Best Pubicservice Podcasts (2024)

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Ep48 - Engaging Our Emergency Program 30:53

4M ago30:53

30:53

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 th…

1
Ep47 - Understanding Maintenance Contracts 35:35

9M ago35:35

35:35

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 Program…

1
Ep46 - Updating Digital Delivery 46:12

12M ago46:12

46:12

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 mode…

1
Ep45 - Getting Down with DFAA 32:26

1+ y ago32:26

32:26

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 Mana…

1
Ep44 - Into All Things Invasive Species 47:07

1+ y ago47:07

47:07

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 Gra…

1
Ep43 - The Path to Policy 38:34

2y ago38:34

38:34

“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 Executi…

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Ep42 - Caring About Corporate Safety 24:43

2y ago24:43

24:43

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 S…

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Ep41 - Painting the Picture of Atmospheric River 2021 50:13

2y ago50:13

50:13

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 Lol…

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Ep40 - Understanding the Usefulness of Utilities 40:03

2y ago40:03

40:03

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 …

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Ep39 - Remember Your Records Management 28:41

2+ y ago28:41

28:41

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 …

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Ep38 - Into the Wilds of Wildlife Management 35:38

2+ y ago35:38

35:38

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 Mana…

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Ep37 - Anything and Everything Avalanche 41:54

2+ y ago41:54

41:54

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 M…

1
Ep36 - Get In Line for Inland Ferries 29:13

2+ y ago29:13

29:13

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…

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Ep35 - An Understanding of GBA+ and IGBA+ 48:41

2+ y ago48:41

48:41

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 incorporat…

1
Ep34 - Take a Ride with DriveBC 35:39

3y ago35:39

35:39

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 Ser…

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Ep33 - A Play by Play with Procurement 34:51

3y ago34:51

34:51

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? Toda…

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Ep32 - Say Hi to BC HighwayCams 39:33

3y ago39:33

39:33

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 lens…

1
Ep31 - Getting Insight into Integrated Transportation Planning 26:34

3y ago26:34

26:34

There are so many modes of transportation, and there really needs to be a more holistic look at how they compliment and work with each other. Including the use of technology in those relationships. And that’s why we’re talking about Integrated Transportation Development planning today! Podcast host Russel Lolacher sits down with Executive Lead Davi…

1
EP30 - Everything Ethics 16:02

3y ago16:02

16:02

Ethics - “moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity.” That’s what dictionary.com tells us. And in this episode, we’re going to hear from our ministry’s Ethics advisor on how that pertains to us. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with David Greer to understand what this role is responsible for, how he can help me…

1
EP29 - A Peek into the Passenger Transportation Branch 33:57

3y ago33:57

33:57

PTB. Do you mean the Branch or the Board? What’s the difference?! Quite a bit actually and we’re here to get into those details and so much more of what the Passenger Transportation Branch does. Host Russel Lolacher chats with Perry Dennis, Deputy Registrar and Director of Operations and Steve Haywood, Registrar and Executive Lead for Taxi Moderniz…

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Ep28 - A Sit Down with Structural Engineering 39:34

3+ y ago39:34

39:34

It's always a great time to get to know our engineers. We have many types that work within our ministry and in this episode, we give Structural Engineering the spotlight. Podcast host Russel Lolacher talks with Director of Structural Engineering Carl Lutz, Hydrotechnical Engineer Alysha Piccini, and Senior Bridge Seismic Engineer Alireza Ahmadnia f…

1
Ep27 - Talking Traffic Data 31:58

3+ y ago31:58

31:58

Data, data, data. It’s a big part of how we are informed to make the decisions we do. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with returning guest Director of Transportation Systems and Road Safety Engineering Kenedee Ludwar and Traffic Data Program Coordinator John Mazuruk to talk about traffic data – what do we collect, how do we collect it, who uses it a…

1
Ep26 - Fun with Field Services 39:34

3+ y ago39:34

39:34

What do you call a team that is in charge of the roll out of our highway projects? Highway roll outers? Sorry, not very catchy. What we DO call them however is our Provincial Field Services team and in this episode, host Russel Lolacher speaks with Shawn Grant, Director of Provincial Field Services and Wayne Fraser, Deputy Director of Provincial Fi…

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BONUS 003 - A Moose Hide Campaign Conversation 41:26

3+ y ago41:26

41:26

For this episode, host Russel Lolacher talks with those behind the Moose Hide Campaign, a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence towards women and children. Campaign day is Feb.11. We’re joined by campaign co-founder Raven Lacerte, campaign CEO David Stevensen, and Associate Deputy Min…

1
Ep25 – Get To Know Cariboo District Manager Todd Hubner 37:43

3+ y ago37:43

37:43

It’s a very special episode. Very soon, a member of the MoTI community will be retiring and leaving a lasting legacy behind. That person, is Cariboo District Manager, Todd Hubner. Having been a part of our organization for decades, Todd has amassed an exceptional career: navigating numerous emergency events, mentoring so many of our fellow coworker…

1
Ep24 – The Who, What and Why of Web Services 39:49

3+ y ago39:49

39:49

When the public looks for information, they search the internet. Project details, tenders for bidding, forms to fill out, blogs to read, latest CVSE news… that content is all available. But it doesn’t happen magically. There’s a lot of work that goes into making sure it’s up to date, it’s easy to read, it makes sense, it’s consistent, it’s findable…

1
Ep23 – Tuning into the Radio Program 41:35

4y ago41:35

41:35

Breaker Breaker One Niner. Maybe your experience with radio is mainly from television shows? Maybe you had a radio when you played as kids? I’m not talking transit radios either. Today it gets a lot more serious because radios in our ministry are really vital to our work. In this episode, we meet up with the Radio Program. Host Russel Lolacher welc…

1
Ep22 – Meet Up with Strategic Human Resources 38:18

4y ago38:18

38:18

The environment in which we work, the resources we have available, how we are supported, from the day we come into our “office” to the day we leave, are all vital to the quality of our employee experience. There is a group in our ministry that has a very important hand in supporting the health of this ministry. For staff, supervisors and executive.…

1
Ep21 – Inside the Provincial Sign Shop 26:33

4y ago26:33

26:33

Communication is so vital to what we do. And it takes on so many different forms. Whether it’s our Dynamic Message Signs, Social Media, Drive BC, News Releases…One of the traditional ways we inform the travelling public is through our road signage. And there is a shop in Kamloops that makes that happen. Host Russel Lolacher talks to the Manager of …

1
BONUS 002 - Mindful of Mental Health 39:12

4y ago39:12

39:12

How are you doing? How are you feeling? Really. It's vital to understand that our mental health is an important part of our lives. Though it's been a part of who we are for as long as time, awareness around mental health and wellness has become a growing topic of discussion over the years, at home and at work. On the show today, host Russel Lolache…

1
Ep20 – Socializing with the Ministry Social Media Team 48:33

4+ y ago48:33

48:33

The public's expectations around how, what and when we communicate continues to change and grow. One of the ways our ministry meets those expectations is through the Social Media Services Team, who use various platforms, social strategies and content creation to provide social customer care. Guest host Nick Nixon, Director of Corporate Communicatio…

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Ep19 – Info Session with the Information Management Branch 31:04

4+ y ago31:04

31:04

Technology is vital to our work. We really can’t do much without it. Applications, data recording, DriveBC, highway webcams, digital storage, computers, map imaging and so much more we probably don’t even know about. It’s the Information Management Branch that has a hand in making this work for us. Chief Information Officer and Executive Director D…

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Ep18 – Wonderful World of Weather Stations 34:23

4+ y ago34:23

34:23

It’s Cold. It’s Rainy. It’s Hot and Dry. Weather has a huge, HUGE impact on what we do and how we do it. From floods, to avalanches, to wildfire and all the in between. Wouldn’t it be helpful if we monitored the weather so we could make more strategic decisions? Spoiler: we do. Climate and Weather Specialist Simon Walker and Avalanche Systems Tech …

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Ep17 - Time to Shift into Winter 33:38

4+ y ago33:38

33:38

Weather has a huge impact on our roads. Which is why it’s more important than ever to raise your awareness in how you can be a better driver and be prepared to head out in winter driving conditions. Our ministry is a big part in highlighting the importance of this safety with the Shift into Winter campaign. Director of Traffic and Highway Safety En…

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Ep16 - Getting to know GCPE 33:40

4+ y ago33:40

33:40

Communications. Public relations. Media Relations. Public Engagement. Our ministry works very hard to connect with so many of our stakeholders. There's actually an entire BC government organization that helps us get the word out about what we do: GCPE. Government Communications and Public Engagement. In this episode we learn more about the work the…

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BONUS - Prepare for Public Speaking 31:11

5y ago31:11

31:11

Not a lot of people like doing it or are comfortable doing it or want to do it. But, if you have an idea, a project or a program you want to get across to people, it's very important to be a strong public speaker. In this BONUS episode of the podcast, we sit down with Ari Hershberg Senior Program Analyst with the BC Government’s Exchange Lab, who a…

1
Ep15 - Meet our Major Projects 34:46

5y ago34:46

34:46

You've heard of the Coquihalla Highway? Port Mann bridge replacement? Evergreen Line? We are heavily involved in making these a reality. We even have a department dedicated to it. In this episode, we chat with Jody Deane, Executive Project Director of the Highway 91/17 and Deltaport Way Upgrade Project and Thomas Chhun, her Associate Director on th…

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Ep14 - Travel the World of Corporate Finance 30:44

5y ago30:44

30:44

Money, money, money. The work of finance impacts everything we do. What we can, what we can’t and where we need to be smarter about how we use our funds to go a little farther. It fuels our projects and programs while also letting us eat and pay our mortgages or rent. But how does it all work? In this episode, we travel the world of Corporate Finan…

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Ep13 - Join Us on our Journey Towards Reconciliation 31:54

5y ago31:54

31:54

The work we do impacts so many communities across our province. Their history, their cultures and our relationship with them need to be considered whenever we put together a project. Our indigenous communities and our relationships with them is vital to our success. In this episode, we dig into our Journey towards Reconciliation with Director of Co…

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Ep12 - Inside the Road Runner Newsletter 31:58

5y ago31:58

31:58

What’s 50 plus years old, the only one of its kind in all the BC Public Service and is driven by employees? Spoiler Alert: The Road Runner Newsletter. In this episode, we talk with long serving editor Nancy McLeod to get behind the scenes on this internal publication that has been a staple of our ministry for decades and decades. You'll hear about …

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Ep11 - Welcome to Development Services (formerly Development Approvals) 28:00

5+ y ago28:00

28:00

So you want to do some development along BC highways do you? Well that’s where Development Services kick in. Formerly known as Development Approvals, it's one of those business areas that has bigger impacts that you may think. In this episode, we talk with Rajeeta Bains, West Kootenay District Technician and DAEI lead in the Highways Department, on…

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Ep10 - Career Profile of Chief Engineer Dirk Nyland 36:47

5+ y ago36:47

36:47

46 years. 46 YEARS! In 1973, the Vietnam War was ending, a dozen eggs were 45 cents, and Elton John released “Crocodile Rock” AND our ministry’s chief engineer Dirk Nyland joined MoTI. His history, his lessons learned, his missteps and the advice he'd provide new, mid-career and retiring staff is all in this episode. Sponsor: The Employee Advisory …

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Ep 09 - Transit Overview with Andrea Mercer 36:46

5+ y ago36:46

36:46

There are so many areas and industries that our ministry covers. One of which is transit. From the island to Vancouver to Kamloops and beyond, transit touches so many of our communities. Host Russel Lolacher is joined by Andrea Mercer, Executive Director of our ministry's Transit Branch in the Transportation Policy and Programs Department to give u…

1
Ep 08 - District Manager Roundtable 1:04:16

5+ y ago1:04:16

1:04:16

DMTs. District Managers, Transportation. There’s 11 roles around our province, each overseeing one of the 11 transportation districts that make up BC. Today, we’re going to find out a bit more about what they do, why it matters and maybe pique your interest as a career path. In this episode we discuss these topics with former Thompson-Nicola Distri…

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Ep 07 - MoTI Wisdom from Norm Parkes 20:42

5+ y ago20:42

20:42

You don’t work for an organization for decades without gathering tons of wisdom. In the last part of our 4-part series with our former Executive Director of Highway Operations Norm Parkes, he chats with our Deputy Director of the Southern Interior Region Paula Cousins who was eager to pull some of that “Norm Knowledge” and “true-isms” before he ret…

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Ep 06 - Communications for Executive 14:42

5+ y ago14:42

14:42

Communicating in a way that’s meaningful to your audience is vital. Informing Executive is no different. Norm Parkes, our former Executive Director of Highway Operations speaks with our Lower Mainland District Manager Elena Farmer to share best practices in communicating with Executive, and the most impactful ways to get your message across. This w…

1
Ep 05 - Strategic Communications 21:16

5+ y ago21:16

21:16

We could all be a little more strategic in how we communicate. Our former Executive Director of Highway Operations Norm Parkes sits down with our Director of the Trans-Canada Highway Program Jenn Fraser to drop some of his vast knowledge about the importance of strategic communications and some tips and tricks around it. This week’s sponsor: MyPerf…

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Ep 04 - Advice for New Employees 17:59

5+ y ago17:59

17:59

We have so much knowledge in this ministry and it’s so important to capture it. Norm Parkes, our former Executive Director of Highway Operations sits down with our Director of Provincial Field Services Shawn Grant to share his years history with our organization and some advice for new employees. This is the first in a four part series with Norm. T…

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Ep 03 - Incident Response Management 27:12

5+ y ago27:12

27:12

From accidents to major events, incident response management is a big part of our ministry's responsibility. Guests Emergency Programs Director Jack Bennetto and Okanagan Area Manager Erik Lachmuth join host Russel Lolacher to explain our ministry's role in incident response, the many levels of emergency and why everyone needs to be prepared. This …

1
Ep 02 - Employee Advisory Forum 35:05

5+ y ago35:05

35:05

In this episode, we learn more about the Employee Advisory Forum (EAF). Host Russel Lolacher talks with Environmental Management Branch and EAF Lead Mark Traverso, Manager of Workforce Programs in Strategic HR Brittany Speed and District Development Technician in the Lower Mainland District Nikki Schneider to discuss the role of the group, its impa…

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