VIA Rail and CATSA get new chief executives

Transport Canada has named Mathieu Paquette president and chief executive officer of VIA Rail Canada and Neil Parry president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

Both appointments are for five-year terms, the department said on October 7. Paquette had served as VIA Rail’s interim president and chief executive since February 2026 and has more than 25 years of experience in transportation, mining and manufacturing.

Parry has worked at CATSA for more than 20 years and had been interim chief executive since June 2025. CATSA is the federal Crown corporation responsible for security screening at designated Canadian airports, while VIA Rail operates the country’s national passenger-rail service.

The announcement confirms permanent leadership at both organizations after periods under interim executives. It did not identify immediate policy or service changes connected to the appointments.

Source: Transport Canada, announcement published October 7, 2026.

Featured image: Caio Fernandes / Unsplash, under the Unsplash Licence. Ottawa Station; resized for publication.