Transport Canada plans to cut about 600 jobs, email to staff says
Transport Canada told staff it is targeting roughly 600 job eliminations and has sent 1,500 letters indicating positions may be affected. The moves are part of federal staffing reductions.
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By Torontoer Staff
Transport Canada told employees on Monday that it is aiming to eliminate about 600 positions as part of a government-wide effort to shrink the federal public service. The department said roughly 1,500 staff, including executives, will receive letters saying their positions may be affected.
The email, signed by deputy minister Arun Thangaraj and associate deputy minister Brigitte Diogo, says receiving a letter begins a process that could take several months and does not automatically mean an employee will lose their job. The department said it will prioritise voluntary departures where possible to limit involuntary layoffs.
What Transport Canada plans to change
The internal memo outlines a number of restructurings intended to reduce duplication and generate efficiencies. The department says it will consolidate regional divisions, while keeping regional offices open. Other functions will be moved or merged to centralise oversight and streamline program delivery.
- Consolidate regional divisions, without closing regional offices
- Move oversight of major projects, such as high-speed rail, under the department’s programs group
- Transfer aircraft services functions and assets to the Canadian Coast Guard
- Identify efficiencies in internal services across the department
Our objective is to minimize involuntary impacts on employees wherever possible by supporting voluntary departures to the greatest extent possible.
Arun Thangaraj and Brigitte Diogo, Transport Canada email
How the cuts fit into federal plans
The Transport Canada reductions are part of the federal budget announced on Nov. 4, which set a target to reduce the public service by about 30,000 positions over five years. That goal follows a recent set of cuts of about 10,000 jobs. Several large departments have already notified staff or said they will in the coming weeks.
Statistics Canada said last week it is aiming to eliminate more than 850 positions, including about 12 percent of its executive ranks. Natural Resources Canada told reporters that around 700 employees received letters last month and that roughly 400 positions are expected to be eliminated by 2028-29.
According to Treasury Board data, Transport Canada employed 6,666 people last year, up from 5,205 in 2015. Eliminating about 600 positions would amount to a roughly 9 percent reduction from last year’s staffing levels.
What affected employees should expect next
The department warned staff that letters are the start of a process that may take months. The email did not provide a detailed timeline or specific selection criteria. Transport Canada said it will seek voluntary departures first and will offer supports where possible.
Other departments have given varying levels of detail about their plans. The federal government has asked large departments to submit savings plans and to notify staff who may be affected in the coming weeks. Transport Canada did not immediately respond to requests for further comment about the email.
Implications for services and staff
The department says the changes are designed to reduce duplication and concentrate oversight, not to close regional offices. How those shifts will affect day-to-day services and project timelines will depend on implementation decisions and how many employees accept voluntary departures.
Employees who receive letters should expect follow-up communications from managers or human resources, and to be informed of any options for voluntary departure or redeployment. The broader process across the public service will unfold over months and will involve other departments reporting their plans and numbers.
Transport Canada’s announcement underscores the federal government’s push to trim the size of the public service in the coming years. The department says it will aim to limit involuntary impacts while carrying out the restructuring.
Transport Canadafederal governmentpublic servicejob cutsOttawa
