Questions and responses 45th Parliament, 1st session May 26, 2025, to present

With regard to pilot licensing compliance and enforcement: (a) how many instances has Transport Canada identified since 2015 in which a pilot operated without the licence, rating, endorsement, or medical certificate required for their position, broken down by year; (b) how many administrative monetary penalties were issued in relation to such violations, broken down by year; (c) what was the total value of the penalties in (b), broken down by year; (d) how many pilot licence verification exercises, audits, reviews, or inspections were conducted by Transport Canada in each year since 2015; and (e) how many licence irregularities were identified through the activities in (d), broken down by year?

With regard to Transport Canada's licensing, certification, screening, and safety oversight information technology systems and modernization projects since January 1, 2015: (a) what projects have been undertaken to modernize, replace, or enhance such systems; (b) what was the original planned completion date and what is the current projected or actual completion date for each project; (c) what was the original approved budget and what is the current projected or actual cost for each project; (d) which projects have experienced delays and what were the reasons for each delay; (e) which projects have experienced cost overruns and what were the reasons for each overrun; (f) what department, agency, or organization was responsible for the procurement and implementation of each project; (g) for each project that experienced a delay, was the delay attributable, in whole or in part, to the procurement process, and, if so, what were the details; and (h) what impact, if any, did the delays in (d) have on Transport Canada's licensing, certification, screening, inspection, regulatory, or safety oversight activities?

With regard to government information, studies, analyses, assessments, briefing notes, reports, consultations, and engagements related to technologies designed to provide vehicle safety and extrication information to first responders, including rescue sheets, rescue cards, QR-code-based systems, and similar emergency response information systems: (a) what studies, analyses, assessments, briefing notes, reports, or consultations has Transport Canada undertaken, commissioned, or participated in since January 1, 2015; (b) for each item in (a), what was its title, date, purpose, and key findings or conclusions; (c) what information does Transport Canada have regarding vehicle manufacturers selling vehicles in Canada that utilize such systems; and (d) what discussions, consultations, or engagements has Transport Canada had with vehicle manufacturers, industry associations, emergency responders, firefighting organizations, or other stakeholders regarding the use of such systems?

With regard to government statistics related to motor vehicle extrications conducted by fire departments and first responders in Canada: (a) what was the total number of motor vehicle extrications in each year since 2015, broken down by province and territory; (b) what was the total number of incidents requiring the use of hydraulic rescue tools in each year since 2015, broken down by province and territory; and (c) what was the total number of individuals extricated from motor vehicles in each year since 2015, broken down by province and territory?

With regard to the government’s announcement of approximately $200 million in funding related to the Nova Scotia spaceport project involving Maritime Launch Services: (a) what is the total amount of funding committed, broken down by (i) department or agency, (ii) program or funding stream, (iii) type of funding (grant, loan, loan guarantee, repayable contribution), (iv) any conditions attached to the funding; (b) what process was used to approve the funding, including (i) whether a competitive process was conducted, (ii) the evaluation criteria used, (iii) all departments, agencies, or external advisors involved in the assessment; (c) what due diligence was conducted prior to the approval of the funding, including (i) financial viability assessments, (ii) ownership structure and beneficial ownership, (iii) any foreign investment or partnerships; (d) what are the details of each meeting that took place between government officials, including ministers or ministers’ offices, and any third-party consultants, lobbyists, or law firms in relation to Maritime Launch Services or the Nova Scotia spaceport project, including (i) the dates on which they occurred, (ii) the names and titles of the attendees, (iii) the type of meeting (zoom, in person, etc.), (iv) the agenda; (e) what are the details of each meeting that took place between government officials, including ministers or ministers’ offices, and any external parties representing interests in relation to Maritime Launch Services or the Nova Scotia spaceport project, including (i) the dates on which they occurred, (ii) the names and titles of the attendees, (iii) the type of meeting (zoom, in person, etc.), (iv) the agenda; and (f) what are the details of all briefing notes, memoranda, or other materials related to these meetings or communications that were prepared for the minister or the deputy minister, regardless of whether such materials are publicly available, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) sender, (iii) recipients, (iv) title, (v) type of document, (vi) file number?

With regard to reports received by Transport Canada and the Minister of Transport on service delays, late trains, and cancellations in the Québec City—Windsor Corridor between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2026: (a) how many formal reports, briefings, or presentations addressing service delays, late trains, or cancellations were provided to (i) the Minister of Transport, (ii) the Office of the Minister, (iii) Transport Canada officials; (b) what are the titles and dates of these reports, briefings, or presentations; (c) how many meetings took place between passenger rail operators and the Minister of Transport, or their staff, during which service delays, late trains, or cancellations in the Québec City—Windsor Corridor were listed as an agenda item or subject of discussion; and (d) what are the details, including the dates and titles of the attendees, for each meeting in (c)?

With regard to government information on stolen motor vehicles being illegally exported from Canada: (a) how many stolen motor vehicles has the Canada Border Services Agency or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police retrieved at (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, before being illegally exported from Canada, broken down by year from 2021 to 2026; (b) how many vehicles does the Canada Border Services Agency or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police estimate have been illegally exported from Canada via (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, broken down by year from 2021 to 2026; and (c) what percentage of outgoing containers from (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, have been scanned for goods being illegally exported from Canada, broken down by year from 2021 to 2026?

With regard to meetings or communications between the government and asset management firms, pension funds, infrastructure funds, private equity firms or any of their subsidiaries related to the potential privatization, leasing, sale, or other forms of private-sector involvement in federally-regulated airport infrastructure, since January 1, 2020: (a) how many meetings or communications took place involving (i) the Minister of Transport, (ii) the Deputy Minister of Transport, (iii) senior officials at Transport Canada, (iv) exempt staff in the Office of the Transport Minister, (v) the Privy Council Office, (vi) the Prime Minister's Office, with external stakeholders on this subject; (b) what are the details of each such meeting, including the (i) date, (ii) names and titles of the attendees, (iii) type of meeting (zoom, in person, etc.), (iv) agenda items; and (c) what are the details of all briefing notes, memoranda, or other materials related to these meetings or communications prepared for the minister or the deputy minister, regardless of whether such materials are publicly available, including, for each, (i) date, (ii) sender, (iii) recipients, (iv) title, (v) type of document, (vi) file number?

With regard to government information about service disruptions to telecommunications networks in Canada that were caused in whole or in part by theft, attempted theft or vandalism of copper or other metal components of network infrastructure, for the period from January 1, 2020, to the most recent date for which data is available: (a) how many such service disruptions have been reported by telecommunications service providers to the government, broken down by year and by municipality; (b) for each disruption in (a), what was the estimated number of affected customers and the duration of the disruption; (c) how many of the disruptions in (a) affected (i) wireline telephone service, (ii) mobile phone service, (iii) internet service, (iv) access to 911 emergency services; (d) for each year in the period, what proportion of the total number of reported service disruptions to telecommunications networks was attributable, in whole, or in part to theft, attempted theft or vandalism of copper or other metal components; and (e) what guidance, directives or requirements, if any, has the government issued to telecommunications service providers regarding the reporting, prevention and mitigation of service disruptions linked to theft, attempted theft or vandalism of copper or other metal components of network infrastructure?

With regard to VIA Rail’s reporting to Transport Canada and to the Minister of Transport on service delays, late trains and cancellations in the Québec City—Windsor Corridor between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2025: (a) how many formal reports, briefings or presentations addressing service delays, late trains or cancellations were provided by VIA Rail to (i) the Minister of Transport, (ii) the office of the minister, (iii) Transport Canada officials; (b) what are the titles and dates of these reports, briefings or presentations; (c) how many formal meetings took place between VIA Rail and the Minister of Transport or their staff during which service delays, late trains or cancellations in the Québec City—Windsor Corridor were listed as an agenda item or subject of discussion; and (d) what are the details including dates and titles of attendees for each meeting in (c)?

With regard to meetings or communications between the government and Brookfield Asset Management or any of its subsidiaries, including Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, since January 1, 2020: (a) how many meetings or communications have occurred involving the Minister of Transport, the Deputy Minister, senior officials at Transport Canada or exempt staff; (b) on what dates did each meeting or communication occur; (c) who participated in each meeting or communication, including government representatives and Brookfield representatives; (d) what were the titles, reference numbers or subject headings of any briefing materials prepared for the minister, deputy minister or senior officials in advance of, or following, each meeting; and (e) what subject matter was listed in any agendas, meeting summaries, notes-for-record or records of decision associated with these meetings or communications?

With regard to any analysis, briefing notes, reports, memoranda or presentations prepared for the Minister of Transport, the Deputy Minister, or senior officials at Transport Canada, since January 1, 2020, concerning airport governance models, airport authority structures, federal airport lease arrangements or options to attract private-sector capital investment in airports: (a) how many such documents exist; (b) what are the titles, authors and dates of each document; (c) which federal departments, agencies or Crown corporations contributed to the preparation of these documents; (d) were any external stakeholders consulted during the preparation of these documents, and, if so, which organizations or individuals; and (e) were any outside firms or consultants contracted to support this work, and, if so, what were the details of each contract, including the (i) vendor, (ii) value, (iii) date, (iv) description of the goods or services provided, (v) purpose, (vi) manner in which the contract was awarded (sole-sourced or competitive bid)?

With regard to the Alto high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City (formerly known as VIA Rail’s high-frequency rail project): (a) what are the projected start and completion dates for each major project phase, including the (i) design, (ii) environmental assessment, (iii) permitting, (iv) land acquisition, (v) construction; and (b) what are the corresponding critical-path milestones and target completion dates identified by Transport Canada or Alto (formerly VIA HFR–VIA TGF Inc.)?

With regard to the Alto high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City (formerly known as VIA Rail’s high-frequency rail project), and the Pre-Development Agreement between Alto (formerly VIA HFR–VIA TGF Inc.) and Projet Cadence Rail s.e.c.: what is the total amount in dollars paid to date and what is the total amount in dollars committed to be paid under the agreement, broken down by (i) fiscal year, (ii) funding source or departmental vote, (iii) deliverable category or milestone (preliminary design, engineering studies, consultation activities, permitting work, or management services)?

With regard to the Alto high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City (formerly known as VIA Rail’s high-frequency rail project): (a) what is the incremental cost difference between the previous high-frequency rail concept and the current high-speed rail scope, as referenced in Alto's (formerly VIA HFR–VIA TGF Inc.) document “Fast Forward: Shaping Canada’s Future with a High-Speed Rail Network” (March 2025), broken down by (i) capital civil works, (ii) rolling stock, (iii) electrification and power supply, (iv) property acquisition and land assembly, (v) environmental assessment and permitting, (vi) Indigenous consultation and accommodation, (vii) project management and owner’s costs, (viii) risk or contingency allowances; and (b) what are the corresponding total figures and confidence levels associated with each category in (a)?

With regard to the government’s efforts to address the “Driver Inc.” model in the trucking industry, broken down by year since 2019: (a) how many audits or compliance investigations have been initiated by (i) the Canada Revenue Agency, (ii) Employment and Social Development Canada, (iii) Transport Canada; (b) how many drivers have been identified as being misclassified as independent contractors under the “Driver Inc.” model during the same period; (c) of those identified in (b), how many were foreign nationals working in Canada under (i) temporary visas, (ii) the Temporary Foreign Worker Program; (d) what penalties, fines or monetary recoveries have resulted from the investigations referred to in (a); and (e) what memoranda of understanding, joint task forces or interdepartmental agreements currently exist between the departments or agencies listed in (a) to coordinate enforcement related to the “Driver Inc.” model?

With regard to flight delays in Canada: (a) broken down by year from 2016 to 2025, what was the number of flight delays in Canada categorized by (i) delay within carrier control (excluding safety), (ii) delay within carrier control (safety), (iii) delay outside carrier control (Air Traffic Control/National Air System), (iv) delay outside carrier control (weather), (v) delay outside carrier control (other), (vi) delay outside carrier control (security); and (b) what was the total number of delayed flights?

With regard to complaints reported by air carriers to Transport Canada: (a) how many complaints were reported by Air Canada, WestJet, Porter Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, and Air Transat, respectively, for (i) tarmac delays, (ii) denied boarding (bumping), (iii) issues with seating of children, (iv) lost baggage, (v) delayed baggage, (vi) damaged baggage, broken down by year from 2016 to 2025; (b) what was the monthly total number of complaints for each category listed in parts (a)(i) to (a)(vi), broken down by year, from 2016 to 2025; and (c) of the complaints listed in parts (a)(i) to (a)(vi), how many were resolved by the air carriers, broken down by carrier, and further broken down by year, from 2016 to 2025?

With regard to high-speed internet access and the Universal Broadband Fund: (a) what percentage of Canadians have access to download speeds of at least 50 Mbps, as of May 2025, broken down by census metropolitan area; (b) what percentage of Canadians have access to download speeds of at least 50 Mbps, as of May 2025, broken down by census agglomeration; (c) what percentage of Canadians living outside any census metropolitan area or census agglomeration have access to download speeds of at least 50 Mbps, as of May 2025; (d) what is the number of applications submitted to the Universal Broadband Fund that have not been selected for funding, broken down by census metropolitan area; and (e) what are the details of the applications in (d), including (i) how many were denied funding in total and broken down by targeted geographic area, (ii) how many targeted communities have fewer than 1,000 residents, (iii) the breakdown of denials by reason for denial, including what criteria were not met, if applicable, (iv) the breakdown of denied applications by the proposed internet speed upgrade associated with the application?

With regard to government information on stolen motor vehicles illegally exported from Canada: (a) how many stolen motor vehicles has the Canada Border Services Agency retrieved at (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, before they were illegally exported from Canada, broken down by year from 2021 to 2025; (b) how many vehicles does the Canada Border Services Agency estimate have been illegally exported from Canada via (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, broken down by year from 2021 to 2025; and (c) what percentage of outgoing containers from (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, have been scanned for goods being illegally exported from Canada, broken down by year from 2021 to 2025?