Canadian Legislative Issues

The City of Winnipeg recently unveiled its new clean technology project which consists of a small fleet of electric buses. This project is the result of a partnership with New Flyer Industries, a manufacturer of heavy-duty buses in Canada and the United States; the government of Manitoba; Manitoba Hydro; Mitsubishi Industries; Red River College; and Winnipeg Transit. Lawrence Toet, Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona, supported the project from the start and is happy to see it come to life. This clean technology initiative has benefited from $3.4 million in funding from the Sustainable Development Technology Canada (STDC) SD Tech fund, with the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and operation costs in the long-run.

"Technologies like New Flyer’s highly efficient and very clean Xcelsior battery-electric transit bus will be an important part of Canada’s clean and sustainable energy future," said Jane Pagel, Interim President and CEO for SDTC. "SDTC is proud to launch innovations like this on the world stage, bolstering Canada’s reputation and leadership growth in the area of clean technology. We are proud to stand beside New Flyer today and warmly congratulate the company and its consortium for reaching this milestone."

The new buses will soon be in operation in Winnipeg and represent a landmark in the city because of its clean technology shift. This is another example of a Canadian city leaning towards clean technology and might have a potential impact on NAFA fleet managers.


The City of Vancouver is increasingly investing in electric vehicle infrastructure across the province. Recently, North Vancouver installed an additional DC fast-charging station as demand grows. A DC fast-charging station can entirely charge an electric vehicle within 20-to-30 minutes.

"The City continues to embrace green technology and is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions," says City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto. "This new charging station represents our ongoing effort to provide more sustainable transportation options to the community. We're proud that this unit is here in the City and that we're part of the rapidly growing network of EV friendly infrastructure in municipalities across the country."

The funding for this project comes from the Provincial Clean Energy Vehicle Program and the Government of Canada’s ecoEnergy Innovation Initiative. This is one of many examples of the Canadian governments’ efforts to encourage residents to travel with cleaner technology via their transportation means.