Transit for Tomorrow Summit: Building A New Deal for Public Transit

October 28th - 9am to 4:30pm | Rideau Room, Sheraton Ottawa Hotel - 150 Albert St, Ottawa


 

On October 28th, join Environmental Defence and partners for the Transit for Tomorrow Summit, sponsored by TransLink's Mayors Council. 
 

Public transit systems across Canada have a broken funding model. This summit is about how all levels of government, working together, can help fix it. It is a chance for public transit advocates to convene, communicate the urgency of action to policymakers, and highlight the crucial role of public transit in creating equitable cities and meeting Canada’s climate objectives. 
 

Who should attend: The summit welcomes all public transit advocates and allies, rider advocacy groups, transit riders and enthusiasts, environmentalists, federal, provincial, and municipal officials, mayors and city councillors, public transit agencies, associations, unions, the business community and other groups interested in better public transit and sustainable, equitable cities.

What to expect: Activities include a full day of panels, presentations and speeches from policy experts, transit stakeholders, transit rider advocates, and representatives from federal political parties, with lunch included. The summit will have simultaneous translation (english/french).

 

Additional Donation
CAD

 

*Your tax-deductible donation will support Environmental Defence Canada's work to fight the climate crisis and build a better future for all. If you face financial barriers and are unable to make a donation, please get in touch with us at [email protected] for a Community Ticket code.

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Keynotes from Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow; Mayor of Montréal, Valérie Plante; Mayor of Edmonton, Amarjeet Sohi, and David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto and Managing Director of the C40 Cities Centre for Urban Climate Policy
  • Fixing Public Transit’s Broken Funding Model - panel featuring representatives from Canada’s biggest transit systems, including Brad West, Chair of TransLink’s Mayors’ Council; Jamaal Myers, chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC); Sharon Fleming, General Manager of Calgary Transit; and Eric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the board of directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM)
  • Unlocking the Power of Public Transit to Cut Carbon Emissions - presentation featuring Environmental Defence and Équiterre’s latest research 
  • Joint Declaration - a coalition of groups declare support for fixing the broken public transit funding model
  • Building the Future of Transit and Housing - panel featuring experts at the intersection of transit and housing, including Christian Savard, directeur général of Vivre en Ville, Dr. Carolyn Whitzman and Sabrina Hamidullah, Director of Real Estate Development, TransLink
  • How Public Transit Can Build More Inclusive Communities - panel featuring subject matter experts Apooyak'ii/Tiffany Prete (University of Lethbridge), Steven Farber (Mobilizing Justice), Léa Ravensbergen (McMaster University), David Cooper (Leading Mobility)
  • Why Transit Matters for People - panel and Q&A featuring public transit rider advocates from TTC Riders, Ottawa Transit Riders, Metro Vancouver Transit Riders, Trajectoire Québec, and and John DiNino, President of ATU Canada
  • Why Transit Matters for the Economy - featuring Marco D’Angelo, President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Association; Jennifer McNeill, Vice President, Public Sector Sales & Marketing, New Flyer; and Dr. Eric Miller (University of Toronto).

More details and special guests TBA!