Every year the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), in concert with Provincial Trucking Association partners, issues its list of major infrastructure priorities. The focus of the list is aimed at projects which will improve Canada’s internal and international road-based trade as identified. While the projects are provincial in scope, their impacts affect trucking at a regional and national level. All of these projects go towards supporting a more efficient supply chain in Canada.
As part of the federal government’s fall economic statement last November, the Saskatchewan Trucking Association’s highway upgrade recommendations from the 2018-2019 CTA report – which included Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Estevan – received $53.3 million in funding.
On July 15, 2019, the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry released a new report which also recommended infrastructure upgrades to Highway 185 from Saint-Antonin to Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Alberta Highway 40, and improvements to border infrastructure which were all key asks in CTA’s 2018-2019 infrastructure priority list.
“CTA is pleased to see trucking and road-based infrastructure recognized for the essential role they play in moving our nation’s economy,” said Jonathan Blackham, CTA’s Director or Policy and Public Affairs. “CTA and our provincial trucking association partners are hopeful that the new 2019-2020 list will once again have a strong impact on government infrastructure funding priorities.”
Also highlighted in the report is the necessity to keep focusing on the importance of truck parking facilities across Canada to support the professional women and men that play a critical role in keeping our economies moving. Nearly 1 percent of the Canadian population, and well over 1.5 percent of the labour force are truck drivers by profession. Likewise, key upgrades to border infrastructure also remains a key industry recommendation within the 2019-2020 report.
For a copy of CTA’s 2019-2020 Infrastructure Priorities Report click here: CTA 2019-2020 Infrastructure Priorities_public. Members of the associations within the CTA federation (BCTA, AMTA, STA, MTA, QTA, OTA, APTA) are encouraged to reach out to their provincial association with suggestions for next year’s list.