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to position the Nova Scotia spaceport as a cornerstone of national defence and commercial launch capabilities.

Canada Post CEO touts ‘early signs’ of recovery even as financial woes persist

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-22 21:45:13.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Finance, Labour, Transportation]

Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger announced early signs of financial recovery at the Crown corporation's annual public meeting, citing a reduced pre-tax loss of $277 million in the second quarter of the year compared to $407 million the previous year. To address structural challenges, Canada Post is phasing out door-to-door delivery for four million addresses over five years in favor of community mailboxes—targeting 700,000 households by the end of 2027—and launching a direct-to-consumer online marketplace named Canada Shops. These operational overhauls follow the federal government's adoption of recommendations from an Industrial Inquiry Commission led by William Kaplan, which lifted a moratorium on new community mailboxes and rural post office closures.

Canada Post starting weekend parcel delivery in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa this fall

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-22 19:44:37.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Labour, Transportation, Finance]

Canada Post has launched weekend parcel delivery in Ottawa and Montreal, with plans to expand to Toronto in late November 2026 and to Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary the following year, aiming to reach seven million households by the end of 2027. The Crown corporation reported a pre-tax loss of $482 million in the first half of 2026 and continues to rely on federal loans, though parcel revenue grew by 20.7 percent year-over-year in the second quarter. This operational restructuring follows a month-long national strike in December 2024 and the signing of a new collective agreement with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that remains in effect until 2030.

Air Canada cancels 5 more routes to U.S. destinations for 2027

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-22 15:44:44.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Transportation, Tourism]

Air Canada announced the cancellation of five direct flight routes between Canada and the United States for 2027 due to weaker travel demand and ongoing geopolitical and economic tensions. The affected routes include Montreal-Seattle, Vancouver-Nashville, Vancouver-Raleigh-Durham, Toronto Billy Bishop-Boston, and Toronto Pearson-Charleston, marking the complete elimination of Air Canada's direct service to South Carolina. This decline in cross-border air travel follows repeated tariff threats and annexation rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, which led to a 65 per cent drop in Canadian trips to destinations like Myrtle Beach according to University of Toronto data, alongside broader schedule reductions by carriers including WestJet and Air Transat.

$463M Port of Saint John project aims to boost New Brunswick exports

Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-21 21:29:02.0
Tags: [National, New Brunswick, Infrastructure, Transportation, Trade, Economy]

Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announced a $463 million infrastructure initiative called the Saint John Trade Corridor, marking the first project funded through the federal Trade Diversification Corridors Fund. The federal government is contributing $254 million, the Government of New Brunswick is providing $116.5 million, and project delivery partners are supplying the remaining $92.5 million. Key components of the project include dredging the main channel at Port Saint John to allow two-way traffic at high tide, constructing a new 2,787-square-metre Canada Border Services Agency container examination facility, stabilizing shorelines to protect rail capacity at the NBSR Bayshore Rail Terminal, replacing over 100 kilometres of existing rail, and reconstructing the Simms Corner intersection to alleviate congestion and improve safety.

Downtown Whitehorse draft trail plan includes Yukon River bridge crossings

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-20 20:34:43.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Municipal]

The City of Whitehorse, in conjunction with landscape architectural firm Lees+Associates, has presented a draft downtown trail plan featuring two potential Yukon River bridge crossings to improve active transportation and connectivity. One conceptual bridge is proposed near Main Street to connect the waterfront trail to Wickstrom Road near the hospital, while a second multimodal bridge is planned at the northern end of Industrial Road. City officials noted that constructing a single active transportation bridge would cost upwards of $30 million, requiring significant federal capital funding. Additionally, the plan addresses the rehabilitation of the airport trail damaged by landslides, with the City of Whitehorse and the Yukon Government coordinating escarpment stabilization and upper-trail restoration efforts.

N.W.T. RCMP riding high in new twin-engine jet

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-09 23:08:07.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Public Safety]

The Northwest Territories RCMP G Division unveiled a new $21.5-million Pilatus PC-24 twin-engine jet in Yellowknife, replacing its single-engine PC-12 aircraft following a 2023 crash in Whitehorse. The aircraft can land on gravel, ice, and snow runways, operating at altitudes up to 45,000 feet to avoid severe weather and cutting travel times to remote communities nearly in half. Featuring eight seats—double the capacity of the previous model—and a side cargo hatch, the jet will primarily transport RCMP officers, prisoners, and cargo across northern jurisdictions.

Nunavut’s Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions aim to join neighbours not turning back clocks

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-07 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Governance, Transportation]

Following decisions by the Northwest Territories, Alberta, and Manitoba to eliminate seasonal daylight saving time changes, Nunavut's Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions face growing out-of-sync time zones ahead of the November 1 transition. Local officials, including Cambridge Bay MLA Fred Pedersen and Arviat Mayor Joe Savikataaq, are calling on the Government of Nunavut to pass legislation abolishing the time change to maintain operational alignment with vital trade and medical travel hubs. Nunavut Justice Minister George Hickes stated that the Department of Justice is currently assessing the feasibility of ending the practice, noting that a comprehensive review will take several months.

Immigration, high-speed rail and Bill 21: Where new PQ government could test Ottawa

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-07 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Immigration, Infrastructure, Transportation, Justice, Finance, Governance]

Following the Parti Québécois' provincial election victory, Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon faces key policy friction points with Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government. The PQ intends to seek full provincial control over immigration to reduce permanent immigrants to 35,000 and halve temporary immigration quotas, oppose the federal high-speed rail project connecting Toronto to Quebec City via Montreal, and seek $4.4 billion in additional federal transfers. Additionally, the new government plans to challenge federal authority by taking steps to abolish the monarchy in Quebec and cut funding to the lieutenant-governor's office, while awaiting a crucial Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Bill 21.

Long-awaited small craft harbour in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, expected to open in 2030

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 20:53:15.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Fisheries, Indigenous]

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout announced a $77-million federal investment for the construction of a small craft harbour in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, as part of a $106-million commitment made by the federal government in 2024. The construction contract has been awarded to Iqaluit-based Pilitak Enterprises Ltd., featuring an Inuit benefits plan to support local training and employment. The infrastructure will include a breakwater, launch ramp, fixed wharf, floating wharves, and dredged harbour basin and entrance channel to support commercial fishing, marine transportation, tourism, and hunters. Construction is slated to continue through 2029, with the harbour expected to become fully operational for the 2030 open water season.

N.W.T. leaders press Ottawa for major projects investment

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 18:47:19.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Energy, Mining, Indigenous]

The Northwest Territories Council of Leaders, led by Premier R.J. Simpson, Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, and N.W.T. Métis Nation President Garry Bailey, pressed federal ministers in Ottawa for major infrastructure investments as the territory faces the closure of major diamond mines like Ekati, Diavik, and Gahcho Kué. The delegation urged federal funding for Indigenous-led and co-managed projects, including the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, the 800-kilometre Mackenzie Valley Highway extension to Inuvik, the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and the Inuvialuit Energy Security Program. Territorial officials highlighted that historical underfunding and high operating costs leave local governments strained in delivering essential services across 33 communities while trying to pivot their economy.

N.W.T. leaders press Ottawa for major projects investment

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 18:47:19.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Energy, Mining, Indigenous]

Representing the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders, Premier R.J. Simpson, Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, N.W.T. Métis Nation President Garry Bailey, and other regional leaders met in Ottawa to demand federal investments in major northern infrastructure. The proposed initiatives include the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, the 800-kilometer Mackenzie Valley Highway extension to Inuvik, the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and the Inuvialuit Energy Security Program. These investments are framed as vital economic replacements following the closures of the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines in 2026, alongside the upcoming closure of the Gahcho Kué mine in 2028. Territorial officials emphasized that these projects must proceed through co-management and shared decision-making to address both economic transition and severe community challenges such as high living costs and housing shortages.

Nisutlin Bay Bridge replacement to be completed in late 2028, Yukon gov’t says

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-02 22:00:59.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation]

The Yukon government announced that the Nisutlin Bay Bridge replacement project near Teslin, Yukon, is now slated for completion in late 2028, nearly six years after construction began. Construction was paused in 2025 due to soil instability and geotechnical concerns, prompting the territory to terminate contracts with previous firms and hire new engineers under a $5-million contract in June 2026. The project is currently in the design and procurement phase under the Yukon Department of Highways and Public Works, with a tender for remaining construction expected this winter and work resuming next spring. A separate tender is scheduled for the summer of 2029 to demolish the original 1953 truss bridge.

Alto high-speed rail project could cost more than originally thought: budget watchdog

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-01 14:34:52.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Infrastructure, Transportation, Transit, Finance]

A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) indicates that the proposed Alto high-speed rail project connecting Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, and Montreal could cost between $75 billion and $113 billion, higher than official initial estimates of $60 billion to $90 billion. The Crown corporation Alto is overseeing the corridor project, with cost drivers primarily attributed to tunnels and elevated structures, which add $169 million and $153 million per kilometre respectively. The PBO estimates the construction will provide modest economic stimulus, raising real GDP by approximately $1.8 billion in 2029 and $2 billion by 2033 while creating between 4,300 and 9,000 jobs. Federal legislation such as Bill C-5 (the One Canadian Economy Act) may help mitigate project risks, land acquisition hurdles, and permitting delays.

Canada’s airports saw record improvements in delays, NAV Canada says

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-28 15:26:44.0
Tags: [National, British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Transportation, Infrastructure, Governance]

NAV Canada reported that the number of scheduled flights impacted by delays across Canada's four major airports—Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary, and Vancouver International Airports—fell by 85 per cent from May 1 to Aug. 31, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025. Specifically, delayed flights dropped from 4,996 (1.54 per cent) in 2025 to 769 (0.24 per cent) in 2026, while total flight volume across the four hubs increased by 0.9 per cent to handle 394,919 flights. Vancouver recorded the sharpest improvement with delays dropping from 4.42 per cent to 0.64 per cent, Toronto Pearson had the lowest share of delayed flights at 0.04 per cent, Calgary dropped to 0.05 per cent, and Montréal-Trudeau dropped to 0.28 per cent. Additionally, NAV Canada noted that national air traffic controller staffing shortages narrowed from a deficit of 200 staff in the spring to 170 by August. Concurrently, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the federal government is moving ahead with plans to attract private investment in Canada's four largest airports under a model where the federal government retains ownership of underlying land and assets.