Government of Canada navigation bar

Symbol of the Government of Canada

Primary site navigation bar

Selection Committee

Seven members of the Urban Transportation Showcase Program Selection Committee were appointed by Former Transport Minister David Collenette in July, 2002:

  • Jack Chadirdjian, of Montreal, holds a bachelor of laws degree from the Université de Sherbrooke. He was a municipal councillor for the City of Montreal, where he was leader of the official opposition. Mr. Chadirdjian has also served as vice president of the Société de transport de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal, vice president of the Conseil métropolitain de transport en commun, and director of the Canadian Urban Transit Association. Mr. Chadirdjian is currently a member of the Conseil régional de développement de l’île de Montréal.
  • Douglas Floyd, of Toronto, holds a Master of Applied Science degree from the University of Toronto and is currently a Vice President of Delcan Corporation. Mr. Floyd previously held a number of executive positions with the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto over a period of 25 years, including the latter 10 years as Commissioner of the Transportation Department. Mr. Floyd was a Director of the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) and Chair of its Urban Transportation Council, and in that capacity championed the development of TAC’s Vision for Sustainable Urban Transportation, which has been adopted by a number Canadian municipalities as well as a number of affiliated organizations.
  • Dr. Anthony David Perl, of Calgary, earned his Ph. D. from the University of Toronto, and is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, where he teaches public policy and Canadian Politics. He serves as a Director of the Centre for Sustainable Transportation, and a member of the Transportation Research Board (U.S.). An author of three books and numerous articles on environmental and transportation policy, Dr. Perl has particular expertise in urban air quality management efforts. His work has been recognized through prizes awarded by the World Conference on Transport Research and the Canadian Transportation Research Forum.
  • Dr. Michael Poulton, of Halifax, Professor in the School of Planning at Dalhousie University, where he researches and teaches courses in transportation planning and traffic engineering in urban centres. He studied economics and planning at the University of London, and civil engineering at the University of California at Berkley. He has served on several professional committees related to urban planning and economic development, and has authored several books and articles on these topics.
  • Dr. Barry E. Prentice, of Winnipeg, is the director of the Transport Institute, and an associate professor in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Prentice serves on the board of directors of several transportation organizations, including the Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc., and has acted as president for National Transportation Week, and the Canadian Transportation Research Forum. He is associate editor of the Journal of Transportation Research Forum, and an honourary president of the Canadian Institute for Traffic and Transportation. Dr. Prentice, who was named Manitoba Transportation Person of the Year in 1999, served on Winnipeg’s TransPlan 2010, and the Mid-Continent International Trade Corridor Task Force. Dr. Prentice participated in the review of the 48 Expressions of Interest and the recommendation of the program finalists. He withdrew from the selection committee prior to consideration of the 15 finalist proposals that were submitted on May 16, 2003.
  • Richard Soberman (Chair), of Toronto, is a graduate of Dalhousie University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the former chair of civil engineering at the University of Toronto, and has held the positions of director of research at the Canadian Transport Commission, and senior vice president of the Urban Transportation Development Corporation. Mr. Soberman has served on several provincial and federal government special commissions and task forces, including the National Capital Commission, and the Ontario Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. He was also principal author of the Canada Infrastructure Works Program review, which was presented to Parliament, and was responsible for the Toronto Commuter Rail Study, and the Metropolitan Toronto Transportation Plan Review. Mr. Soberman has completed major studies on the future of the Toronto Transit Commission and GO Transit, and was responsible for the transportation component of the City of Toronto’s new Official Plan.
  • Rhoda Witherly, of Prince Rupert, is a public notary with a practice dealing in real estate transactions, contracts, wills, immigration, and other general legal advice. She is the president and manager of Rupert Title Search Ltd., a document search, land registry, and civil process serving company. Ms Witherly, who holds a master’s degree from the University of Alberta, is a former broadcaster with CBC Radio, a former Prince Rupert city councillor, former chair of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, and past director of the Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District.
Date modified:
2010-02-03