Ottawa – Canada’s Transport Minister John Baird and the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) announced the winners of the 2009 Canadian Transportation Awards, recognizing leadership, excellence and achievement in the transportation sector.

“These award recipients have shown exemplary leadership in their fields of expertise, distinguishing themselves and contributing richly to the transportation sector in this country,” said Baird. “Canadians all across the country will benefit greatly from the work that they have done.”

“TAC takes great pride in recognizing the exceptional contributions in their field of this year’s award winners,” said Mr. John Law, president of TAC. “Canadians can all be proud of their achievements in areas such as safety, sustainability, education and infrastructure.”

The Award of Academic Merit is given to an individual who has made a long-term contribution to the advancement of the academic field and to the development of tomorrow’s transportation leaders. This year’s recipient is Dr. Abd El Halim, of Ottawa, chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and professor at Carleton University, who is being honoured for his distinguished academic career and numerous achievements.

The 2009 Canadian Transportation Awards were presented at the closing banquet of the Transportation Association of Canada’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 21, 2009.