March 2017 | Business View Magazine

152 153 The Transportation Association of Canada The Transportation Association of Canada The impact and evolution of Our Transportation Network B uilding a nation from coast to coast to coast was no small feat for Canada’s forebears. The sheer vastness of the land meant transporta- tion was important to access remote areas, to establish the country’s bor- ders, and to connect people and mar- kets. Transportation played a key role in Canada’s historical development and it continues to be critical to our present and future. In its annual edition of Transpor- tation in Canada, the federal gov- ernment reports that transportation and warehousing represented 4.3% of total GDP and employed nearly 900,000 people in 2015.While those data capture the significant impact of activities directly linked to for-hire or commercial transportation, the sec- tor has much broader impacts as an important economic enabler. Trans- portation facilitates the mobility of people, allows for goods movement, and supports human and environ- mental health.With public and private sector stakeholders involved in pipe- line, air, rail, marine, and road modes,