ITS Canada is a professional non-profit society, with the inter-related goals of fostering ITS applications, promoting government-industry cooperation and strengthening the ITS industry. It is generally acknowledged as the most knowledgeable source for information and advice on intelligent transportation systems in Canada. The Society positions itself to be fair and unbiased. It does not lobby for or promote any specific commercial interest or government policy. The profile of ITS Canada extends beyond national boundaries; the Society and its members play prominent roles in the international ITS community. ITS Canada has entered into a number of Memoranda of Understanding with colleague organizations around the world.

History of ITS Canada

The Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada (ITS Canada) was incorporated in June 1997 as a non-profit professional society. It is the chief focal point for advancing ITS technologies and practices in Canada. Prior to incorporation, ITS Canada was the former Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) Roundtable of the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC). The Roundtable was a small but dedicated group of ITS professionals that had operated since the early 1990s under the aegis of TAC's former Research and Development Council.

 
ITS Canada has evolved into an inclusive and growing national non-profit association. Operations are funded by members' dues, events and initiatives related to the Society's vision, mission and values. The Society has the broad support of key public sector agencies representing the federal, provincial and municipal governments in Canada, as well as the corporate sector. Membership consists of corporations, public organizations, academic institutions and interested individuals. The Society is led by a 16-member Board of Directors, elected from among the members.

Mission

The mission of ITS Canada is to lead the promotion and advancement of intelligent transportation systems and services to benefit Canadians.

Vision

We see a world where Canadian expertise in intelligent transportation research, technology and enterprise is seen by Canada and the world as moving people and goods more safely, efficiently and sustainably than ever before.

Role

ITS Canada provides professional advice related to the promotion and development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Many of the Society's members are in the forefront of the industry, both nationally and internationally. Because of the public/private make-up of ITS Canada's membership and its stated mission, the Society has developed a solid working relationship with several federal, provincial and municipal departments as well as academic institutions, system integrators, equipment suppliers and consultants. The Society represents all sectors of the ITS community, and draws on members to provide expertise on the full spectrum of ITS user services.

  
ITS Canada is an important player in the international ITS community. ITS Canada leads trade missions to foreign markets with ITS opportunities. The Society participates in international ITS standard development efforts and conducts ITS awareness sessions and training courses on the ITS Architecture for Canada. Through all of these activities, ITS Canada has established relationships that provide access to the very best international ITS expertise and knowledge.

Objectives

	Increasing the awareness of the strategic importance of ITS, including its broad social and economic benefits, among the transportation industry, infrastructure owners, regulators, policy and decision makers and all Canadians
	Facilitating training, education and professional development among all ITS stakeholders through workshops and conferences within Canada and around the world
	Participating in the development of Canadian and international ITS standards
	Presenting for consideration non-technical and institutional ITS issues (privacy, intellectual property, liability)
	Advocating for the research, development, and deployment of ITS technologies across Canada
	Strengthening the Canadian ITS industry at home and abroad through targeted events, missions, and congresses
	Representing Canadian ITS capabilities internationally through agreements and partnerships with like organizations.

Society Management

The Executive Director directs the day-to-day management of the Society in fulfilling its mandate, mission and objectives. He is supported by staff, and reports to the 16-member Board of Directors through the Executive Committee, which consists of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and three other Board Members. The Executive Committee meets monthly and provides advice and guidance to the Executive Director in the execution of the Strategic Plan. The Board meets quarterly and provides strategic direction in achieving the vision of ITS Canada.

http://www.itscanada.ca/

Smart businesses keep the competitive advantage by constantly improving efficiency and productivity. Leveraging machine-to-machine solutions (M2M) enabling two or more machines to communicate without human intervention is an effective way to do this. From monitoring remotely located oil pumps to paying for pizza at the front door with secure debit payment, the possibilities for M2M are limitless. M2M technologies optimize assets, automate operations and help you gain the competitive edge of real-time access to data. At Rogers, we combine our world-standard (GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA) wireless network with hardware from our best-of-breed partners to wirelessly enable M2M solutions, bringing you additional cost-savings, flexibility and scalability.

The business advantage of wireless M2M solutions:

• Cost savings:
  • Perform more measurements at a lower cost and reap the benefits of greater real-time data integration
  • Save up to 50% of installation costs by eliminating excess wiring and cabling throughout your facilities
  • Reduce energy costs associated with operating devices
  • Reduce equipment downtime, servicing costs and prevent revenue loss
  • Collect data to create new or improved services and revenues
• Productivity gains:
  • Get connected in remote or rugged locations where not previously possible
  • Reduce the need for direct human monitoring so you benefit from more efficient use of personnel
  • Gain productivity through task automation
• Customer and employee satisfaction:
  • Deliver secure anytime, anywhere access to work-related applications such as databases, timetables, stock, prices and diagnostics
  • Improve customer service with flexible payment options and stock availability

http://rogersmachine2machine.com/

Electric Mobility Canada is a national membership – based not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the promotion of electric mobility as a readily available and important solution to Canada's emerging energy and environmental issues. EMC is now Canada's dominant clean transportation industry association.

Our membership includes:

• Private sector companies engaged in the sale or distribution of vehicles or components or the delivery of professional services. These members represent all modes of surface transportation from bicycles to trains.
• Providers of electric energy at the provincial and local levels
• Managers of fleets from private sector companies, governments agencies and others
• Related associations, societies, research centres, labour organizations
• Individual supporters

Our Vision

The Vision for EMC/MEC is a Canadian society that accepts electric mobility, in all its forms, as the first choice for the transport of persons and goods. This has been achieved though collaborative efforts between government at all levels and the private sector supported by an informed public faced with increasing energy costs and concerned about the impacts of burning fossil fuels on the environment and quality of life.

Our Mission

To establish electric mobility, in all its forms, as the primary solution to Canada's growing transportation energy issues and to assist its members in the fulfillment of their mandates.

Our Goals

1. Raise public understanding of the larger issues affecting transport and create and maintain a positive image for the electric mobility industry.
2. Define and establish the government/industry partnerships necessary to introduce electric mobility technologies as appropriate to achieve societal, economic, and transport objectives.
3. Identify the actions required by industry and government agencies to accelerate the implementation of electric mobility. These actions could include research, funding, incentives, demonstrations, policies, regulations, etc.
4. Secure funding and the necessary partnerships for an on-going research program to deal with technical and other issues related to the advancement of electric mobility.
5. Provide members with current intelligence about the environment in which they do business, and develop strategies to assist them in successfully managing relevant issues.
6. Maximize member access to information on technical and operational matters
7. Assist members to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and overall competitiveness of their services and products.
8. Maintain strong ties with other transportation industry stakeholders.

http://www.emc-mec.ca/

NRU Publishing produces two weekly news publications, Novæ Res Urbis Greater Toronto Area Edition and Novæ Res Urbis City of Toronto Edition, which focus on municipal politics and urban planning issues in Toronto and in the GTA.

Novæ Res Urbis (pronounced nov-eye rays er-bis, a term roughly translated from Latin as "News of the City") was first published in June 1997, six months before the amalgamation of the seven municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto into the new City of Toronto. The newsletter was conceived by Ian Graham and Bruce Davis based on a belief that with amalgamation would come, not only change, but confusion—the newsletter was to provide up-to-date information on the evolving new city structure and its regular activities, including planning and development matters.

By June 1998, NRU published its first GTA newsletter, originally known as GTA/905 Municipal News and later as Novæ Res Urbis Greater Toronto Area Edition. Since then, NRU has provided over ten years of detailed coverage on key developments and issues affecting Toronto and the GTA, and has become an important information source for decision-makers dealing with municipal issues.

http://www.nrupublishing.com/

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) is the recognized voice of the province's planning profession. OPPI provides leadership on policy related to planning, development, the environment, and related issues.

As the Ontario affiliate of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), OPPI represents approximately 3,000 practising planners across the province and approximately 500 student members.

OPPI members work for government, private industry, community agencies, and academic institutions.

A not-for-profit Ontario Corporation, OPPI is funded entirely by membership fees and program and activity revenue.

http://www.ontarioplanners.on.ca/

Canada's infrastructure renewal magazine, ReNew Canada, began publication in October 2005. We are a national, bi-monthly business magazine that profiles the design, construction, financing models, management methods and leading-edge technologies behind infrastructure renewal in Canada.

Each magazine reaches over 30,000 business professionals that spend, specify or recommend capital investments for public works and community building projects across the country.

Infrastructure is obviously becoming a hot topic in the media. With bridges collapsing and water mains breaking at alarming rates, the media at large is covering the infrastructure gap with increasing regularity. As Canada's premier source of infrastructure-related news and commentary, ReNew Canada is often a resource for journalists across the country. So here is our scrapbook, our e-clippings if you will.

http://renewcanada.net/

Executives in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector started the Networked Vehicle Association (NVA) as a VIP networking work-group, to share business and technology advice and experience. These leaders, with their automotive counterparts, are ‘lighting up’ the last remaining dark spot in the ICT universe – the community of more than a billion communications-enabled vehicles.

ICT executives use the NVA as their premier platform for exploring the business and technology side of new internet-enabled services through high-speed vehicle networks. Today such networks are unleashing unprecedented opportunities for user convenience, safety, entertainment, information, advertising, service delivery, communications, and research.

The NVA is a global not-for-profit organization which has become the premier workgroup for executives in the newly-emerging field of ICT-auto business opportunities. The NVA’s main purpose is to play an active role in orchestrating different industries to obtain business opportunities in the full integration of vehicles into the global communications network.

http://www.networkedvehicle.org/