ACCESS CODE PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE CODE D'ACCE S BUREAU DU CONSEIL PRIVt COPY i ISSUE LIBRARY EXEMPLAIRE / I BIBLIOTHtQUE NUMERO `- W Report of the . Commission of Inquiry into Newfoundland Transportation Volume I July 1978 St. John's Newfoundland C0 Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1978 Available by mail from Printing and Publishing Supply and Services Canada Ottawa, Canada K I A OS 9 or through your bookseller . Catalogue No. T22-37/1978 Canada : $6 .75 ISBN 0-660-01797-0 Other Countries : $8 .1 0 Price subject to change without notice Table of Contents Preface i •Air Passenger 92 Introduction 1 •Air Freight 9 4 •Trucking Industry 95 Section 1 The Pas t •Bus 95 Chapter 1 Historical Introduction 11 *Gulf Ferry Service 96 Historical Backgroun d 11 The Special Case for Newfoundland 26 Chapter V An Evaluation of the Newfound- Chapter ll The Constitutional Questio n 29 land Transportation System 103 Introduction 103 t Section 2 The Presen Assessment of CN Rail Operations 103 Chapter lll The Newfoundland Transporta- Assessment of Highway Infrastructure 110 tion System Inventory of Existing Facilities Assessment of Trucking Industry 119 and Service s 39 Assessment of Trans Island Bus Service 123 Introduction 39 Assessment of Gulf Ferry Operation 127 Marine (Gulf, North Sydney, Port aux Basques Assessment of Direct Water Services 134 39 and Argentia ) Assessment of Coastal Boat Operation 137 44 Coastal Services Assessment of Air Service 140 44 Intra-Island Ferry Service Total System Evaluation 14 2 Direct Steamship Service to Newfoundland and Labrado r 48 Section 3 The Futur e Highway Infrastructur e 48 Chapter VI Future Transport Needs 153 Trucking Services To and Within Newfound- Introduction 153 49 land A Transport Need Analysis For the Industria l Bus and Taxi Transport 52 Sector 153 56 Ports 1 . The Fishing Industry 154 Air Transportatio n 65 2. The Mining Industry 158 Rail Freight and Express Service in Newfound- 3. The Forest Industry 159 land 69 4. The Electric Power Industry 162 Chapter IV Utilization of Present Transport 5. The Construction Industry 16 2 Services 79 6. Non-Resource Based Manufacturin g Introduction 79 Industry 163 Freight Movements 79 7 . The Agricultural Industry 163 Traffic Zone System 82 8 . The Tourist Industry 163 Mode Utilization Forecast of General Freight Traffic to New- *Sea 82 foundland 165 *Rail 87 Gulf Ferry Requirements 166 Some Conclusion s 173 Section 5 Conclusions and Recommenda- tions Chapter Vll Towards A Transportation Policy for Newfoundlan d 175 Chapter XV General Recommendations 229 Constraints Imposed by the Present System 179 General 229 Principles Which Should Guide Chang e 180 The Concept of User Pay for Newfoundland 22 9 A Glimpse at the Future 181 The Question of Subsidies 229 General Overvie w 182 Federal-Provincial Co-operation 230 Transportation in Labrador 231 Section 4 Key Issues in Newfoundland The Use of Hovercraft in Newfoundland 231 Transportatio n Dealing With Social Consequences of Change 231 Chapter Vlll The Future of the Railway in Chapter XVI Mode and Service Recommen- Newfoundlan d 187 dations 233 Chapter IX The Concept of User Pay for The Rail System 233 Newfoundland 195 The Road System 23 4 Highway Freight Services 239 Chapter X The Question of Subsidies 197 Public Bus Transportation 243 Gulf Services 248 Chapter XI Federal-Provincial Co-operation 203 Direct Water Shipping Services 253 Continuing Researc h 206 Coastal Service 256 Air Services 26 Local Autonomy and Responsibilit y 207 0 Chapter Xll The Use of Hovercraft in New- Section 6 Minority Report of Commissioner foundlan d 209 E. E. Thorn s Chapter XVII Minority Report of Esau E . Chapter Xlll Transportation in Labrador 215 Thoms, Commissioner 267 Chapter XIV Dealing with the Social Conse- The Commission 27 1 quences of Change 217 Glossary 273 Table of Maps and Figure s General Maps 4-13 Major Origins of Intra-Rail Freight 9 1 4-14 Destination of Intra-Rail Freight in New- Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces foundland by Percentag e 9 2 Place Names in Newfoundlan d 4-15 Major Origins of Out-bound Rai l Place Names in Labrado r Freight 1976 93 Geographic Features of Newfoundlan d 4-16 1976 CN Bus Passenger Trips in NfId . 97 4-17 Cumulative Frequency Curve 98 Title Figure 4-18 CN Road cruiser Trip Length Diagra m 3-1 Employment in Trucking Industry by November 1-30, 1976 Westbound 99 Traffic Zone 53 4-19 CN Bus Passengers 1976 100 3-2 Regional/National System 58 5-1 Reduced Speed Zones T.C.H . 11 2 3-3 Newfoundland Air Strip s 60 5-2 Passing Opportunities on Sections of 3-4 Newfoundland Water Aerodrome s 61 T .C .H . 11 3 3-5 Local Service/General Aviation System 62 5-3 Substandard Intersections on Trans 114 3-6 EPA Air Route s 64 Canada Highway 3-7 EPA Route Structur e 66 5-4 Present Performance Rating of Sec- 3-8 Quebecair Route Structure 67 tions of Trans Canada Highway in New- 116 3-9 Labrador Airways Routes 197 6 68 foundland 4-1 Newfoundland Intra-Provincial Freight 80 5-5 Rail Freight Handled by Gulf Ferrie s 130 4-2 Incoming Freight to Newfoundland 81 5-6 Passenger Related Vehicles Handled 4-3 Outbound Freight from Newfoundland 83 by Gulf Ferries 131 4-4 Newfoundland Traffic Zone s 84 5-7 Subsidy Requirements of Gulf Ferries 13 2 4-5 Origins of Sea Freight Incoming to 5-8 Subsidized Water Services 1969-70 to 136 Newfoundland by Percentag e 85 1976-77 4-6 Destination of Sea Freight Incoming to 5-9 CNR Newfoundland Coastal Services Newfoundland by Percentag e 85 Federal Government Direct Transpor- 14 1 4-7 Newfoundland Origins of Intra Sea tation Assistance Freight, by Percentag e 86 6-1 Location of Newfoundland's Fres h 4-8 Newfoundland Destinations of Intra Frozen Processing Plants, 1975 155 Sea Freight, by Percentage 86 6-2 Location of Newfoundland's Saltfis h 6 4-9 Newfoundland Origins of Outbound and Other Processing Plants, 1975 15 Sea Freight-1976 88 6-3 Location of Newfoundland's Timbe r 161 4-10 Origins of Rail Freight Incoming to Resources, 197 1 Newfoundland by Percentag e 88 6-4 General Freight Traffic to NfId . 166 4-11 Origins, Commodities and Tonnages of 6-5 Truck Auto Equivalents-July 1977 169 170 Incoming Rail Freight-197 6 89 6-6 Gulf Ferry Requirement s 4-12 Destination of Inbound Rail Freight to 6-7 Gulf Ferry Requirements Condition 2 171 Newfoundland by Percentage 1976 91 6-8 Gulf Ferry Requirements Condition 3 172 Photography Acknowledgement s The photography appearing in this report was made 12. D. Driscoll, Commission of Inquiry into New- possible through the co-operation of the following foundland Transportatio n organizations and photographers: 13. Eastern Provincial Airways, Gander 1 . Air Canada, Halifa x 14. Gander Aviation Ltd ., Gander 2 . British Hovercraft Corporation Ltd . 15. Ben Hansen, St. John's 3 . CN Marine, St . John' s 16. Lawrence and Laura Jackson, Forteau, Labrador 4. CNR, St . John' s 17. B. K. Mills, Commission of Inquiry into Newfound- 5. CN Visual Communications, Montreal land Transportatio n 6. Chimo Shipping Ltd ., St. John's 18. Memorial University of Newfoundland Extension Service, St . John's 7. Corner Brook Economic Development Corpora- tion Ltd . 19. Newfoundland Container Lines Ltd ., St. John's 8. Clarke Transportation Canada Ltd., Montreal 20. Newfoundland Museum, St. John's 9. R.G. Crocker Professional Photography, St . 21 . M. T. Schulstad, Corner Brook John' s 22. Transport Canada, Ottawa 10. Dept. of Regional Economic Expansion, St . John' s Photographic Production : 11 . Dept . of Transportation & Communications, Gov- Northlight Photographic, St . John's ernment of Newfoundland and Labrador, St . John's Ted Mills Studio Ltd ., St. John's Preface Throughout the course of our public hearings and in extremely difficult and time consuming to produce a the publicity which accompanied them, we heard and complete and absolute answer to such questions . read many and various complaints, accusations, More importantly, however, we did not attempt to suggestions and recommendations . Unfortunately, answer such questions because, although they are there was little in common among the various submis- intriguing, seeking the answers to specific questions sions, and no consensus emerged concerning the was not our most important responsibility . Rather, we problems of Newfoundland transportation or their considered our most important tasks to be (1) the solutions. Many submissions presented views and provision of a complete description of the present recommendations which were directly opposed to transportation situation in Newfoundland ; (2) the those presented by other individuals and groups . presentation of an analysis of Newfoundland's future On only one single theme did complete harmony transportation needs ; (3) the development of a more and unanimity appear, and that concerned the hope- efficient and effective transportation network for New- lessness of our task . Every submission and every foundland ; and (4) the setting out of guidelines and comment recognized, explicitly or implicitly, that our policies which will chart the future development of work would be difficult and challenging . No one transportation services in Newfoundland . That is, we envied our task . And our work has, indeed, been are not primarily concerned with the past ; we are difficult and our task challenging, although the effort vitally concerned with the present and the future . has not been without its satisfactions nor its humor- Our task, therefore, has been the preparation of a ous moments. master plan which would guide the development of Let us examine more closely the task which we transportation in Newfoundland for the next twenty were asked to carry out .