Appointments to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Ottawa, April 28, 2009 – Today the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister for La Francophonie announced appointments to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Ian S. MacKay as a part-time board member and the re-appointment of Mrs. Wendy Tadros as Chair of the TSB, said Minister Verner. “The wealth of experience in both the legal and transportation industries that these individuals possess, as well as Mrs. Tadros’ previous experience as Chair of the TSB, will benefit the Board and its work greatly.”

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is an independent agency, created in 1990 and consisting of up to five Board members, including a chairperson. It reports to Parliament through the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Its mandate is to advance transportation safety through the investigation of incidents in the marine, pipeline, rail and air modes of transportation. The Board works to identify safety deficiencies and to make recommendations designed to eliminate or reduce those safety deficiencies.

For further information on the TSB and its board members, visit the TSB website.

Appointees Biographical Notes

Mrs. Wendy Tadros, Chair – Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Mrs. Wendy Tadros has been re-appointed as Chair of the Transportation Safety Board (TSB). Mrs. Tadros has been a member of the TSB since 1996 and has been the Chair since August 2006, following an appointment as acting Chair in December of 2005.

Mrs. Tadros is a lawyer with extensive experience in the transportation sector. She held a variety of management and legal positions with the National Transportation Agency (NTA) of Canada and its predecessor, the Canadian Transport Commission. In the late 1980s, as lead counsel, she represented the Canadian Transport Commission before the Commission of Inquiry into the Hinton Train Collision, headed by Justice René Foisy. In the early 1990s, as Assistant General Counsel for the NTA, she worked on the Agency's input into a national review of transportation. In 1992, Mrs. Tadros was appointed Inquiry Coordinator for "The Road to Accessibility: An Inquiry into Canadian Motor Coach Services."

Mr. Ian S. MacKay, Board Member – Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Mr. Ian S. MacKay has been appointed as a part-time member of the TSB.

As a lawyer and executive, Mr. MacKay has over 23 years experience in dealing with legal, regulatory and policy issues in air and rail transportation. Mr. MacKay currently runs a law practice specializing in federal transportation matters. From 2003 to 2007, Mr. MacKay was an executive at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA). Prior to joining CATSA, Mr. MacKay held a number of positions related to transport regulatory and policy matters at Justice Canada, Transport Canada, the Canadian Transportation Agency and the Canada Transportation Act Review.