Dr. Michael C. Ircha FCSCE, FEIC, P.Eng., MCIP, RPP

Dr. Michael Ircha

Professor of Civil Engineering Emeritus
Associate Vice-President Emeritus
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton

Phone: (613) 421-1793
Fax: (613) 232-9554
Email: ircha@unb.ca

Mailing Address: 301 Amita Crescent, Ottawa, ON K2C 4J1

Speciality:

  • Ports Planning and Administration, Marine Transportation, Municipal Administration, and
    Urban Planning

Background:

  • BScE CE, Queens, 1968
  • MPl Urban & Regional Planning, Queens, 1973
  • MPA Public Administration, Queens, 1980
  • ndc, National Defence College, 1993
  • PhD, Ports Administration, Wales, 1997

Professor Ircha has worked as an urban planner, city engineer, and city administrator. He offers consulting services in policy and planning issues related to marine transport and ports, as well as municipal administration and planning.

Current Appointments:

Senior Advisor, Association of Canadian Port Authorities, Ottawa
Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University, Ottawa
EU PromoDoc Ambassador, European Union Erasmus Mundus, promoting European doctoral studies

Recent Awards:

2010    Alumni Achievement Award, School of Urban and Regional Planning, Queen's University
2008    Appointed New Brunswick Ambassador, Business New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
2007    Atlantic Planner’s Institute (API) “Volunteer Award for Municipal Planning and Education”, Canadian Institute of Planners
2007    UNB President’s Medal for outstanding career in teaching, research and administration at the University of New Brunswick
2006    Province of New Brunswick Merit Award for Community Leadership, August 2006.
2004     Recipient of the Lieutenant-Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Fredericton, N.B.

Research Interests:

Ports Administration:

  • Trade corridors and gateway strategies
  • Waterfront development (port versus municipal interests)
  • Social License for Ports
  • Port governance models
  • Characteristics of mega-hub container ports

Local Government Administration:

  • SSHRC Major Collaborative Research Initiative (MCRI), "Multilevel Governance and Public Policy in Canadian Municipalities" (2004-09) - a multi-disciplinary research animator focussing on federal-municipal relations, in particular with respect to "federal lands", in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Ottawa and British Columbia. The principal researchers are in the Department of  Political Science at the University of Western Ontario.
  • NSERC Strategic Grant, "Development of a High-fidelity Urban Spatial Information System for Advanced Land Use and Transportation Planning" (2008-10), Department of Civil Engineeiring, UNB.

Recent Publications:

  • Michael C. Ircha and Robert Young, editors, Federal Property Policy in Canadian Municipalities, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, June 2013
  • M.C. Ircha, “Social License for Ports”, Proceedings, 47th Canadian Transportation Research Forum, June 2012, Calgary, pp. 263-273
  • P. John, J. Christie and M.C. Ircha, “Port Risk Classification”, Proceedings, 47th Canadian Transportation Research Forum, June 2012, Calgary, pp. 248-262 
  • M.C. Ircha, “Social License for Ports”, Canadian Sailings: Transportation & Trade Logistics, March 12, 2012, pp. 17-22 
  • M.C. Ircha, “Trade Corridors and Gateways: an evolving national transportation plan”, Chapter 14 in P. Hall, R.J. McCalla, C. Comtois and B. Slack (eds), Integrating Seaports and Trade Corridors, Ashgate, Surrey UK, 2011, pp. 221-234 
  • P. John, J. Christie and M.C. Ircha, “Places of Refuge: Port Suitability”, 46th Proceedings, Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Gatineau, June 2011, pp. 468-482 (Conference Best Paper Award) 
  • M.C. Ircha, “Port Labour-Management: Need for ‘Revolutionary Change’”, Proceedings, 46th Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Gatineau, June 2011, pp. 268-282 
  • M.C. Ircha, “Port and Shipping Security”, Proceedings, 46th Canadian Transportation Research Forum, June 2011, Gatineau, pp. 268-282, pp. 133-147 
  • P. John, J. Christie and M.C. Ircha, “Port Risk Management Strategy”, Proceedings, 46th Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Gatineau, June 2011, pp. 166-180
  • M.C. Ircha, “Social License to Operate for Ports”, Proceedings, Annual Conference of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, St. John’s, August, 2010 
  • P. John, J. Christie and M.C. Ircha, “Places of Refuge For Ships in Need of Assistance in Canada: Policy Lessons from Other Maritime Nations”, Proceedings, 45th Canadian Transportation Research Forum, May 2010, Toronto (Conference Best Paper Award)
  • M.C. Ircha, “Trade Gateways and Freight Corridors: Building Capacity”, Annual Conference of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, Prince Rupert BC, August, 2009
  • R. Mustafa, M. Zhong and M.C. Ircha, “Short Sea Shipping in Canada: Regulatory and Policy Issues”, Proceedings, Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Toronto, May 2010
  • M.C. Ircha, “Waterways and Port Security”, International Symposium on National Critical Infrastructure Systems and Security, Carleton University, Ottawa, May 2010
  • M.C. Ircha, “Trade Corridors and Gateways: An Evolving National Transportation Plan”, Proceedings, 2009 International Workshop on ‘Integrating Maritime Transport in Value Chains’, University of Montreal, June 2009
  • M.C. Ircha, “The Future of West Coast Ports: Canada’s Gateway and Trade Corridors Initiative and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy”, Proceedings, Transportation Research Forum, Portland Oregon, March 2009
  • M.C. Ircha, “Canadian Ports: Trends and Opportunities”, Canadian Political Science Review, 2 (4), December 2008, pp. 1-22
  • M.C. Ircha, “Canadian Ports: Challenges and Opportunities”, Commonwealth Minister’s Reference Book 2008, Henley Media Group, London UK, 2008, pp. 102-105.
  • M.C. Ircha, “Opportunities and Challenges facing Canadian Ports”, Proceedings, 43rd Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Fredericton, June 2008, pp. 612-626
  • M.C. Ircha, “Wide World of Marine Transportation”, Proceedings, 2nd Biennial Conference, Canadian Marine Pilots Association, Vancouver, Aril 2008