Intermodal competition changes with changes in technology, economics, and environmental concerns.Trucks and airships are generally considered not to be competitors, but this depends on the distance of haul.The tonne-kilometer cost of trucking rises much more quickly with distance than it does the cost of a cargo airship.At some distance, the two modes are direct substitutes.The costs of the Mexico-Canada refrigerated truck supply chain are compared with the costs of a 100t-lift, electrically-powered airship.The flight characteristics of the Hindenburg Zeppelin are used as a model for a modern cargo airship.The supply chain cost of trucking tomatoes is used to test the theorical proposition.The cost difference works out to about US10¢/kg (5¢/lb) advantage for trucking Mexican tomatoes to Canada.However, this cost disadvantage of the airship could be made up by their vibrationless ride, better air circulation and one-day service versus four days by truck.This alternative form of transportation could have a positive impact on worldwide north-south distribution of food.Airships can overcome trade barriers and distance to open new markets for perishable food exports.In addition, they would reduce the carbon emissions of transport.Canada imports 160,000 refrigerated truckloads of fruits and vegetables by from the southern US and Mexico.With an average driving distance of 3,000 km, these trucks emit 606,000 MT of CO 2 annually.Airships powered by hydrogen fuel cells would have zero-carbon emissions.Markets are not yet incorporating the environmental advantage of airships in any freight comparison, but inevitably this will be important.

As climate change progresses, the Arctic Ocean creates opportunities for new resource development and navigation routes. Such economic opportunities are attractive, but carry with them an increased risk of accidents and oil spills. Existing methods of emergency response face enormous challenges in the Arctic because of its lack of transportation infrastructure and support services. Cargo airships offer a practical solution. Many airship designs are proposed that can carry over 30 tons, travel long distances at 150 km per hour, and land close to the emergency site. However, it is difficult to justify the economics of having enough capacity waiting and available to be marshaled in response to infrequent events. One solution is to develop a synergy with a new civilian cargo airship industry that can serve the regular transport needs of remote communities and mining operations. Through contingency contracts with these civilian operations, the Government of Canada could stretch its budgets and have access to the latest airship models and trained crews at locations across the Arctic. This paper gives valuable insight into the development of cargo airships. Advances in technology that make cargo airships a practical option in the 21st century are reviewed, and five competing airship designs are discussed. A case study of an existing rare earth mine proposal is used to illustrate the cost comparison of roads versus airships that could provide contingency services.

Ecotourism is a global growth industry and Canada is well-positioned to attract more tourists for these types of activities. However, remote locations are under-served with respect to access and inherently vulnerable. This presents significant difficulties for tourists who want to see Canada’s wildlife in their natural habitats. In addition, the use of transport to get close to wildlife for viewing opportunities can be stressful for the animals and may damage terrain. This article explores the use of passenger airships for ecotourism. Airships have been used a number of locations for tourism-related activities. Modern designs with electric propulsion make airships ideal for intrusive ecotourism operations.

Re-engineering a logistical process involves radical redesign and the use of technology to achieve a quantum improvement in supply chain performance. This paper explores the opportunity to re-engineer the logistics of the Canadian grain handling system. The first section sets out the historic development of the current bulk handling system. This is followed by a discussion of the economic advantages and disadvantages of bulk handling, and the role of the grading system. Subsequently, the analysis examines five principals of logistics that make the containerization of grain a competitive alternative. The paper concludes with a discussion of a new institutional framework that would facilitate the re-engineering of the grain trade.

The evolution of the motorized taxi industry in Vancouver is examined with respect to regulatory changes affecting competition. After initial laissez-faire policy, the industry was tightly regulated after 1946. As newer technologies emerged, newer types of services emerged and the demands of the public evolved. Vancouver remains one of the few large Canadian cities to resist increased competition. The protected taxi industry does not want changes pointing to congestion as a justification. The theory on externalities is examined with respect to congestion and information asymmetries. The paper document the most recent developments.

In this chapter, to illustrate the usefulness of graph theoretical tools in measuring the relative importance of transport nodes within nodal systems, we apply this methodology to a case study of the Chinese High-Speed Rail (HSR) system. In particular, we use different concepts of centrality, including degree, strength, closeness, and betweenness, to measure and rank the connectivity of different cities with HSR stations over the years, with specific consideration given to the different weights of ties. With a close look at the Chinese HSR network development pattern, we argue that it is carefully planned: (1) a complicated network consisting of subnetworks was first developed and then each was connected with one other once they became close enough and (2) a simultaneous instead of sequential schedule for multiple HSR segments is now in place at any particular time. Moreover, we also identify the geographical differences in the development of the Chinese HSR system. We find that the Chinese HSR network expands all of the lower-elevation, more populous, and more prosperous regions of China but leaves out the other regions. In addition, the Chinese HSR system started to develop from the northern part but as from 2013, Central China and East China have taken over top places in the ranks. South China is also showing increasing prominence on the closeness rank.