No. H179/06For release
December 14, 2006
OTTAWA − The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that Transport Canada is looking
for five young Canadians interested in road safety issues to join youth from
over 120 countries at the United Nations' World Youth Assembly for Road Safety
to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 23-24, 2007.
The department is also looking for 45 more young people to participate in the
Canadian Road Safety Youth Conference in Montreal, Quebec, on June 6-8, 2007.
"Canada's New Government is proud to be part of these international events on
road safety issues," said Minister Cannon. "These are great opportunities to
emphasize our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Canadians, and
for young Canadians to share ideas and learn with others across the country and
around the world."
Applicants must be Canadian citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 as of
April 1, 2007; have experience in the field of road safety through education,
volunteer work, and/or paid employment; possess demonstrated leadership skills;
possess strong oral and written communication skills and be able to make
effective presentations; and be nominated by a sponsoring agency, which can
confirm their skills and experience and cover half the costs of their travel and
accommodation. Transport Canada will cover the other half of the costs.
The five applicants selected to attend the World Youth Assembly for Road
Safety in Geneva must also have a valid Canadian passport by April 1, 2007 and
must commit to participating in the Canadian Road Safety Youth Conference in
Montreal. They will be required to assist the organizing committee for the
conference and make presentations, based on their experiences in Geneva.
Both the World Youth Assembly for Road Safety and the Canadian Road Safety
Youth Conference are being held in recognition of the first United Nations'
Global Road Safety Week. Annually, there are over 1.2 million people killed and
another 50 million injured in traffic collisions on the world's roads.
Worldwide, road traffic injuries are the second leading cause of death for young
people aged five to 25 years. The emphasis of this week is on young people,
since they have a heightened risk of being injured or killed in collisions.
Applications must be sent to the following address by January 12, 2007:
Hooked on Road Safety
Transport Canada - ASFC
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5
For more information on the conferences visit
www.HookedOnRoadSafety.ca, e-mail
HookedOnRoadSafety@tc.gc.ca or
call 1-800-333-0371.
- 30 -
Contacts:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
613-991-0700
Anne-Marie Bouchard
Communications
Transport Canada,
Ottawa
613-993-0055
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at
apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
