November 20, 2019 | Category: Government Updates

Ottawa, November 20, 2019 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced changes to the federal cabinet today.

Marc Garneau retains his portfolio as Minister of Transport. Since his initial appointment in 2015, Minister Garneau has worked to move forward with important measures to improve safety across all modes of transportation such as Canada’s new Passenger Bill of Rights and the Oceans Protection Plan. WESTAC congratulates Minister Garneau and looks forward to continuing to work with him and the Government of Canada.

Hon. Chrystia Freeland was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. She will remain in charge of Canada-U.S. relations and have the added responsibility for working with the provinces as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. From 2015 to 2017, Minister Freeland served as Canada's Minister of International Trade, overseeing the successful negotiation of Canada's free trade agreement with the European Union, CETA. From 2017 to 2019, she served as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Hon. Catherine McKenna becomes Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, after four years as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Minister McKenna was elected as the first female Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre in 2015 and has earned a reputation as a skilled negotiator and tenacious community builder.

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More Information: https://pm.gc.ca/en/cabinet

About Hon. Marc Garneau

The Honourable Marc Garneau has served as a Member of Parliament since 2008.

Minister Garneau began his service to Canada in the Royal Canadian Navy, working as a combat systems engineer aboard the HMCS Algonquin in 1974. He was later promoted to commander and naval captain, before retiring from the Navy in 1989.

Minister Garneau was one of six Canadian astronauts selected out of over 4,000 candidates in 1983, and began astronaut training the following year. In 1984, he made history by becoming the first Canadian astronaut to fly in space as a payload specialist on Shuttle Mission 41-G. In 1989, he was named Deputy Director of the Canadian Astronaut Program, and provided technical and program support in the preparation of experiments for future Canadian missions. He was later appointed Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Space Agency and then President, before leaving in 2005 to pursue a career in politics.

In 2003, Minister Garneau was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honour, and in 2014, he became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

About WESTAC:

The Western Transportation Advisory Council (WESTAC) is a council of organizations in the transportation sector represented by senior decision-makers. WESTAC’s members span all aspects of freight transportation in Canada. They include carriers and logistics providers, ports and terminals, shippers, labour unions, and the three levels of government. Members represent a significant share of the western Canadian economy. We focus on critical issues that affect Western Canada’s freight transportation network to ensure that it is safe, efficient, reliable and competitive.