Manitoba Transportation and Government Services Minister Ron Lemieux, IUS Acting Director Jino Distasio, President Lloyd Axworthy at the announcement of the new Province of Manitoba/UWinnipeg sustainable transportation partnership on a Transit Bus.
Manitoba is partnering with the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba to significantly boost the province’s global reputation in sustainable transportation with the relocation of the Centre for Sustainable Transportation (CST) to Winnipeg from Toronto.
“Manitoba has made impressive and internationally recognized strides in sustainable transportation,” said Transportation and Government Services Minister Ron Lemieux. “The establishment of this centre at the University of Winnipeg’s Institute of Urban Studies and the partnership with the University of Manitoba and the province will enable us to bring our individual resources together to pursue new goals in sustainable transportation.”
Under the five-year initiative, the province will provide a total of $500,000. The University of Winnipeg will contribute a total of $250,000 over the five-year term which includes administrative support and space for the centre. The university and its Institute of Urban Studies will work through the centre to develop a focus on urban sustainable passenger and freight transportation.
The University of Manitoba, through a partnership with the centre, will enhance the sustainable transportation focus of studies offered through the Asper School of Business.
“The Centre for Sustainable Transportation is a good fit for the city’s downtown urban university whose faculty, staff and students are the highest users of transit and alternate transportation in the city,” said Lloyd Axworthy, president of the University of Winnipeg. “Already known as a centre for ideas and research, the university—named less than a month ago as the new home of the Historica Teachers’ Institute—has attracted another centre of excellence.”
“This initiative provides a unique opportunity for the University of Manitoba Transport Institute to partner with the Institute of Urban Studies to improve Manitoba’s lead in sustainable transportation education,” said Dr. Ed Tyrchniewicz, acting head of the U of M’s supply chain management department.
The centre is a national, not-for-profit organization created to provide leadership in achieving sustainable transportation in Canada. Centre participants include representatives from the academic community, provincial governments and transportation industry.
“Manitoba’s commitment to developing sustainable strategies for transportation and the many partnership-driven projects now underway were a key part of convincing the centre to relocate to Winnipeg,” said Lemieux. “This initiative will bring government, industry, academic and non-government resources together to establish Manitoba as a global leader in sustainable transportation.”
Centre president Al Cormier commended the provincial partnership approach. “The CST board of directors is very pleased with the support being provided by Manitoba Transportation and Government Services and the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba,” said Cormier. “The CST looks forward to its affiliation with the Manitoba partners and operating its national program from its new location in Winnipeg.”
To date, the province has been active in many aspects of sustainable transportation, such as the exploration and development of alternative vehicle technologies including promoting ethanol fuels, testing of gas-electric hybrid cars and supporting hydrogen fuel cell development.
