Kicking off the new session of the legislative assembly, the Speech from the Throne, delivered by Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont Tuesday, outlined the priorities of the Ford Government for the upcoming legislative session, including removing trade barriers and committing to large-scale infrastructure projects like a new tunnel expressway and transitway under Highway 401 and other projects supporting the busiest highway in North America.
The speech also highlighted the impact of Operation Deterrence launched in January, which is enhancing security at Ontario’s borders to crack down on the flow of illegal guns, drugs and border crossings and other crimes in our communities. OTA has an ongoing survey monitoring its impact and supports the enhanced enforcement oversight on the industry.
The Ontario Trucking Association the Canadian Trucking Alliance have made several suggestions to Ford in his role as Ontario premier and Chair of the Council of the Federation, related to removing trade barriers and championing made-in-Ontario initiatives, which have yet to be adopted by neighbouring jurisdictions, and would revolutionize trucking and the supply chain in eastern Canada.
Recommendations that would immediately have a positive impact for breaking down barriers across eastern Canada include:
- Mirroring requirements first developed here in 2017 for specialized car carrier configurations. These configurations are designed to support our auto industry with the safest and most productive vehicles designed to fit on Canadian roads.
- Significantly increasing the products available to be transported across eastern Canada on the most efficient truck configurations by mirroring what Ontario does.
“We look forward to working with the province on implementing enforcement, policy, regulatory and legislative solutions to help address competitive and productivity issues in trucking,” said Geoff Wood, OTAs Sr. VP, Policy. “Ontario is a leader on many fronts and we have a lot to share with our neighbours.”
In 2024 the Canadian Trucking Alliance successfully advocated the trucking industry to be the industry pilot for the removal of interprovincial trade barriers. CTA and OTA have been advocating and working with all levels of government on this project.
“OTA applauds Premier Ford for investing in the future of our province by creating future trade corridors, including Hwy 413. OTA will also be submitting additional ideas to the province to improve the use of the current infrastructure along key corridors to improve the productivity and efficiency of the supply chain that depends on trucking, including those related to rail, marine and air modal connectivity,” added Wood.