Ottawa, ON
March 12, 2015
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Introduction
Thank you for that introduction.
As you know, International Women’s Day was this past Sunday.
And, as my cabinet colleague, the Honourable Dr. Kellie Leitch, who is Minister of Status of Women, has announced, the Canadian theme for the day this year is: “Strong Women. Strong World: Improving Economic Opportunities for All.”
This is a great slogan to speak about.
If there were ever a trail blazer who punched through the so-called glass ceiling for women, and became internationally-renowned for her convictions, her principles and her courage, it was former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to head a Western government.
She was called the Iron Lady, but she was much more than that.
One of her most famous quotes, of course, was her statement that “In politics, if you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.”
But she was much deeper than that.
My favorite quote of Margaret Thatcher, however, reads as follows, “A woman’s mission is not to enhance the masculine spirit, but to express the feminine. Hers is not to preserve a man-made world, but to create a human world by the infusion of the feminine element into all its activities.”
This is so very true, now more than ever.
As Minister of Transport, and previously as Minister of Labour, I’ve been fortunate to see how opportunities for women can translate into benefits for everyone.
But I want to see more. And I am committed to seeing more women not only enter the work world, but to lead it.
But we need more role models. We need the women in this room – and the men – who are touching success to turn to the young woman beside them, or down the hall, or down your street, and help her and mentor her.
Eleanor Roosevelt summed it up nicely. “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”
Being in elected office, you quickly learn a thing or two about being in hot water. But you also learn the importance of being strong.
Women in Canadian Politics
Prior to entering politics, I was the harbourmaster and CEO of the Port of Toronto – useful background to bring to my current position in government.
It helped me, early on, to see how few women worked in the field, let alone how few were leaders in it.
Transportation has been a major factor in this country’s history and, now pushing 80, the department I now lead is one of the oldest in the federal government.
But, until I arrived in 2013, Canada had never had a female Minister of Transport. So it was a long time coming.
That said, we have had several Deputy and Assistant Ministers who were women. At Transport Canada, and at Infrastructure Canada
The front story of my career almost suggests overnight success. Before being elected to Parliament in 2008, and re-elected in 2011, I was the president and chief executive officer of the Toronto Port Authority.
Easy-peezy, right? A degree from St. Francis Xavier University, a Master of Science degree from the University of Guelph, and a law degree from Osgoode Hall at York University.
The back story, however, isn’t quite so glossy
I am the youngest of seven children from a family of Cape Breton coal miners. I was raised by my grandparents, and taught by Roman Catholic nuns, who pushed post-secondary education for smart girls, and put great focus on science. They believed the hardest career road for women was the best road to take.
So there you have it in a nutshell. A tough start in life, but here we are. Time flies, things happen, but nothing comes as easy as it looks.
It remains a tough row to hoe but women are making their way into leadership roles in the Canadian Transportation sector.
Joyce Carter, for example, is President and CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority.
Mary Jordan chairs the Vancouver Airport Authority’s Board of Directors.
And, in December, I was pleased to name Terry Allen to the Board of Directors of the Calgary Airport Authority.
Beyond aviation, CEOs of port authorities in Canada include Karen Oldfield in Halifax, Sylvie Vachon in Montreal, and Donna Taylor in Oshawa.
In the auto sector, Dianne Craig is President and CEO of Ford Canada.
These are all strong and talented women, and proof that the Canadian transportation world is evolving, and that it does have women who can and do lead it.
But, from the boardroom to the engine room, the transportation sector here is still more male-oriented than many other sectors.
And I am determined to change that.
A 2012 survey by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation looked at female participation in the labour force and in the transportation labour force across the APEC economies.
The overall participation levels of women in Canadian and American labour forces ranged from 50 to 73 percent.
But, when analysts focused on the participation levels of women in the transportation labour force, the numbers were much lower – about one-third of that level.
The reasons behind this vary.
It may be partly because of how women, in general, approach the entire question of careers in science and technology.
Research on STEM occupations in the United States, for example – meaning science, technology, engineering and mathematics – show that, while more women are entering these occupations, they are still outnumbered by men by a ratio of three to one.
And, of those who choose STEM-related jobs in the States, more than half leave by mid-career to do something different.
It may also be that, for years, many transportation workers were hired for their brawn and their strength. Think dock workers, rail crews and truck drivers.
Then there is the question of whether those who enter the transportation workforce – and this applies to many fields of business – actually want, or are encouraged, to become leaders in their fields.
This is why women in leadership roles must push for more women in leadership. In fact, it is our duty.
As American entrepreneur Jules Pieri writes, “Our daughters excel in the classroom, on the soccer field, and in dinner-table debates with their brothers. And yet the basic truth is that business is not yet really a co-ed sport.”
This, in fact, applies to many areas of business. And it is doing us and our countries no favours.
In transportation, it contributes to the chicken and egg question when it comes to women.
How do we attract more women into the field without role models? And how do we get more role models without attracting women to the field?
That’s what I want to talk about today.
Our Overall Transportation Goals
As globalization increases the demand for Canada’s natural resources, and we are blessed with many, transportation will play an even greater role in getting these resources to global markets.
But, as markets evolve, we must stay ahead of this evolution and ensure we support the centres that can train the people to help us adapt.
As I am sure you well know, many of our transportation initiatives connect to a global supply chain that reaches not only beyond this region but far beyond this continent.
We realize what has taken place in global markets in the short term, but our plan is to build long-term prosperity – all which means we must look ahead, and look ahead with a keen eye.
This is why, in recent years, our government has supported several large transportation initiatives.
For example:
We are investing 1.4 billion dollars in transportation projects under our Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative.
We are moving ahead to build the Detroit River International Crossing to Windsor to address the growing trade and traffic at the busiest Canada-U.S. commercial border crossing.
We are developing our World Class Tanker Safety System to responsibly transport our natural resources while protecting our marine environments.
And, we are investing in public infrastructure over the next 10 years. This includes the 53 billion dollar New Building Canada Plan, the largest federal infrastructure plan in our nation’s history.
These initiatives are key means to creating jobs, promoting growth, and supporting communities, and they are critical to connecting Canadians to each other and to the markets of the world.
The shift in transportation: Investing in skills and training
But there is another form of investment that we must not forget.
It’s our investment in people, the men and the women who work on the front lines of the transportation industry.
Whatever the mode – marine, rail, air or road – transportation is a physical business. It involves building large networks to move large volumes of people and goods, often in large vehicles and vessels.
Like other fields that required physical labour and strength, transportation has been dominated by men. But the world is a’ changing.
Transportation’s greatest labour demand today is for trained professionals, and it requires an increasing ability to work with many new technologies.
It is becoming more service-oriented, and is focusing more and more on commercial and business skills.
At the same time, transportation is facing a challenge common to many sectors. A large part of its current workforces is retiring.
The Baby Boomers are calling it a day.
The young people we need today to rebuild our transportation workforce, and particularly young women, place a high value on work/life balance.
As a result, the sector I oversee as Minister of Transport is changing its expectations for the new reality.
In reality TV language, transportation is getting an image makeover.
The transportation sector is reaching out today to young people, it education institutions and, of course, it is reaching out to women.
It is working to get across the idea that transportation is an innovative sector with opportunities for a multitude of interesting jobs.
Hand in hand with that, training and recruitment in transportation is changing to reflect the growing demand for workers whose value is based more on training and skills than on gender or strength.
This is not to say that physical strength is not important in transportation, because it is. But building our future transportation workforce is more about developing and retaining a permanent, diversified group of skilled professionals.
This means women and men who see transportation as a career choice need to go out and obtain the skills they need to pursue that choice.
Beyond changing the kind of workers that we need to develop, the growth of technology in transportation is prompting wise governments to support projects that make transportation systems safer, more efficient and more reliable.
Here in Canada, those projects include:
- Clean Transportation Initiatives: Technology to help manage traffic at major ports by synchronizing truck and container ship arrivals.
- Smart Corridors and Borders: Improve freight transportation by using technology to integrate different modes of transportation, the networks they use, and those who run our various trade corridors.
- Beyond the Border Action Plan: Developing technology to measure wait times at Canada-U.S. land crossings in order to reduce delays, lower emissions and strengthen security.
- Road Weather Information System Networks: Deploying sensors along national highways to monitor weather conditions, assist road maintenance, and improve driving safety.
These projects demand higher skills and training, and have little or no relationship to physical strength or gender.
In other words, women need apply.
Women in Transportation and Supply Chain
I recently took part in a roundtable at the Van Horne Institute in Calgary, which is researching the role of women in the supply chain.
As they like to point out, this is not so much a women’s issue as a talent issue. So we need women to start thinking about putting their talents in this much-needed sector.
We have a Canadian workforce that faces serious shortages of skilled workers in some occupations that support transportation. And, with regions such as Alberta looking to experience even greater shortages over the next decade, women are an untapped resource.
Many have strong abilities in collaboration, creativity and problem solving – the kind of skills that could be useful to manage the problems that can arise between the many players in our transportation supply chains.
But many transportation jobs also take place away from offices – out on sites such as docks, airports, and road and rail networks.
And I have had the chance to see the hands-on work that women are doing in transportation.
And it is inspirational.
For example, the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association Waterfront Training Centre in Vancouver is helping port workers to develop new skills to meet the changing world of port work.
Its graduates – women and men from many backgrounds – are learning how to work with new technology that is helping make Canada’s West Coast a preferred destination for global shippers.
This centre is developing workers who not only have the right skills, but also see the need for safety and inclusiveness so that all employees feel they have a role to play in transportation facilities.
The need for female executives and leaders in transportation
I started today by talking about being the Minister of Transport. So, before closing, I also want to talk about the need for female executives and leaders in transportation.
The Harvard Business Review recently noted a study done by Aaron Dhir, a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, who studied the issue of women on boards of directors.
His research uncovered several differences of how women on corporate boards work differently than men.
He noted that:
- That women brought different perspectives and experiences to the boardroom.
- That women were more likely than male counterparts to probe an issue and ask more questions about it.
- That women did not like to make decisions they did not fully understand, and …
- That women often displayed different engagement styles, seeking others’ opinions and encouraging everyone in the boardroom to take part in discussions.
Who knew? Well, I knew this. I’ve experienced this. And so has every woman in this room who has a leadership role.
And I am hoping today that more corporate boards will embrace this truism and act upon it.
Do you want to know the question that bothers me most? Because it happens all the time.
I am still being asked how a mother of two – yes, with two young boys – can find the time to do what I do? It’s a ridiculous question. We do what we do because we can.
Which brings me to the male-dominated management types who assume that the very talented women among them would not want a promotion because they have kids. Or that she won’t want to be paid the same as her male candidates? Or, worse, will accept less pay.
My advice? Stop assuming, and ask the woman directly. You will never regret it.
We want more gender balance on boards a priority and to ensure that equal numbers of qualified female and male candidates are considered.
After all, women make up somewhere about half the labour force in Canada but, in 2013, they held only 16 percent of board director positions among Canada’s FP-500 companies.
To address this gap between labour and leadership, our government introduced in 2013 an advisory council to promote women on corporate boards.
And, as my own Transport portfolio requires that I appoint members of more than 50 boards of directors, I have followed up on this direction.
That year, I requested that all board chairs in my portfolio be aware of this initiative and to take into account qualified female candidates when submitting nominations for my consideration.
But we are also taking other actions.
Last July, in Halifax, Transport Canada hosted the first roundtable on Women in Transportation which brought together female leaders in transportation from both the public and private sectors.
In addition, we participate in APEC’s “Women in Transportation” Task Force to advance women’s roles in the transportation sector.
And, we have approached the Toronto chapter of Women in Transportation International about conducting a study to gather labour market information on the participation of women in the Canadian transportation workforce.
Conclusion
In a country as large as Canada, transportation will remain a major factor and will require talented people to operate and manage it.
These people – and, once again, women please apply – will help connect us to each other and to markets around the world, and be part of a workforce that will propel our future economy.
I believe we have the people to achieve this goal. And I believe they will succeed, based on their skills and commitment, not their gender.
I hope discussions like this will help to develop that workforce.
And I thank you for inviting me here today, to share how we can support these strong women – and men – to help our transportation sector to contribute to Canada’s great future.
Thank you.
