No. H 105/07
For release June 5, 2007
OTTAWA- The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, today announced the renewal of the Moving On
Sustainable Transportation (MOST) program.
The Minister was joined by Dr. Guylène Thériault, the official spokesperson
for the Réseau vélo-boulot, a Gatineau-based event that promotes biking to work. Dr.
Thériault announced the launch of this event, where participants are
challenged to bike to work at least once a week, starting June 4 during
Environment Week's Commuter Challenge, and ending on Car Free Day, September
22, 2007. Réseau vélo-boulot is unique in Canada. It began in 2005,
supported by Transport Canada's MOST program.
"MOST is a great program that supports practical solutions to help
Canadians reduce the environmental impacts of transportation. Réseau
vélo-boulot is doing exactly that by encouraging residents of the Outaouais
region to bike to work," said Minister Cannon. "Renewing our support for the
program is one more example of this Government's commitment to a cleaner and
greener Canada."
"This is another good example of government and local communities working
together to address climate change and improve Canada's air quality,"
explained the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment.
"Initiatives like Réseau vélo-boulot combined with our other investments and tax incentives are helping Canadians make greener transportation choices."
The MOST program has been renewed for $3.2 million over five years with the
first round of funding scheduled for the fall.
"Vélo-route trans-Québec and its partners from the Table de concertation
vélo Outaouais are proud to join the Government of Canada for the launch of
the Réseau vélo-boulot for a third great year," said Dr. Thériault. "This
innovative bike to work program is designed to make it easier for residents
of the Outaouais region to do the right thing for their health and the
environment."
The MOST program supports projects that produce the kinds of education,
awareness and analytical tools needed to make sustainable transportation a
reality. It provides funding to help support projects that:
help make the transportation system more sustainable;
produce measurable environmental results; and
provide practical tools to help make it easier for Canadians to
incorporate sustainable transportation into their lives.
For more information on Transport Canada’s MOST program, please visit
www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/most/menu.htm.
A backgrounder with further information on the MOST program is attached.
Contacts:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities,
Ottawa
613-991-0700
Robin Browne
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.
Backgrounder
MOVING ON SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM
The Moving On Sustainable Transportation (MOST) initiative is an innovative
Transport Canada funding program. MOST provides financial support to help
organizations conduct projects that will produce the kinds of education,
awareness and analytical tools necessary to make sustainable transportation
a reality. Eligible organizations include environmental groups, community
associations, academic institutions, Aboriginal organizations, and business
and professional associations.
The program seeks to stimulate the development of innovative methods to
decrease the impact of transportation on the environment, achieve measurable
results, and provide Canadians with practical information and tools to apply
sustainable transportation thinking to their daily lives.
The types of projects eligible for funding include:
conducting studies, analyses, or plans that make strategic
recommendations on sustainable transportation issues and initiatives;
developing innovative sustainable transportation tools;
undertaking small-scale pilot projects or demonstration projects that
test new sustainable transportation approaches or alternatives;
replicating successful sustainable transportation initiatives in
additional communities and customizing project details to the new location;
or
conducting workshops and conferences that educate stakeholders
(professionals employed in the field or managers and staff of sustainable
transportation projects) on sustainable transportation.
Individual projects may receive up to a maximum of $150,000 over three
years. In keeping with the Government of Canada's commitment to partnership,
applicants must also demonstrate that 50 per cent of their eligible net
costs are provided by other sources.
Project proposals are screened against detailed eligibility criteria.
Proposals that meet the initial requirements are sent to an independent
advisory committee for further review and recommendations. Transport Canada
makes the final decision on funding requests.
Transport Canada is committed to contributing to a sustainable and
environmentally friendly transportation system. Through MOST, the department
is helping to find ways to meet today's transportation needs while
protecting the environment for future Canadian generations.
For more information, visit Transport Canada's MOST website at
www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/MOST/menu.htm.
June 2007
