No. GC 008/07 
 For release February 15, 2007 
 TORONTO - The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Minister 
 responsible for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), on behalf of the Honourable 
 Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today 
 announced that Canada's New Government is launching the ecoFreight program-a 
 series of programs, totalling up to $61 million in funding, aimed at reducing 
 the environmental and health effects of freight transportation. 
 "The Greater Toronto Area is a major transportation centre and the measures 
 being introduced today will go a long way towards reducing air emissions and 
 improving the environment," said Minister Flaherty. "Taking these significant 
 positive steps to improve the environment is in the best interests of everyone, 
 here in the GTA and across Canada." 
 "Canada's New Government encourages the freight industry to join the effort 
 as we all have a role to play in the reduction of emissions from transportation 
 sources, and the development of cleaner transportation systems, practices and 
 technologies," said Minister Cannon. 
 "Initiatives like these are a part of this government's ambitious and 
 realistic agenda to protect our environment and the health of Canadians, as well 
 as to promote economic growth," said the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the 
 Environment. "We will continue to take real action to protect the health of 
 Canadians and the environment by helping make freight transportation more 
 environmentally friendly." 
 The ecoFreight program is made up of six initiatives, two of which 
 specifically focus on the trucking industry, through the removal of regulatory 
 barriers and reduction of fuel use and emissions. 
 The other initiatives target all four modes of transportation (air, rail, 
 road, marine), as well as users of the freight system by establishing a Freight 
 Technology Demonstration Fund, providing cost-shared funding, building and 
 maintaining partnerships and demonstrating the potential of shore-based power. 
 These initiatives support the Government's ecoTransport Strategy, which is 
 aimed at improving the health of Canadians and the environment by reducing the 
 environmental impacts of transportation; securing Canada's future prosperity and 
 competitiveness by making critical transportation infrastructure sustainable, 
 both economically and environmentally; and promoting an efficient transportation 
 system that supports choice and the high quality of life that Canadians expect. 
 Prime Minister Harper recently announced the Canada ecoTrust for Clean Air 
 and Climate Change, which will be designed to provide financial support to 
 provincial and territorial projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions 
 and air pollutants. The resources for this initiative will consist of $1.5 
 billion of new funding on a national basis. 
 This new funding will be contained in the upcoming budget and is a part of 
 the actions to be taken on the fiscal imbalance. It will be available as soon as 
 Parliament approves the budget. 
 A backgrounder and fact sheet on the ecoFreight program are attached. 
 - 30 -- 
 Contacts: 
 Natalie Sarafian 
 Press Secretary 
 Office of the Minister of Transport, 
 Infrastructure and Communities 
 613-991-0700 
 Kathleen Olson 
 Directrice intérimaire des communications 
 Cabinet du ministre des Ressources naturelles, Ottawa 
 613-996-2007Eric Richer 
 Press Secretary 
 Office of the Minister of the Environment, Gatineau 
 819-997-1441 
 Robin Brownee 
 Communications 
 Transport Canada, Ottawa 
 613-993-0055 
 Environment Canada 
 Media Relations 
 819-934-8008 / 1-888-908-8008 
 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. 
 BACKGROUNDER 
 ECOFREIGHT--MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF 
 SUSTAINING 
 A CLEAN, HEALTHY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 
 Canada's thriving economy relies heavily on its transportation system to move 
 people and goods quickly and efficiently. But transportation is also one of the 
 largest contributors to greenhouse gases and air pollution in Canada--key factors 
 that affect the health of Canadians and our planet. 
 As part of its environmental agenda, Canada's New Government is launching the 
 ecoTransport Strategy. Complemented by existing regulatory actions, this program 
 features ecoFreight--a new step to reduce the environmental and health effects of 
 freight transportation. 
 Federal investment in this up to $61-million program consists of six 
 initiatives aimed at: 
 Removing regulatory barriers so that the Canadian trucking industry can 
 embrace emissions-reducing technologies by collaborating with provinces and 
 territories; 
 Reducing fuel use and emissions in commercial and institutional fleets 
 via training, sharing of best practices, anti-idling campaigns, technical 
 analysis to look for potential improvements and other technological 
 opportunities; 
 Establishing a Freight Technology Demonstration Fund to test and measure 
 new and underused freight transportation technologies in real-world 
 conditions; 
 Providing cost-shared funding to companies and non-profit associations 
 in freight transportation to help them to adopt proven emission-reducing 
 technologies; 
 Building and maintaining partnerships within the transportation sector 
 to reduce emissions from freight transportation through fast and flexible 
 voluntary actions that can support the regulatory framework; and 
 Demonstrating the potential of shore-based power for marine vessels in 
 Canadian ports to reduce air pollution from idling ship engines in some of 
 Canada's largest urban centres. 
 The ecoFreight program builds on the major-infrastructure investments that 
 Canada's New Government announced in Budget 2006, and other measures, such as 
 regulating emissions from rail and marine transportation and fuel consumption of 
 new light duty vehicles, announced in the fall. These measures are part of 
 Canada's New Government's ambitious and realistic agenda to protect the health 
 of Canadians and the environment in Canada and demonstrate that Canada's New 
 Government understands the importance of addressing climate change. 
 Want to know more about the Government of Canada's environmental agenda and 
 the ecoFreight Program? Visit us online at 
 www.tc.gc.ca/ecoTransport. 
 February 2007 
 FACT SHEET 
 ECOFREIGHT 
 As part of its environmental agenda, Canada's New Government is launching the 
 ecoTransport Strategy. This strategy features the ecoFreight Program--a new step 
 to reduce the environmental and health effects of freight transportation. 
 ecoFreight--Meeting the challenge of sustaining a clean, healthy 
 transportation system 
 Federal investment of up to $61 million over four years in this program consists 
 of six initiatives, two of which specifically target the trucking industry: 
 National Harmonization Initiative for the Trucking Industry: With up to 
 $6 million, this initiative from Transport Canada is designed to identify 
 solutions with respect to national and provincial requirements that create 
 barriers for the trucking industry to adopt currently available technologies 
 to reduce emissions. This work will be done in partnership with the 
 provinces and territories. 
 ecoENERGY for Fleets: With up to $22 million, this initiative from 
 Natural Resources Canada will focus on reducing fuel use and greenhouse gas 
 emissions in commercial and institutional fleets through training and 
 education, sharing of best practices, anti-idling campaigns, technical 
 analysis and evaluations to identify opportunities for improvements, and 
 other technology activities. 
 The other initiatives address all four modes of transportation (air, rail, 
 road and marine), as well as users of the freight system: 
 Freight Technology Demonstration Fund: With up to $10 million, this 
 Transport Canada initiative will provide cost-shared funding to companies in 
 the air, rail, road and marine modes in order to test and measure the 
 environmental and operational performance of new and underutilized freight 
 transportation technologies. Industry partners will measure and report on 
 results such as the fuel saved; the emissions reduced; the technology 
 purchase, installation and training costs; and the impacts on operations, 
 equipment and maintenance. 
 Freight Technology Incentives: With up to $10 million, this Transport 
 Canada initiative will mitigate financial barriers to the adoption of new 
 and under-utilized technologies, many of which currently have an initial 
 cost premium that makes the initial financial outlay or the length of the 
 payback period difficult. Under the program, cost-shared funding will be 
 provided to companies and non-profit associations in all modes of the 
 freight transportation industry for the purchase and installation of proven 
 emission-reducing technologies. 
 Partnerships on Freight: With up to $7 million, this Transport Canada 
 initiative will bring together a range of partners within the freight 
 transportation sector to reduce emissions from freight transportation (road, 
 rail, aviation and marine). Transport Canada will enhance its partnerships 
 with other countries in international forums while developing partnerships 
 with users of the freight system. These partnerships will complement the 
 broad environmental regulatory agenda, setting targets and action plans for 
 emission reduction in the short term in areas not suitable for regulation or 
 before regulations take effect in 2011. 
 Marine Shore Power Program: With up to $6 million, this Transport Canada 
 initiative will support up to four pilot projects for the installation and 
 use of shore-based power for marine vessels in Canadian ports. With this 
 technology, marine vessel operators would have the option to connect their 
 vessels directly to a shore power source while in port. Many vessels are 
 already equipped to take advantage of shore power where it is available. As 
 no Canadian ports currently offer this service commercially, ships must idle 
 their engines, or use diesel engine generators, in order to meet their 
 on-board energy requirements while in port. This technology will improve 
 local air quality by reducing air pollution from ships in some of Canada's 
 largest urban centres. 
 Transportation is a key element of the government's environmental agenda. 
 Keeping people and goods moving is vital to a strong economy and is critical to 
 Canada's prosperity. A more sustainable transportation system will result in 
 safety, social and economic benefits for all Canadians. 
 For more information on the ecoFreight program, please visit Transport 
 Canada's website at 
 www.tc.gc.ca/ecoTransport. 
 February 2007