Transportation Related Activities
Transport is responsible for almost 40% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Quebec, and for 85% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Transport is a vast domain that touches several aspects of our society, notably our life style, mobility and economic health. Transport has several disadvantages, such as harmful effects on health and the environment. Major reductions in air pollutants and greenhouse gases emissions are possible, but achieving them will require actions by a multitude of actors from federal, provincial and municipal governments, as much as from the private sector.
The actions in which Environment Canada participates in Quebec can be grouped under two main themes:
Demonstration Platform for Alternative Fuels
The strategy for promoting new transport technologies in Quebec focuses on three themes: the electrification of transport, biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) and hydrogen (in the long term). As of now, major projects have been conducted in the electrification of transport and biofuels. The biodiesel industry is rapidly expanding in Canada , and Quebec is well positioned to reap important environment, economic and social spin-offs.
MONTREAL 2000
Electric vehicles (EV) are still seen as a technology of the future, very expensive and with limited autonomy. The Electric Vehicle Project – Montreal 2000, which was launched in January 1999 by the governments of Canada and of Quebec, Hydro-Québec, and the Center for Electrical Vehicle Experimentation in Quebec (CEVEQ), demonstrated that the use of battery-powered EVs in cities offers a sustainable way to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) and to improve air quality.
Converting fleets from internal-combustion to electric vehicles would have a direct impact on the emission of greenhouse gases and on air quality in urban environments. Under the hospice of this project, the emission of about 50 tonnes of greenhouse gases was avoided. To consult the final report or to learn more about the project, consult the CEVEQ website at: http://www.ceveq.qc.ca/
Electric ice resurfacers
In 1999, in collaboration with the Center for Electrical Vehicle Experimentation in Quebec (CEVEQ), M.G. Service of L’Assomption developed an electric power pack for ice resurfacers. The firm converted existing resurfacers by retrofitting and electrifying them. Doing so eliminated all emissions of polluting, irritating and toxic gases, and enabled a definitive solution to the problem of air quality in arenas.
For more information on this project, consult the website at: http://www.mgservice.ca/mgservice/anglais.html
Lithium-Metal-Polymer battery
Through its on-going development program, and in collaboration with the Ford Motor Company, AVESTOR has succeeded in demonstrating the use of its Lithium-Metal-Polymer battery in the TH!NK city electric vehicle in 2000. The lithium-metal-polymer battery has shown significant performance improvement over other battery technologies under consideration for EVs. It assures a powerful source of energy and it is stable, lightweight and compact. AVESTOR's on-going development program is demonstrating how the Lithium-Metal-Polymer battery for EVs can meet the demanding energy-efficiency and functional-power operating requirements of the electric vehicles of the future.
To learn more about this project, consult the website at: http://www.avestor.com/automotiveev.ch2.
BIOBUS
The BIOBUS project was launched in March 2002 thanks to the initiative of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) and of one of its members, the Fédération des producteurs de cultures commerciales du Québec (FPCCQ). Other partners are Rothsay (a Maple Leaf Foods subsidiary), which produced the pure biodiesel fuel, and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), which supplied the 155 buses used for testing the fuel during a year. Support from the government of Canada was provided under the Technology Early Action Measures (TEAM) component of the Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF), and by Canada Economic Development (CED). In Quebec, six ministries and government organizations interested in the BIOBUS project provided financial support.
The BIOBUS project helped assess the environmental, economic and social advantages of introducing biodiesel in Canada. A reduction of 1,300 tonnes of GHGs was accomplished during one year. The project was also aimed at favoring the entry of renewable fuels such as biodiesel into the marketplace. Thus, several Canadian public transport companies (in Toronto, Saskatoon and Halifax ) have followed in the footsteps of the project in using B20 in their bus fleets. To consult the final report on the project, or to learn more about the BIOBUS project, consult the website at: www.stm.info/info/biobus.htm (in French).
BIOMER
In keeping with the BIOBUS project, the BIOMER project carried out successfully during the summer of 2004, had as its objective to demonstrate and measure the impacts of using pure biodiesel (B100) in cruise ships of various types and sizes. From June to October 2004, twelve ships belonging to four cruise companies operating in the Old Port of Montreal and the Lachine Canal ran on biodiesel – a first in the maritime transport sector in Canada!
Initiated by Innovation Maritime, and the Sine Nomine and Rothsay Groups, this project led to a reduction of about 300 tonnes of GHGs during the summer season. The contribution of the government of Canada came from the "Targetted measures for biodiesel" program of Natural Resources Canada and Canada Economic Development. In Quebec, two ministries interested in the BIOMER project gave it their financial support. The results of the project will be subject of a report to be published in the winter of 2005. For more information about the BIOMER project, consult the website at: www.biomer.ca.
Transport Demand Management
Employer programs
Programs for transport management between home and workplace, sometimes called "employer programs", include a series of measures put in place by the employer so as to improve accessibility to the workplace by means other than the single-user automobile. These measures include improvement of public transit, promotion of carpooling and active modes of transport (cycling, walking), and the establishment of partnerships with local Commuter Management Centers (CMC).
Environment Canada supports this approach and has initiated several partnerships in the Greater Montreal area and in Quebec. These partners are:
- Agence métropolitaine de transport
- Société de transport de Montréal
- Réseau de transport de la Capitale (French only)
- Voyagez Futé Montréal
- Centre de gestion des déplacements de l’Est de Montréal (French only)
- Centre de gestion des déplacements -Saint-Laurent
- Allégo Laval (French only)
- Vélo Québec
- Ministère des Transports du Québec (French only)
