Joint Statement by Ministers Alghabra, O’Regan and Qualtrough, and the President of the Canadian Trucking Alliance

January 25, 2022    Ottawa, Ontario    Transport Canada

Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Labour, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, and the President of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, Stephen Laskowski, issued the following statement:

“The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on all Canadians. Within the trucking industry, the pandemic has led to unprecedented challenges. Despite these circumstances, truckers have delivered for Canadians.

“Vaccines, medications, personal protective equipment, food, and supplies continue to arrive where they need to be thanks to the efforts of our dedicated commercial truck drivers.

“The vast majority of all consumer products and food are shipped by trucks. Furthermore, the trucking industry remains vital to Canada and injects billions of dollars into the economy.

“Since the outset of the pandemic, the Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance have engaged regularly with one another and with other key partners to identify emerging issues and mitigate disruptions. This engagement has been critical to keeping trucks moving, while also keeping Canadians safe from COVID-19.

“The Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance both agree that vaccination, used in combination with preventative public health measures, is the most effective tool to reduce the risk of COVID-19 for Canadians, and to protect public health.

“As the pandemic continues, it remains critical that essential goods reach Canadians as quickly as possible. In fact, this is a top priority for the Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

“To reach this goal, and to bolster Canada’s economic recovery and long-term competitiveness, it’s important to tackle two major challenges facing industry – supply chain constraints and labour shortages.

“These issues are not easy to solve, and they must be addressed by long-term strategies that will achieve real and lasting results.

“Moving forward, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the industry at large will continue our shared dialogue on the challenges facing this sector. By working together, we are confident that we can find solutions that will help Canadians and industry alike."