Meeting of the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety
Federal, provincial and territorial Transportation and Highway Safety Ministers take action to enhance supply chains and collaborate on transportation sector priorities
February 20, 2026, Vancouver – Today, Canada’s federal Minister of Transport, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, and the Minister of Transportation and Transit for British Columbia, the Honourable Mike Farnworth, co-chaired the annual meeting of the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety.
Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers gathered to discuss the following themes and their implications for the transportation sector:
- Supply chain enhancement, and trade and economic diversification
- Transportation sector funding and project delivery
- Road safety
- Labour relations in the transportation sector
Ministers are committed to continuing the dialogue with First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Prior to their annual meeting, ministers met with leaders of the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Métis National Council to hear their priorities in the transportation sector. They discussed safety and accessibility, including missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; infrastructure funding; and making supply chains more resilient in the transportation sector.
Supply Chains and the State of Canada’s Transportation Systems
Ministers recognized that efficient, reliable, resilient and competitive supply chains are crucial to a strong Canadian economy, supporting trade diversification, and ensuring businesses can move products domestically and internationally. They noted that transportation networks are key to keeping goods flowing to communities across the country, for Canada’s arctic and northern sovereignty and maintaining Canada’s position as a reliable trading partner in an evolving global environment.
Ministers discussed measures to enhance supply chain performance and the state of transportation networks in Canada. They exchanged views on current pressures affecting trade and economic corridors and gateways and discussed opportunities to work together and collaborate with industry partners.
Ministers explored ways to individually and collectively increase efficiency and resilience in supply chains, including strengthening information sharing, and identifying measures to reduce regulatory burden and red tape where appropriate. Ministers emphasized that strategic trade-enabling infrastructure investments are essential to bolster trade fluidity and reliability, increase capacity, and unlock new gateways to global markets.
Most governments have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding on interprovincial/territorial trucking, covering 14 measures that will benefit Canadians by aligning certain regulations, facilitating trade within Canada, reducing trade barriers, and increasing the efficiency of supply chains while maintaining safety standards in the road transportation sector. Progress is being made towards finalizing the approval from all jurisdictions in the coming weeks and then sharing the details of the Memorandum of Understanding. Moving forward, Ministers will continue working to implement the agreement and, building on existing mechanisms, progress further on longer-term goals in the trucking sector in collaboration with industry stakeholders.
Transportation Systems Funding
Ministers discussed ways to meet the mounting challenges to the economy and to the mobility of all Canadians through investments in transportation infrastructure. Ministers discussed their respective priority areas for investment such as strengthening trade corridors, maintaining and improving airports, roads, bridges, transit and ferry infrastructures, and improving rural and remote access. Provincial and territorial ministers stressed the importance of substantial, long-term, predictable, and flexible federal infrastructure funding respectful of their jurisdiction and supporting their priorities. The federal Minister acknowledged the value of investments in the transportation sector and expressed interest in partnering with provincial and territorial governments.
Transportation System Delivery
Ministers discussed collaborative approaches to delivering transportation infrastructure projects, such as public-private partnerships and the alliance model that has been used in some jurisdictions. They also discussed how federal, provincial, and territorial governments can partner in the delivery of highway projects and other types of transportation infrastructure. Ministers also discussed public procurement in Canada and initiatives across jurisdictions.
Road Safety Strategy 2035 and Beyond (RSS 2035+)
Ministers approved the latest version of Canada’s national road safety strategy, Road Safety 2035 and Beyond (RSS 2035+). This strategy builds on the successes of Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025 and renews federal, provincial, and territorial efforts toward achieving a downward trend in fatalities and serious injuries on Canada’s roads. Ministers underscored that this strategy would help protect all road users, strengthen public confidence in the transportation system, and ensure that road safety efforts across jurisdictions remain evidence‑based and adaptable to the evolution of motor vehicles.
Road safety
Ministers discussed the safety of commercial motor vehicles and reiterated their commitment to coordinated federal, provincial, and territorial action with improved enforcement, training and licensing. They agreed to act collaboratively against non-compliance with labour, tax and safety rules in the commercial trucking industry associated with the “Driver Inc.” model, in which workers who should be treated as employees are being instead labelled as independent contractors. They also explored potential strategies and technologies to improve road safety and discussed strategies to avoid increasing instances of infrastructure damage, such as those caused by vehicle-bridge collisions.
Labour relations in the transportation sector
Ministers noted that Canada’s transportation supply chains have faced unprecedented pressures in recent years, including numerous labour disruptions. Ministers respect the collective bargaining process and strongly encourage the parties to work towards solutions, given the importance of reliable supply chains for Canadian businesses, workers and households.
Quotes
“By rail, road, sky, and sea, transportation is a unifying force for moving Canada’s people and products in Canada and to the world safely, securely and efficiently. I want to thank the Provincial and Territorial Ministers, and the leaders from the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Métis National Council, for their thoughtful conversations and I look forward to more dialogue in the future.”
– The Honourable Steven MacKinnon
Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
“Our transportation networks are the backbone of Canada’s provincial, territorial and national economies. Provinces and territories are working constructively with the federal government to ensure safe, reliable and efficient transportation systems that deliver people, goods and economic prosperity from coast to coast to coast.”
– The Honourable Mike Farnworth
Minister of Transportation and Transit and Government House Leader for British Columbia
Contacts
|
Philippe-Alexandre Langlois Media Relations |
Media Relations |