The TRANsmissions Podcast

There are few people in any organization that you say their first name and everyone knows who it is… in our ministry, one person comes to mind. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Rodney Chapman , Director of the Construction and Maintenance Branch and recipient of the 2025 Premier's Award for Legacy, to dig into his insights after fifty plus years in our ministry.

Knowledge transfer and thoughtful reflection are key components for any healthy organizational culture. And what better way than to check both those boxes than to pick the brain of a tenured leader in MoTT as he's leaving us. Host  Russel Lolacher sits down with Ashok Bhatti , now former Executive Director to the South Coast Region in the Highways and Regional Services Department, to hear his thou...

In this episode,  we discuss the importance of consistency in leadership through change and succession.  Host Russel Lolacher sits down District Manager for the West Kootenay District Greg Kinnear, District Program Engineer for West Kootenays Ryan Oakley, and Director of Strategic Initiatives Hugh Eberle, to discuss maintaining a legacy of leadership from one role to the next.  We dig into the imp...

In this episode, we discuss what is and isn't psychological safety and what it looks and feels like in the workplace.   Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Manager of Psychological Health and Well-being Amy Baskin and Director of Corporate Health and Safety Brittney Crump to focus on something that is absolutely essential in building healthy work cultures, forging strong relationships, and establi...

Description: In this episode, we dig into the diversity, inclusion, and belonging of LGBTQIA2+ Pride Month . Including what that looks and feels like far beyond those 30 days. In this episode, host Russel Lolacher sits down with National Safety Code Manager in the Highway & Regional Services Division Karen Coverett to discuss Pride Month - what it represents, how we as individuals and as a ministr...

How well do you know the Declaration Act and the 10 Draft Principles that Guide the Province of British Columbia's Relationship with Indigenous Peoples? In this episode, host Russel Lolacher joins members of our ministry's Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation team to discuss how these documents impact and inform our work, the role their team plays in integrating the act and principles into our...

The man, the myth, the legend. In this episode, host Russel Lolacher welcomes former Associate Deputy Minister Kevin Richter for a conversation about his lasting impact on leadership, culture, and progress over the past few decades. A long-standing pillar of this ministry, Kevin shares what has mattered most to him, as well as valuable insights and experiences that can benefit new leaders.

The ministry's podcast has returned!  Introducing the Our People Podcast - new name, new focus, same great conversations. In this episode, host Russel Lolacher joins the People and Workplace Initiatives (PWI) branch leadership to talk about what they do, how their work has changed since the pandemic, and how we as a ministry can help drive changes that will improve the health of our organization....

Today, we're getting into emergencies. We've gotten into them a few times on this show and we should, we seem to be getting into them more and more, every year. We're either in an emergency, preparing for an emergency or recovering from an emergency. It's almost like our ministry needs an Emergency Program. Oh wait, we do. And we're digging into their work today. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Ac...

What do we have 28 of, across our province, that ensures our roads are well maintained through our many seasons? Maintenance Contracts! We work with various maintenance contractors across our province to keep our roads in working condition and travel ready. But what does that even mean? Host Russel Lolacher chats with Manager of Maintenance Programs Jason Templeton and Director of Rehabilitation a...

Change. It's probably the biggest constant in what we do. And nothing changes faster than technology. Not only in the tools we use but also in the public's expectations in how we serve them. One of the biggest changes I've seen in my time in government is this tectonic shift around digital transformation. And the need for the public service to modernize its role in delivering digital services. And...

When disasters strike our province, big/small, floods, fires, etc. we're there to work to reopen our highways.  But what happens after those events? What's our role in recovery and financial assistance. Quite a bit actually and today we're going to talk about it… Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Senior Manager of Business Services and responsible for our...

I'm not trying to scare you or anything but we're being invaded.  By land, by water… we are being invaded by… invasive species. What does that even mean, what's our role and how afraid should we be?  Our guests on the latest TRANsmissions podcast episode will get into all of that. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Environmental Roadside Manager Grahame Gielens , Protected Areas Ecologist for BC...

"POLICY" - a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or individual. Is that what it is in the world of Transportation and Infrastructure? Is it a simple process or a complicated one? What's involved? Who's involved? Great questions our guests today have answers. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Executive Director of the Policy and Planning Branch Jere...

Our number one priority is safety. You know it. I know it. But what does that MEAN?! Sure we prioritize safety but what are the behaviours? What does that look like as an organization? In this episode, we get into the corporate safety world to understand its influence and impact. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with our Acting Manager of Corporate Safety Tracy Wynnyk to discuss the importance of sa...

Natural disasters, big emergencies… flooding, wildfire… are becoming more and more common. The "new normal" as they call it. But here's the thing when we start saying "new normal"… there's a "new abnormal". And we got a big slice of that in November of 2021 when we got hit with one of the biggest flooding events in Canadian history.  Host Russel Lolacher discusses our role in this epic emergency e...

There are a LOT of what this ministry does that you don't see. That you might not even consider. Driving along, checking out our beautiful scenery with no idea the work that goes into making it all… work. I'm talking about utilities. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Utilities Project Analyst Ryan Pinches and Senior Project Manager in Major Projects Alycia Traas on the importance in managing provinc...

Every once in a while we get an email reminding us about our records management. We look at, we know we gotta do it, we think about it, we wonder what "transitory" means… and go on with our day.  Sound familiar?  Well, records ARE a big deal. Prepare to learn! Host Russel Lolacher chats with Records Officer with the Information Management Branch Deb Hoy  on the work of her group does, why it's vit...

Our beautiful province is hugely populated by various wildlife, who make their way around the land. And they don't often travel by highways. But we still need to ensure they travel safely when they get to them, which is what we're talking about today.  Host Russel Lolacher chats with Manager of the Wildlife Program Leonard Sielecki and Regional Manager for Environmental Services in the Southern In...

Some of the most amazing photos/videos and coolest stories come from this program. From weather stations, to backcountry adventures, avalanche control to safety preparation.  Hello Avalanche Program! Host Russel Lolacher chats with Senior Manager of the Avalanche and Weather Program Robb Anderson , and District Avalanche Supervisors Mark Talbot and Michael Blancher  on their careers, their respons...

We talk a lot of highways on this podcast. Which makes sense as they cover a large part of our province, BUT there are some bodies of water that highways have to stop at and allow for other modes of transportation to step up. Inland Ferries! And all about them, is the topic today. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Inland Ferries Manager Layle Lintern and Director of Inland Ferries Callum Campbell ....

Today on the show we'll be discussing GBA+ and IGBA+, Gender-Based Analysis Plus and Indigenous Gender-Based Analysis Plus. You'll hear personal and passionate stories of how important this learning and understanding is to how we can build better relationships, both with the public and with our coworkers. It's something we really need to incorporate into how we think about our business and our gue...

DriveBC. You know it. You love it. It's one of the key products we use to communicate to the public on travel advisories, incident information, closures and construction impacts while also providing highwaycams, weather info and so much more to help you know before you go.  And we're digging into it today! Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Web Services Manager and DriveBC Business Lead Gavin McL...

According to Wikipedia, procurement is "the process of finding and agreeing to terms, and acquiring goods, services, or works from an external source, often via a tendering or competitive bidding process. Procurement generally involves making buying decisions under conditions of scarcity." Is that how the BC government and our ministry see it? Today we find out! Host Russel Lolacher sits down with...

They are one of the most popular things we do. They are one of the many ways we help the public know before they go and they have a very happy home on our DriveBC web properties. They've also been an amazing source of fun in highlighting our province – sunsets, sunrises, winter maintenance, cone zone construction and giant spiders cover up the lenses. They are BC Highwaycams! Host Russel Lolacher...