Environmental, Social, and Governance

Rideau Transit Group (RTG) proudly provides maintenance and rehabilitation services on the Confederation Line to our customers and community. We understand that moving people on transit is one of the most important actions we can take to improve our local environment, connect communities, and reduce sprawl.

Environmental sustainability is woven into everything we do because we invest in our collective future. We aim to be more environmentally and climate-conscious in everything we do, from our chosen materials to our maintenance methods, modern design, and technologies.

We recognize that environmental protection and stewardship are critical and integral components of our business and an ongoing priority.

RTG aims to achieve and maintain environmental excellence by incorporating strategies, policies, and standards that protect the environment and safeguard our personnel, contractors, and the public throughout all our activities.

RTG’s Environmental & Sustainability Policy is the driving force behind implementing and improving our environmental management program to maintain and improve our environmental performance. This policy states our commitment to the responsible management of the natural environment based on the principles of controlling risks associated with environmental issues.

Our sustainable procurement approach addresses our environmental, social, and financial considerations, helping us engage the local market and provide a selection of diverse and inclusive suppliers.

We expect business partners, principal contractors, and suppliers to conform to equal environmental and sustainability management standards. RTG commits to informing business partners, contractors, and suppliers of these standards, protocols, and policies and works with them where appropriate to support their adoption of practices consistent with ours.

We don’t simply want to minimize negative impacts but create positive, lasting change. Light rail transit helps reduce vehicle emissions, mitigating the effects of poor air quality and associated healthcare costs while simultaneously reducing individual vehicle operating costs. Our local communities can develop more compactly, reducing land consumption and travel distances.

Our policy is reviewed annually, and we require all employees and stakeholders to share when applying the policy.

Environmental monitoring is completed as required by the pertinent agreements and approvals issued to RTM. Monitoring ensures that environmental protection and mitigation requirements are adhered to and effectively minimize the ecological impacts of the OLRT activities.

The Permit License Approval and Agreement Register lists all required monitoring of project impacts in terms of implementing required mitigations and their effectiveness.

The following areas are regularly monitored on an ongoing basis:

• Air Noise and Vibration Emissions,
• Waste Disposal and Materials Recycling,
• Wastewater Discharges,
• Spills and Uncontrolled Releases,
• Hazardous Materials Handling and Storage,
• Fueling and Equipment Servicing,
• Tree Protection/ Hoarding (as applicable),
• Wildlife and Habitat (as appropriate).

Rideau Transit Maintenance and third-party consultants conduct monitoring where appropriate. Monitoring results are tracked and reported.

Materials recycled: During peak construction, an average of 250 tonnes of construction materials per month were diverted from landfills.

Replacing bus and car trips with the LRT’s zero-emission electric trains means reducing carbon dioxide by approximately 94,000 tonnes per year by 2031.

Light rail vehicles are significantly quieter than diesel-powered buses. Replacing buses with light rail and an underground downtown corridor would reduce air and noise pollution.

Not only do we report to work each day eager and willing to do our best to deliver a safe and reliable transit system for the people of Ottawa, but we are also building a strong local presence, reflected in our engagement with the local communities we work and live in.

Having highly principled standards, we want to have a positive impact, establish good relationships and demonstrate our long-term commitment to the people of Ottawa.

At RTG, we meet social needs in local communities by collecting donations and goods and volunteering our skills and time. In addition to employing residents in Ottawa, we support education through partnerships with universities and colleges, offering students paid internship opportunities throughout our organization. We stimulate the local economy by partnering with businesses, supply chains, and start-ups.

When you view our efforts through a wider lens, you will see that our employees have a solid connection to the community and bring their skills and talents to more than moving people around the city. We are actively involved in helping the communities we work and live in.

Rideau Transit Group and Rideau Transit Maintenance want to positively impact disadvantaged communities and people within local communities, improving their living conditions and socio-economic standing by encouraging employee awareness and involvement in charitable giving and volunteering.

Since launching the Confederation Line’s revenue service in 2019, our employees have actively participated in person and collected financial and in-kind donations to support members of Ottawa’s growing communities.

You can read specific details on the charitable organizations we have supported in the Ottawa community here. 

Our employees’ collective vision and values create an environment of equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) where each individual feels supported, celebrated, empowered and treated with dignity and respect. These values extend beyond the workplace to our passengers and subcontractors. Our employees reflect the diverse communities we serve, identifying and eliminating inequalities and creating an inclusive culture in which diversity is welcomed and appreciated.

AT RTG, we give everyone the opportunity to share their knowledge, skills, experiences, and perspectives, generating significant value for the City of Ottawa and its residents, OC Transpo, our Parent Partners, subcontractors, and each other.

Our diverse and inclusive corporate culture values, respects, and leverages our diverse teams without bias to provide a more holistic approach that boosts performance.

At Rideau Transit Group, we uphold zero tolerance against violence, discrimination and harassment. Our policy provides the terms and guidance of steps for all employees.

The Confederation Line is the largest and most important infrastructure project in the City of Ottawa’s history. As of October 2018, over $1 billion in contracts were awarded to local suppliers to build Stage 1, and over 500 local vendors were involved throughout construction.

Over the five-year construction period, the Confederation Line generated over 3,200 person-years of trade employment in Ottawa.

Expertise in mass transit control systems and communications has also required highly skilled technical staff, resulting in an additional 700 person-years of employment in Ottawa.

Construction and maintenance on the Confederation Line have also positively impacted several cross-sectional industries and local suppliers, including fleet, tunnel safety equipment, concrete and construction companies, and office suppliers.

The assembly of the light rail vehicles at the Belfast Yard in the city’s east end required hiring approximately 100 people.

The Confederation Line has also helped invigorate Ottawa’s broader economy by creating many new spin-off jobs. The LRT investment has generated over 20,000 person-years of direct and indirect employment.

Today, we employ more than 200 people to maintain the Confederation Line.

Rideau Transit Group and Rideau Transit Maintenance are mutually accountable for delivering on our commitments to the City of Ottawa Light Rail Transit project.

The Project Agreement with the City of Ottawa governs Rideau Transit Group.

We must report any known or suspected violation of the Project Agreement, any suspected breach of applicable laws, rules or regulations, or any observed misconduct.

We report directly to OC Transpo and support them in reporting to the Transit Commission and, more recently, the Light Rail Sub-Committee.

To request a copy of any of the legal agreements, please get in touch with Claudio Colaiacovo, Manager, Light Rail Program Management Branch, by email at claudio.colaiacovo@ottawa.ca or by telephone at 613-580-2424, extension 22331.

Rideau Transit Group is governed by a board of directors comprised of eight members who are appointed annually.  In keeping with the Partnership Agreement, each board member is a representative from one of our Parent Partners: AtkinsRèalis, EllisDon, or ACS Infrastructure.