Lesson 26 — Activity 2: Transportation in Canada Today



Explore

In Canada, people rely on personal vehicles a great deal, perhaps in part because of the cold weather experienced in the winter, the great distances between communities in many parts of the country, and the relative wealth that allows many Canadians to own personal cars. In this activity, you will learn more about the role transportation has in your daily life. 



Statistics Canada has some interesting information about Canadians and their vehicles. Here is some information from a survey taken in 2015:

  • Just over 33 million vehicles were registered to owners in Canada, with 94% of those vehicles being passenger cars (including vans, light trucks, SUVs, etc.)
  • Cars, trucks, or vans were the most commonly used mode of transportation. Overall, about four out of five Canadian commuters used private vehicles.
  • Specifically, 74% of commuters, or 11.4 million workers, drove a vehicle to work.


  • The average Canadian spends about $7,400 annually to own and operate a vehicle, more than he or she will spend on food, housing, education, or recreation.

 Here are some facts about Canada's transportation system from Transport Canada:


  • There are more than 1.3 million kilometres of public roads in Canada. Approximately 34% of the road network is paved, while 66% is unpaved. Four provinces  — Ontario, Québec, Saskatchewan, and Alberta — account for over 77% of the total road length.
  • With 48,000 kilometres of track, Canada has one of the largest rail networks in the world.
  • There are 300 commercial harbours and ports in Canada. Port Metro Vancouver handles more than 50% of all container cargo moving through Canada. Canada’s other main container ports are the ports of Montreal, Prince Rupert, and Halifax.
  • In 2015, around 90% of the total air passenger
    traffic in Canada was handled at the 26 NAS airports (NAS stands for National Airports System and includes all airports with an annual traffic of 200,000 passengers or more, as well as airports serving the national, provincial, and territorial capitals).


  • The top three airports in Canada in 2015 include Toronto Pearson International Airport with 39 million passengers, Vancouver International Airport with 19 million passengers, and Montréal - Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport with 14 million passengers.


  You can see that transportation has a major role in the lives of Canadians.


    

Self-Check

Try This!

Try the questions below on your own first and then click on the tab to check your answers!

1. How many vehicles were registered to owners in Canada in 2015?

2. How many workers drove a vehicle to work in 2015?

3. Which provinces in Canada have the most road length?

4. Which port in Canada handles more than 50% of all container cargo moving through Canada?

5. Name the top three airports in Canada that handled the most passengers in 2015.



1. Just over 33 million vehicles were registered to owners in 2015.

2. Over 11 million workers drove a vehicle to work in 2015.

3. Ontario, Québec, Saskatchewan, and Alberta account for over 77% of the total road length.

4. Port Metro Vancouver handles more than 50 percent of all container cargo moving through Canada.

5. The top three airports in Canada in 2015 include Toronto Pearson International Airport with 39 million passengers, Vancouver International Airport with 19 million passengers, and Montréal - Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport with 14 million passengers.



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