The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is expressing concern over the Government of New Brunswick’s proposal to introduce a toll by 2028 on out-of-province vehicles using the Aulac corridor – the only land connection between Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada.
The proposed measure would apply exclusively to non-resident vehicles. According to legal analysis done by the Alliance, this raises significant constitutional, economic, and interprovincial concerns. The Aulac corridor is a critical national trade route, supporting approximately 2,500 commercial vehicles daily and facilitating nearly $35 billion in goods movement annually.
The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) initially raised concerns, which were immediately echoed by the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA). Although the plan is still a few years away, the toll could set a precedent and slippery slope for provincial regulators in jurisdictions across Canada, explained OTA.
“Targeting out-of-province carriers that must use the only land access point to Nova Scotia is not a constructive policy – and it’s likely unconstitutional,” said Stephen Laskowski, president and CEO of the Alliance. “This proposal risks undermining the free flow of goods and people that Canada’s economy depends on.”
The CTA warns the toll may violate mobility rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by imposing recurring costs on Canadians based solely on residency. It also raises concerns under the Constitution Act, which protects against barriers to interprovincial trade.
Unlike other toll routes, the Aulac corridor represents a single-point national chokepoint, making any selective tolling measure particularly problematic in both legal and economic terms.
The trucking industry already contributes fairly to infrastructure through established systems such as the International Registration Plan (IRP), which apportions fees based on distance traveled, and through trip permits for non-IRP carriers.
“These mechanisms ensure provinces are compensated without discriminating against non-residents,” added Laskowski. “Adding a targeted toll on top of this framework is redundant and inequitable.”
The proposed toll would increase costs for commercial carriers and cross-border workers, reduce the competitiveness of Atlantic Canadian supply chains, and potentially trigger retaliatory measures from other provinces.
“This announcement is extremely counterproductive to the shared federal and provincial objectives of reducing internal trade barriers within Canada,” says Chris McKee, Executive Director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association. “Governments have taken deliberate steps to eliminate trade barriers that impact our supply chain, including large reductions to tolls in the Atlantic region. Introducing a new toll runs directly counter to this broader policy direction and risks reintroducing barriers that governments have actively worked to remove. Good policy should reduce costs, improve trade flow, and strengthen regional integration – not expand barriers.”
The CTA will be writing to the Council of the Federation, which is comprised of Premiers across Canada to raise these concerns, and the need to come to a more reasonable and productive solution to this issue which not only protects the integrity of Canada’s internal trade network but also ensures sustainable infrastructure funding.