The National Dream Renewed – Western Town Halls – May 2014

TRANSPORT ACTION CANADA

The National Dream Renewed – Le Rêve national renouvelé
Tapping the Potential of Canada’s rail passenger service
Western tour: May 2014 – Consultant/Conférencier Dr. Harry Gow

Vancouver  (May 8 – 07:00 to 09:00 PM):
Town Hall meeting: Brix Studio, 102-211 Columbia St. (Gastown), Buzzer #102 for entry.

Organiser: Transport Action BC. RSVP to  bc@transport-action.ca

Victoria (May 9 – 06:00 to 10:00 PM):
Town Hall meeting: Ambrosia Centre, 638 Fisgard St.

Co-sponsors: Elizabeth  May MP, Green Party of Canada; Dr. Judith Sayers, Island Corridor Foundatioon.

Read Ms. May’s blog post  on the crisis in Canada’s passenger rail system here.

Melville, SK (May 11 – 07:30 PM):
Town Hall meeting: Community Works, 800 Prince Edward St.

Organiser: Ron Haskell, Melville; Transport Action Prairie

Winnipeg (May 13 – 06:30 PM) :
Town Hall meeting: Carol Shields Auditorum, Millenium Centre Winnipeg Central Library

Organiser Peter Lacey, Winnipeg;  Transport Action Prairie

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Dr. Harry Gow:

Harry Gow was born February 3rd, 1939 and raised at Invermere, British Columbia and Banff, Alberta inter alia.

He was Founding President of Transport Action Canada (formerly Transport 2000 Canada, from 1976) and is now its Past President and Newsletter Editor.

After serving in the Army in Calgary, Wainright and Camp Borden, Gow went on to five years with the Canadian Pacific Railway in engineering support roles. After graduation from Carleton University, Gow had a career in corrections and social work, which he began as Probation Officer, then Corrections Administrator.

After obtaining a Master’s degree from McGill University, he was a Health and Social services Director and then international consultant and teacher (York U., UQAM institutes). During all this time Gow maintained contact with the railways and found time to organise Transport 2000 (Action) Canada, as a passenger advocacy group. He led a seminar at Carleton University on economic and environmental aspects of transport for Honours engineering and geography students.

Gow was Field Placement Coordinator at the University of Ottawa Department of Criminology and taught intervention methods and seminars for practicum integration and other intervention, before retirement in 2001, when he became leader of a research action project for Health Canada on the effects of provision of rural transit to deprived populations.

Gow is now a consultant in rural community transit and rail and urban transit. He was a member of the Ottawa Mayor’s Task Force on Transportation which recommended the $2 billion Light Rail project now underway, and a member of a group consulting in the field of short line railways and commuter services. He is currently consultant to les Transports adaptés et collectifs des Collines, and for Transport Action Canada on a national speaking tour.

Gow brings a unique perspective on transportation with a blend of engineering, social and environmental knowledge and insights. He is often invited by media to comment on transportation safety issues and passenger concerns.

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Previous posts are here and here.