Ottawa | The 2024-2025 annual reports of Ship and Rail Compensation Canada, covering the activities of the Ship Fund and the Rail Fund, were tabled in Parliament.

The reports describe the organization’s performance in delivering compensation and upholding access to justice following spills from ships or boats and major railway accidents involving crude oil. Both reports highlight the importance of Canada’s polluter pays approach to incidents, which removes the financial burden from taxpayers. The reports also showcase the organization’s readiness to handle a high volume of claims and their focus on building strong partnerships to protect Canadians when they need it most.

The key highlights of 2024-2025 from these two reports include: 

  • Launching Ship and Rail Compensation Canada, our new joint operating name for the two Funds, with a new website and updating of our engagement materials.
  • A record-setting number of 44 claims received by the Ship Fund, totaling $3.6M in damages.
  • More than $1.5M paid to Canadian claimants by the Ship Fund for oil spill damages.
  • Efforts made by the Ship Fund to uphold the polluter pays principle have resulted in the recovery of $505,423 from polluters, the highest amount ever recovered in single year since its creation.
  • Facilitating a tabletop exercise to test readiness efforts of the Rail Fund.
  • Significantly increasing engagement efforts by doubling our presence at conferences, expanding our name recognition across key sectors.

This also marks the first annual reports presented under the leadership of Ms. Caroline Healey, Chief Executive Officer of Ship and Rail Compensation Canada and Administrator of the Ship Fund and the Rail Fund. Since taking office in March 2025, she has been dedicated to strengthening access to justice for claimants, with a continued emphasis on fair and timely compensation for those impacted. She wants key stakeholders to be more aware of the compensation available, while also ensuring the organization is prepared to handle a large number of claims.

The 2024-2025 annual reports are now available online at:

Quotes

“As Canada’s compensation hub, our responsibility is to make sure that individuals, communities, governments and industries impacted by spills from ships or boats and by major railway accidents involving crude oil have timely access to the funds they are entitled to. The 2024-2025 reports reflect our strong record in managing and paying claims, our progress in preparedness to handle claims in the event of a major accident, and our ongoing commitment to transparency.”

Caroline Healey, Chief Executive Officer, Ship and Rail Compensation Canada & Administrator of the Ship Fund and the Rail Fund

About Ship and Rail Compensation Canada

Ship and Rail Compensation Canada is Canada’s compensation hub for anyone affected by oil spills from ships or boats and by major railway accidents involving crude oil. Its mission is to help victims, responders, and anyone else affected get financial compensation and to remove the burden from taxpayers. Ship and Rail Compensation Canada is an independent federal office, financed by industry, managing two compensation funds: the Ship Fund and the Rail Fund. The two Funds are administrative tribunals governed by federal legislation. 


Ship and Rail Compensation Canada is led and managed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ship and Rail Compensation Canada and Administrator of the Ship Fund and the Rail Fund. Each Fund also has a Deputy Administrator, who reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

For more information or to file a claim, visit ship-rail.gc.ca.

Contacts

Jannie Bédard Guillemette
Communications Manager
343-644-5865
j.bg@sr-nr.gc.ca
 

Benedikt Henninger
Communications Officer
343-644-5962
b.henninger@sr-nr.gc.ca