ITE Canada/CARSP Conference 2023

It is my pleasure to invite you to the joint Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals and Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba from June 4th to 7th, 2023. Our conference will attract and showcase transportation professionals and students from across the country and beyond.
This year’s conference represents the first time the two organizations, CARSP and ITE Canada, have jointly held their annual conferences. This presents an opportunity for the two communities to exchange ideas and experiences in transportation and road safety, promoting safe transportation for all. This year’s conference also offers a unique forum to share successes and learn how others in the transportation and road safety communities are planning safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation solutions.
To reflect the organizational mandates of CARSP and ITE Canada while also elevating essential and timely discussions, we have developed a technical program centered on the theme of Road Safety: Creating Impact through Diversity. We recognize the provision of safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation systems requires integrated actions and policies to meet the needs of different stakeholders including diverse users and decision makers. Much of the technical program will focus or touch on ways to enhance safety, sustainability, and equity in transportation in the face of complex and competing priorities in a rapidly changing environment.
On the Monday morning of the conference, Megan Wier of the Oakland Department of Transportation will kick-off the conference with a keynote address on Partnerships to Prioritize Safety and Equity. Tuesday’s lunch will delve into similar challenges and opportunities through a panel of notable voices discussing equity, transportation, and road safety. This year’s Banquet and Awards Gala will take place at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, which is both a national landmark and unique architectural icon that inspires through the stories of human rights champions. The presentation of awards will continue at the conference-closing Awards Luncheon on Wednesday.
The joint conference is comprised of keynote speakers, panel sessions, workshops, and four concurrent streams of technical sessions with over 120 presentations. Feel free to further explore our conference program through the conference website, including descriptions of the many innovative session formats, technical tours, and social events.
The venue for this year’s conference is none other than Winnipeg’s leading conference facility, the RBC Convention Centre. Special room rates have been secured with the Delta Hotel, which is adjacent to the Convention Centre and connected by Skywalk. Both the RBC Convention Centre and Delta Hotel are located in the heart of Winnipeg’s downtown, with many of Winnipeg’s great attractions within walking distance. These include the Forks, Manitoba Legislative Building, Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq, True North Square, Exchange District, and Union Station. Many of this year’s conference technical tours will explore or pass by these attractions, including multiple walking and cycling tours. Winnipeg, in its summertime glory, will serve as the wider backdrop for the conference. For those willing to venture outside of Winnipeg’s downtown, Assiniboine Park, the Leaf, and Canada’s Diversity Gardens are well worth the trip.
For those unfamiliar with typical conference offerings from ITE Canada, the conference will feature the annual activities of the ITE Canada Collegiate Traffic Bowl and Street Hockey Classic. The Traffic Bowl is a Jeopardy-style competition that pits teams from ITE Canada Student Chapters against each other for the title of Canadian champion. This year’s Street Hockey game will take place on Memorial Boulevard in front of the beautiful Manitoba Legislative Building and is open to all. A student mixer will follow both the Traffic Bowl and Street Hockey game to cap off Monday afternoon activities.
With less than two months until the conference, please consider registration if you have not already done so. Early bird registration has closed however regular registration rates are still available until May 20th, 2023. Discounted rates are available to existing members of CARSP or ITE Canada. Also, keep an eye out for the third and final round of the Trivia Challenge through CARSP and ITE Canada communications for your chance to win a prize at the conference.
We hope to see you soon!

Mark Hearson,
Co-Chair, ITE Canada/CARSP 2023 Conference

Mark Hearson is a Transportation Engineer with Stantec in the Winnipeg office. Mark brings over 10 years of experience, primarily from consulting to provincial and municipal clients across Canada while working in the private sector. He is a demonstrated leader, with an ability to account for a broad range of considerations in the areas of road safety, transportation engineering and planning, airport planning, investment strategy development, and asset management. Mark is an executive member of the Transportation Association of Canada Road Safety Committee and co-chair of the upcoming joint ITE Canada/CARSP conference in Winnipeg.