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The Railway Association of Canada marked the 90th anniversary of its founding on Dec. 1. Its predecessors, the Canadian Railway Association for National Defence and the Canadian Railway War Board, were created in the fall of 1917 to expedite the flow of freight cars back from the United States to help the Canadian war effort during the first world war. “The concept worked exceptionally well, and the volunteer, national board continued to coordinate related industrial activities after the war,” said Cliff Mackay, the RAC’s President and CEO. Today, the RAC represents 54 freight and passenger railways, which move 75 per cent of surface freight and transport 72 million passengers by rail annually, and 40 associate members.
VIA Rail Canada and CN have won the Railway Association of Canada’s 2009 environmental awards for passenger and freight railways in the country. GO Transit and Canadian Pacific won the industry’s safety awards, and short line operator Central Manitoba Railway received an honorable mention. The awards were presented during the RAC’s annual general meeting, trade show and research conference in Calgary.
Cliff Mackay, President and CEO of the association, said: “The awards program encourages excellence in employee performance and shares best work practices throughout society.” The RAC represents some 50 freight and passenger railways in Canada and encourages workers to adopt safe, environmental practices and operational techniques.
CN’s award, in the freight category, was presented for their development of a greenhouse gas modal shift protocol that helps assess the benefits of shifting freight transportation from truck to rail. The protocol was recently approved for use in the Alberta GHG Offset System and is being converted for submission to the federal system.
VIA was recognized for their initiative in creating Enviro Expo awards for Canadian high school students, in cooperation with Youth Science Canada, VIA employees, teachers and the public. The program participated in 100 regional science fairs across Canada last year -- a 22 per cent increase -- and involved more than 20,000 young people. VIA’s 11 Green Teams championed the effort, and VIA employees participated as judges, presenters and information providers. There were gold, silver and bronze medal winners in each age category, honorable mention certificates and three $10,000 scholarships for the gold medal winners.
In the public-private sector, GO Transit partnered with the Mikey Network and the Toronto EMS Cardiac Safe City program, to win in the RAC’s passenger safety category. They successfully installed 100 public-access defibrillators across the commuter system’s coaches and stations. Trained personnel on board and station attendants can also use the units. They can increase the chance of surviving a heart attack by up to 50 per cent.
CP’s new Customer Safety handbook won the industry’s safety award for freight railways. The handbook has been completely revised, reorganized and updated with current railway health, safety, security and environmental information.
There has been a 64 per cent reduction in third party caused train accidents on customer track since the handbook was first issued. CP and their customers currently focus on key common interests of restricted clearances, track maintenance procedures and proper handling of railway equipment.
Central Manitoba Railway, a short line, received an honorable mention for their week of emergency preparedness activities that increased employee skills and awareness, that of emergency responders and other stakeholders in managing safety and emergency incidents. They also conducted a full-blown simulation exercise with heavy railway equipment and an “injured” employee in conjunction with the Springfield Fire and Rescue Services. The open house gave many employees’ families an opportunity to visit their work site.
This fall sees students in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Winnipeg aim to enter the next generation of the railway. While future conductors attending Red River College in Winnipeg will wait until November to begin their program, students at BCIT, SAIT, and George Brown College are already attending classes and preparing for their practical training programs. With keen industry partners like the Central Manitoba Railway in Winnipeg and the Ontario Southland Railway, students have the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom in a real railway environment.
If you are interested in learning about these programs, as well as programs offered in other locations, click here.
Operation Lifesaver has re-launched its website with a brand new look and feel. The new site incorporates new material, videos and resources formatted for all ages to help reduce deaths and injuries around freight and passenger trains. The site, at www.operationlifesaver.ca, is “user friendly” and much easier to navigate, said Dan Di Tota, national director of the program.
“It will promote awareness and make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for. Year-to-date and longer term statistics and graphs are easy to find. A new resources section, organized by intended audience, will help teachers, parents and others, find everything they need,” said Mr. Di Tota. A new events page will highlight upcoming events and recognize individuals and groups, including event stakeholders. As well, the Home page will include a regular public opinion poll for participants. The former site attracted an average of 240,000 visitors a month.
The Operation Lifesaver program was formed in Canada in 1981 by Transport Canada, the Railway Association of Canada and their partners. It has reduced highway-railway collisions by 74 per cent and trespassing incidents by 58 per cent since then.
From June 1 to 5, first responders and shippers attended the RAC's Dangerous Goods team "Railway Emergency Response" course at the Justice Institute of British Columbia in Maple Ridge, BC.
30 students from all over Canada and one from the US learned the skills needed to safely and effectively respond to a dangerous goods incident in railway transport.
The program, developed by the RAC DG Team, exposes the students to Incident Command, Site Assessment techniques, tank car valving and damage assessment, leak repair, product characteristics, flaring and transferring.
Adding to the value of the course were the experienced lecturers and guest speakers, not to mention the excellent facilities the Justice Institute which has an actual train derailment, demonstration valve stands and other props that a first responder may find at a rail incident. Students worked in the BC sun with a Rocky Mountain backdrop to conduct site safety and tank car damage assessments leading to product transfers.
OTTAWA -- Operation Lifesaver launched a new website for children today (Friday) to help reduce crossing and trespassing incidents around trains. The site is accessible in English at www.olkids.ca or French at www.ogjeunes.ca. Dan Di Tota, national director of Operation Lifesaver, said it includes stories, games, audio and video clips, posters and safety tips.
The website launch is part of Operation Lifesaver’s Rail Safety Week that is underway and involves more than 200 municipalities across Canada. The site features Rover, the Railway Safety Rabbit, and the Train Your Brain activity book.
The Rail Safety Week also includes mock collisions, driver education classes for new motorists, safety blitzes and trespass enforcement initiatives at several locations across the country. Operation Lifesaver promotes safe decisions around highway-railway crossings and freight and passenger train operations. It is sponsored by Transport Canada, the nation’s railways and their partners.
Crossing collisions dropped to 214 in 2008 from 221 the year earlier. Trespass incidents were down to 73 last year from 101 in 2007. Crossing fatalities, 73, were unchanged year over year but trespass fatalities dropped from 57 in 2007 to 47 last year. Serious injuries at crossings increased from 22 in 2007 to 36 last year but serious injuries from trespassing dropped from 27 the year prior to 20 in 2008.
Operation Lifesaver's Rail Safety Week was launched yesterday in more than 200 municipalities across Canada. The national campaign promotes safe decisions around highway-railway crossings and freight and passenger train operations. It is sponsored by Transport Canada, the nation's railways and their partners.
Crossing collisions dropped to 214 in 2008 from 221 the year earlier. Trespass incidents were down to 73 last year from 101 in 2007. Crossing fatalities, 73, were unchanged year over year but trespass fatalities dropped from 57 in 2007 to 47 last year. Serious injuries at crossings increased from 22 in 2007 to 36 last year but serious injuries from trespassing dropped from 27 the year prior to 20 in 2008. Dan Di Tota, National Director of Operation Lifesaver, said virtually all the incidents can be prevented with care and attention. "The life you save could be your own," he said.
As part of the Rail Safety Week activities, Operation Lifesaver announced that a Hamilton man, Tom Allan, has been selected as the organization's 2009 Roger Cyr Award winner. The award is presented annually to individuals who reduce highway-railway crossing collisions and trespass incidents. Allan, an Operation Lifesaver volunteer presenter since October of 2004, was knighted into the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in 2007 for some 40 years of service and around 25,000 hours of volunteer work. He was St. John Ambulance's chief training officer for Canada and retired as CN's Manager of First Aid and Safety.
The Rail Safety Week also includes mock collisions, interactive kiosks, websites for kids, driver education classes for new motorists, safety blitzes and trespass enforcement initiatives at several locations across the country.
Among the activities planned GO Transit will host Rail & Road Safety Day, welcoming over 400 grade 3 and 4 students to learn safety lessons in an interactive way. Students from across the GTA will spend the day at Union Station participating in 13 educational stations hosted by members of the Toronto Area Safety Coalition. GO is also holding a customer contest on its website highlighting the importance of rail safety. Correct entries will be eligible to win one of three GO monthly passes.
CP Police officers from Montreal to Vancouver will conduct more than 100 safety and enforcement blitzes in communities across Canada, including Mission, BC, on Saturday. "Awareness helps prevent tragic consequences from occurring and creates a safer situation for everybody," said CP Police Sgt. Steve Gregoris. "During Rail Safety Week, officers across our system have the opportunity to further educate the public to deter the risk-taking behaviour, through enforcement activities." The CP Police will be set up May 2 at the London Avenue crossing in Mission conducting a traffic enforcement blitz.
Meanwhile, CN Police kicked off their Rail Safety Week activities yesterday in Prince George, BC, with safety blitz operations at the city's major crossings. CN Police will conduct safety blitz operations throughout the week at railway crossings and commuter stations in about 180 locations across Canada and the US. For more information on National Rail Safety Public Awareness Week, visit Operation Lifesaver's website at www.operationlifesaver.ca.
David G. A. McLean, chairman of the board of directors of CN (TSX: CNR)(NYSE: CNI), announced today the board's selection of Claude Mongeau to succeed E. Hunter Harrison as president and chief executive officer of the company at the end of 2009. Mongeau, 47, currently CN's executive vice-president and chief financial officer, has held successively senior positions since joining the company in 1994.
McLean said: "CN's board of directors is delighted to announce the selection of Claude Mongeau. The board thoroughly reviewed the company's future strategic priorities and the skills and attributes required of our new CEO. We are confident that Claude is the best candidate to build on the successes achieved to date.
"Claude is an exceptional executive and leader. He is one of the architects of CN's industry-leading financial performance and the key strategist behind the highly successful rail acquisitions that have grown CN's reach throughout North America and made it a key industry player. He has a keen appreciation of the power of CN's unique business model - Precision Railroading - and will be supported by an outstanding team of railroaders."
Mongeau said: "I deeply appreciate the board's confidence and I look forward to leading CN. I am excited about the company's future and firmly believe market trends strongly favour the growth of rail transportation. CN is superbly positioned for the future, thanks to the work of Hunter Harrison and our executive team, and I am committed to fulfilling that potential by continuing to drive innovation, greater efficiency and better service for our customers."
Harrison, 64, became CN's president and chief executive on Jan. 1, 2003. Prior to that he served as CN's executive vice-president and chief operating officer. Harrison has received numerous accolades, including Railroader of the Year by Railway Age magazine and Canada's CEO of the Year by Report on Business magazine.
McLean said: "Hunter is a seminal figure in the railroad business, with his ground-breaking Precision Railroading operating model that's driven significant efficiency gains and shareholder value at CN. He has provided outstanding leadership and service at CN, leading to the creation of a great North American railroad and grooming an excellent successor. Hunter also devoted countless hours to training the next generation of great railroaders at CN. Today's announcement begins an orderly period of leadership transition at CN that will maintain CN's position as an industry leader in creating value for customers and shareholders."
Harrison said: "Claude is a key member of my management team at CN, and I have the greatest confidence in his abilities. I've worked very closely with him on every aspect of the business. Over the next few months Claude and I will work very closely together to ensure a seamless transition at year-end."
As executive vice-president and chief financial officer, Mongeau has led CN's strategic planning process and is responsible for the overall financial management of CN, as well as the information technology function.
In 1997, the Financial Post Magazine named Mongeau one of Canada's top 40 executives under 40 years of age. In 2005, he was selected Canada's CFO of the Year by an independent committee of prominent Canadian business leaders.
CSA Group, today officially launched its 90th anniversary celebrations. CSA Group offices across Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe will be joining in the festivities recognizing nine decades of helping to improve public safety, the environment, the global economy and quality of life.
“At CSA Group, what we do is all about life. For 90 years, CSA Group has demonstrated vision, leadership, determination and passion for making standards work for people and business in Canada and globally,” says Julia Hill, Chair of the Board, CSA Group. “As we celebrate the 90th anniversary and remarkable achievements by members, employees, clients, and stakeholders, I am confident that CSA Group is well-positioned to develop and apply innovative solutions and new service offerings for decades ahead.”
The centrepiece of the anniversary year is the establishment of the Canadian Standards Association 90th Anniversary Scholarship at George Brown College in Toronto. As CSA’s first standard was in steel railway bridge construction, the scholarship, matched by the Government of Ontario, will be in the college’s Railway Conductor Program.
About CSA Group
CSA Group is an independent, not-for-profit membership association serving business, industry, government and consumers. CSA Group consists of three divisions:Canadian Standards Association, a leading solutions based standards organization, providing standards development, application products, training and advisory services; CSA International, which provides testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information, visit www.csagroup.org
There will be an information session offered to potential students on
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, from
10:00 a..m. - 11:00 a.m., in the
Orange Lecture Theatre, Notre Dame Campus. For more information on the Red River College Railway Conductor program, click here.
Red River College will begin their Railway Conductor Program in the Spring of 2009. The college has received approval to begin offering the program and will work closely with the Railway Association of Canada to ensure a successful launch. There will be an information session offered to potential students on
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, from
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm, in the
Green Lecture Theatre, Notre Dame Campus. For more information on the Red River College Railway Conductor program, click here.
The RAC will update the news section of Career on Track as our College Partners release information on upcoming information sessions. These events are a great way to learn about the Railway Conductor Programs and the colleges who offer them.
Calgary: SAIT, the RAC's college partner in Calgary, is holding Information Sessions for individuals interested in enrolling in their upcoming Railway Conductor Program starting in January 2009. Talk to instructors and staff, take a tour of the Rail Centre, and find out how this program can benefit you. Sessions will be held on October 22 and November 19, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Centre for Rail Training and Technology, Buck Crump Building, 1940 Centre Avenue NE. If you have questions about the program or the information sessions, please contact the Rail Centre at (403) 210-4150. Click here to learn more about the Railway Conductor program offered at SAIT!
Vancouver: BCIT, the RAC's college partner in Vancouver, is holding Information Sessions during the first Wednesday of each month (October 1, November 5, December 3) from 5:00 p.m. - 7:0 p.m. at the BCIT's Great Northern Way Campus (555 Great Northern Way) in Room 201A. If you have questions about the program or the information sessions, please contact the program's Chief Instructor, Monica Serbanescu at (604) 451-6838. Click here to learn more about the Railway Conductor program offered at BCIT!
Toronto: The Railway Conductor Program information sessions at George Brown College will be held at the Casa Loma Campus, 146 Kendal Avenue in Toronto. They are scheduled for Tuesday, September 23rd from 7-9 P.M., Saturday, November 8th from 1-3 P.M., and Thursday, December 4th from 7-9 P.M. Click here to learn more about the Railway Conductor program offered at George Brown College!
Kent Flint, Director of Workforce Development with the Railway Association of Canada (RAC), announced today that the RAC has signed a Statement of Intentions with Winnipeg 's Red River College to start the process of bringing a Railway Conductor pre-employment training program to Manitoba .
"Winnipeg has a great railway tradition," says Flint , "and we are looking forward to growing our relationship with Red River College as we continue to expand our network of Canadian Community College Partners."
The Railway Conductor Program is likely to commence with its first class in either late 2008 or in early 2009. Check back to Career on Track for updates as they become available. Interested potential students are asked to contact Red River College 's Betty McInerney at (204) 632-2408.
Confederation College in Thunder Bay is the newest educational partner to offer the Railway Association of Canada's Conductor Program. Beginning in September 2008, Confederation College will start to offer the pre-employment training program aimed at delivering quality graduates to Canada 's railway industry. More information will be available soon on Career on Track or you can contact John Hatton at the college directly via telephone at (807) 475-6626 or email at hatton@confederationc.on.ca.
Career on Track was in Surrey, B.C. at the Cloverdale Agriplex to greet over 6,000 secondary school students at the Trading Up Career Fair. The event, held on April 8-9, allowed students the opportunity to learn about a variety of careers including options discussed by Career on Track.
Monica Serbanescu, Chief Instructor of the Railway Conductor Program at BCIT joined the Railway Association of Canada’s Kent Flint at the event.
Students who subscribed to our eNewsletter, Signal, were automatically entered in a draw to win an iPod Shuffle - Congratulations to
Chris Cabalquinto of
Johnston Heights Secondary School who won the contest!
Career on Track is coming to the lower mainland of British Columbia to discuss a variety of railway career options with secondary aged students. We will have a booth at the 4th Annual Trading Up Fair and Exhibition on April 8-9, 2008 at the Cloverdale Agriplex in Surrey. Grade 10 students from the Surrey, Delta, and Langley School Districts will attend the event during classroom hours as a required part of their Planning 10 curriculum. Students in grades 8-12 around the Lower Mainland will also be invited to attend during daytime hours. Students who visit the Career on Track Booth will be invited to complete a ballot to be entered into a draw to win an iPod Shuffle. Take a look at the event website at www.gotradingup.ca to learn more.
SAIT, the RAC's college partner in Calgary, is holding Information Sessions for individuals interested in enrolling in their upcoming Railway Conductor Program starting September 2, 2008. Talk to instructors and staff, take a tour of the Rail Centre, and find out how this program can benefit you. Sessions will be held on March 13, and April 22, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Centre for Rail Training and Technology, 1940 Centre Avenue NE. If you have questions about the program or the information sessions, please contact the Rail Centre at (403) 210-4150 or email rail@sait.ca .
The Vancouver-based BCIT Railway Conductor Program will be holding a information sessions for individuals interested in enrolling in their upcoming (Spring and Fall) Railway Conductor Programs. These sessions offer a great opportunity for those interested in Conductor training to hear directly from college staff and instructors about Railway pre-employment training at BCIT.
The sessions will be held during the first Wednesday of each month from 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the BCIT's Great Northern Way Campus (555 Great Northern Way) in Room 201A.
If you have questions about the program or the information sessions, please contact the program's Chief Instructor, Monica Serbanescu at (604) 451-6838.
Click here to learn more about the Railway Conductor program offered at BCIT!
Traditionally the George Brown College Railway Conductor Program has only been offered in January and September. But a high level of interest in the program combined by industry demand for new Conductors has prompted the addition of a third offering of the program. The additional program will start on May 5, 2008.
The College is holding information sessions for individuals interested in learning more about the Spring or Fall intakes. Evening sessions will be held on March 13 and April 16 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. This is a good opportunity for perspective students to hear more about the program from college staff and instructors. Contact the college directly if you have any questions about the sessions or location.
Click here to learn more about the Railway Conductor program offered at George Brown!
The Railway Association of Canada is pleased to welcome the new students who are entering Winter 2008 Railway Conductor Programs at Canadian Colleges. Students in Vancouver and Toronto are the first intake of 2008. The RAC and its college partners anticipate that enrolment in programs throughout the year will produce the largest pool of Conductor graduates since the program’s inception.
Given the combination of the program’s outdoor exercises and Canadian winter weather that is often unpredictable, students at BCIT and George Brown will experience a true appreciation for the realities of working as a Conductor with Canada’s Railway Companies.
Conductor programs at these colleges, as well as at NAIT and SAIT in Alberta, are offering additional intakes throughout the year. Visit our Training Programs section to learn more about the programs that are offered.
The Railway Association of Canada is proud to announce the launch of the new Career on Track website, designed to showcase careers in the rail industry! The website profiles occupations, training and apprenticeship programs and job opportunities in rail, one of Canada’s fastest growing industries.
Site visitors will find detailed descriptions of career choices and video segments to demonstrate exactly what careers in rail are really like. careerontrack.ca also promotes the exceptional training programs available in select colleges across Canada and provides details about a variety of apprenticeship opportunities.
For more information, please contact the Railway Association of Canada at info@careerontrack.ca
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