Transport Committee on Oct. 17th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

I now call the meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 33 of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Thursday, February 3, 2022, the committee is meeting to study anticipated labour shortages in the Canadian transportation sector.

Today’s meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.

Members, appearing before committee today, we have, from the Canadian Canola Growers Association, Dave Carey, vice-president of government and industry relations, and Mr. Steve Pratte, senior manager, transportation and biofuel policy, joining us by video conference. From Fertilizer Canada, we have Ms. Nadine Frost, director of policy and industry standards. From the Grain Growers of Canada, we have Ms. Erin Gowriluk, executive director. From the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, we have Mr. Michael Millian, president, who is also joining us by video conference. From Trucking HR Canada, we have Ms. Angela Splinter, chief executive officer, and Craig Faucette, chief program officer. Finally, from the United Steelworkers, we have Mr. Luc Julien, staff representative.

We will now begin the opening remarks with the Canadian Canola Growers Association.

The floor is now yours for five minutes.

[Dave Carey, Vice-President, Government and Industry Relations, Canadian Canola Growers Association]

Thank you for the invitation to be here today. I'm joined virtually by my colleague Steve Pratte, senior manager, transportation and biofuel policy.

CCGA is a national organization representing Canada's 43,000 canola farmers on issues and policies that impact on-farm profitability. Canada produces, on average, 20 million tonnes of canola annually and exports over 90% in three forms: seed, oil and meal. These products are exported to more than 50 countries. In 2021, canola exports were worth $13.7 billion. Canada is the world's largest producer and exporter of canola, and our industry supports 207,000 Canadian jobs and contributes $29.9 billion to the Canadian economy annually.

The transportation of grain is one of several commercial elements that directly affect the prices offered to farmers. When issues arise in the supply chain, the prices farmers receive for their grain crop can drop, even at times where commodity prices may be higher in the global marketplace. In periods of prolonged rail disruptions, the worst-case scenario is that space in grain elevators becomes full and grain companies stop buying grain and accepting deliveries from farmers. This can occur even when farmers have existing contracts for delivery, potentially straining their ability to cash flow their operations. Today's grain supply chain is predicated on having the right grain in the right place at the right time. There are a lot of moving parts in this complex system, and labour is the fundamental factor for success.

Now I'll turn to the specific question of what the anticipated labour shortages are in the Canadian transportation sector. As noted, the grain handling and transportation system is a complex, multi-actor logistics system that involves trucks, inland collection points, railways, port terminals and marine vessels. All are required to move canola from the Prairies, where it is grown, to the international customers, where it is wanted.

In such a complex system, in any given year, there will inevitably be incidents and events that negatively impact the fluidity and on-time execution of the supply chain. Weather, infrastructure damage and other unforeseen events are often outside the influence of our control. One element that we do, broadly speaking, have control over is labour agreements in organized work environments. In the grain sector, there has been a relatively lengthy run of labour stability with organized workplaces, namely at port terminals.

One critical element of our supply chain where we observe ongoing instability is between our class I railways and their labour. Most recently, in March 2022, we saw one Canadian class I railway approach the brink of labour action with one of its labour groups. Ultimately, a shutdown was avoided in the eleventh hour, but there are still ramifications for supply chain fluidity with even the threat of labour action. In advance of labour deadlines, the railways begin curtailing operations, sending a wave of logistical disruptions and delays back through the supply chain. In November 2019, another class I railway did have labour action that affected operations for a full week, with effects reverberating for months after.

Given the geopolitical situation in the world and the early signs of a strong 2022 harvest in Canada, several agricultural groups launched the Canada's Ready campaign this summer to raise awareness of the need to reliably get Canada's canola and other grains to customers around the world. One tenet of that was for government to establish an industry-government labour council to track the progress of the collective agreement negotiations. For example, there are 12 CN and CP rail labour agreements that will expire or have expired in 2022 alone. The recently released federal supply chain task force report clearly notes this as a strategic issue and recommends that the Minister of Labour convene such a body.

I would ask parliamentarians on this committee to consider these labour issues from the lens of our international customers and competitors. In Canada, we have enough risk to our supply chains from natural causes in any given year, and ones of our own making must be avoided. We want to produce more, grow our exports and drive our economy's growth. The labour needed to get our products from farm gate to export position is critical. Canola travels an average of 1,500 kilometres by rail from farmers' gates to tidewater.

Labour and management issues naturally reside between those parties. It is a tenuous balancing act that is enshrined in law and evolving jurisprudence. It is not our intention as a farm group to suggest a solution for these issues but rather to highlight the second- and third-order effects when railway labour issues arise.

Looking forward, we clearly see further rising demand for our agricultural products, both domestically and internationally. At the end of the day, farmers will not be able to capitalize on the opportunities from increasing demand or trade agreements without a reliable rail system that grain shippers and our global customers have confidence in.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Mr. Carey.

Next we have Ms. Frost.

Ms. Frost, you have five minutes for your opening remarks. The floor is yours.

[Nadine Frost, Director, Policy and Industry Standards, Fertilizer Canada]

Thank you so much.

Good afternoon, everyone. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the committee today. My name is Nadine Frost. I am here with Fertilizer Canada.

In case you're not familiar, Fertilizer Canada is the national industry association representing manufacturers, distributors and retail fertilizer companies across Canada—the backbone of Canada's agri-food economy. In the fertilizer sector, we contribute approximately $24 billion annually to Canada's economic activity, and our industry facilities support the employment of over 76,000 individuals.

I want to first speak more generally about the importance of fertilizer transportation within Canada, before moving on to some of the specific challenges we see currently and anticipate with labour shortages impacting the fertilizer supply chain and transportation in our industry.

Our Canadian fertilizer industry is export-driven, and we depend on the safe, secure and efficient transportation of our products to domestic and international markets. Sourced from Saskatchewan, over 95% of Canadian potash is exported to international markets, primarily by rail and through ports in B.C. Canada is also home to nine nitrogen fertilizer plants across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Approximately 45% of the nitrogen fertilizer manufactured in Canada is exported to the United States. Across all modes, over 36 million metric tons of fertilizer are transported in Canada each year, representing 63 billion tonne kilometres of transportation activity.

Our industry is primarily reliant on railways to move these volumes of fertilizers, and our products are some of the highest-volume commodities shipped by rail in Canada. Across the rail sector, there have been many service issues experienced by Canada's fertilizer companies, and many of those are related to crew availability and labour. This means that our sector has little to no redundancy in labour and capacity to manage situations that are not business as usual in the rail sector.

Fertilizer movement to agriculture markets is a highly integrated system. While 75% of fertilizer, by volume, is moved by rail, our member companies also depend on trucking to move our products through the final leg of the journey, from distribution to retail and, ultimately, to farm gate. The peak volumes of fertilizer transported by truck are in the months of March through May, leading into the spring fertilizer application season.

Supply chain disruptions pose a serious challenge to our industry and to food security, both in Canada and in the export markets that rely on Canadian fertilizers or Canadian-grown foods. For Canada's farmers, purchasing and applying fertilizer is a highly time-sensitive process. During critical fertilizer application windows, primarily in the spring and fall—these periods largely determine the course of a farmer's harvest—delay or disruption of access to fertilizer products, even by a few days or a few weeks, can impact the essential products that our farmers need for growing food within Canada and around the world. Hence, labour shortages that impede a farmer's ability to access fertilizer inputs or ship the food they produce will and do have long-term consequences in terms of costs to farmers and harm to domestic and international food security.

I think it's well known that the trucking industries in Canada and the U.S. are facing critical labour shortages. These have a severe impact on the ability of the trucking industry to meet the needs of shippers, like fertilizer companies. A key issue is the reduction in the number of younger individuals entering the sector. This has disproportionately impacted the trucking industry, which is experiencing an aging work force. A lack of new entrants in this sector could mean that there is very limited future capacity to move goods by truck, which will impact the entire supply chain. Furthermore, the movement of some fertilizer products, such as anhydrous ammonia, requires specialized training with regard to the transportation of dangerous goods.

As it has been mentioned as an urgent call to action in the recent national supply chain task force report, Canada must address the transportation supply chain labour shortage. We call on the Government of Canada to act on this task force recommendation and deliver a national supply chain strategy that can address the chronic labour shortages that are being seen and that are anticipated in the transportation sector. We hope this will ensure that supply chains have built-in redundancy and are more resilient to changes in the labour markets.

Thanks again for the opportunity to provide remarks on behalf of Fertilizer Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Ms. Frost.

Next is Ms. Gowriluk.

Ms. Gowriluk, the floor is yours for your opening remarks. You have five minutes.

[Erin Gowriluk, Executive Director, Grain Growers of Canada]

Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, for the opportunity to present to you today on a topic of importance to the farmers whom our association represents.

My name is Erin Gowriluk, and I am the executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada, a national advocacy association that represents the interests of 65,000 grain, pulse and oilseed farmers in every province across the country.

Depending on the commodity, approximately 80% of the grain we grow in Canada is destined for international markets. As the fifth-largest agri-food producer in the world, Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector offers some of the highest economic growth potential in this country.

Canadian agriculture is a national success story in terms of both productivity and growth. As a key driver of our economy, agriculture and agri-food contributes $142 billion, or 6.7%, to Canada's GDP annually. We employ about 2.3 million people across the country.

According to the final report that was released earlier this month by the national supply chain task force, “Canada's standard of living is directly connected to our success in international trade and, therefore, to our transportation system's performance.” Canada's transportation system is critical to the agriculture sector. Farmers depend on these lines of transportation to receive critical input like fertilizer and deliver products to market.

With global supply chain shortages and increased geopolitical risk, harvest 2022 is the most important harvest in a generation. Following last year's devastating drought, we are relieved to see a return to average yields. Getting this year's harvest to consumers will be necessary to safeguard food security and the livelihood of Canadian farmers, who are paying record high fuel prices and input costs to dry and ship their grain.

Demand for products that Canadian farmers can deliver is growing, but we can only capitalize on these opportunities if we can ensure efficiency and reliability in our own transportation system. We have a strong, global reputation as a trusted supplier of safe, top-quality food, yet our reputation is still contingent on the value chain's ability to deliver much-needed products to markets here at home and around the world. If unaddressed, labour shortages in Canada's transportation system will undoubtedly have serious and negative impacts on several sectors and the Canadian economy more broadly.

I am very pleased that the committee has undertaken this study to hear from stakeholders to proactively address these issues, to keep the Canadian economy moving as we seek to recover from the pandemic and to mitigate the impacts of an impending recession. While I am not a labour expert, I can speak to the impact that these shortages will have on Canadian grain farmers and in support of the recommendations that others have put forward.

For example, the final report released by the national supply chain task force identified that the current labour shortage in Canada's transportation sector will continue to be a limiting factor for a reliable and efficient supply chain unless drastic measures are taken. The task force called on the federal government to address Canada's labour shortage without delay and recommended that the following actions be taken: develop a transportation supply chain labour strategy, expand existing programs and examine ways to attract more under-represented groups to the sector, expand the temporary foreign worker program as it applies to workers in the transportation supply chain and expedite refugee and immigration processing for individuals who have experience in, or would be eligible to work for, transportation supply chain-related businesses.

These are proactive steps that the government can take in an effort to address labour-related issues in Canada's transportation sector now and into the future. We also have to find a way to build more reliability and resiliency into the system and find a way to reduce and ultimately eliminate the number of service action-related interruptions that Mr. Carey referred to.

The report goes on to confirm something that our members are acutely aware of, and that is the damaging effects that these work stoppages have on the national economy, people's livelihoods and ultimately Canada's international reputation as a reliable shipper. A resolution to labour action-related stoppages must be found soon, as the two class I railways are, together, facing the expiration of 12 collective agreements over the next two years.

While GGC has long been advocating for the use of binding arbitration and back-to-work legislation as tools to ensure that negotiations between unions and railway management are never allowed to affect service delivery, it is clear that a more robust strategy is required. As such, we support the recommendation also included in the task force report, which would see the formation of a council of experts, under the Minister of Labour, working together to “develop a new collaborative labour relations paradigm that would reduce the likelihood of strikes, threat of strikes, or lockouts that risk the operation or fluidity of the national...supply chain.”

I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to present alongside my colleagues here today. I look forward to your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Ms. Gowriluk.

Next we have Mr. Millian.

Mr. Millian, the floor is yours for your five-minute opening remarks.

[Michael Millian, President, Private Motor Truck Council of Canada]

Good afternoon, committee members.

The PMTC would like to thank the Government of Canada for putting this committee together. We are very appreciative of the invitation to address the group on the shortages we are facing in today's trucking sector.

While there are shortages across the board in many fields in the transportation sector, for today's purposes I will concentrate on the position of the professional Canadian truck driver.

The Canadian trucking industry is crucial to our economy. According to Statistics Canada, trucks move more than 70% of the freight value in Canada, employ more than 300,000 drivers and generated $39.55 billion in revenue in 2018. These numbers show how vital the sector is to our economy, as well as to the supply of the essential needs and services that Canadians require.

While many people, I believe, understand that truck drivers deliver essential items such as food, water, clothing and daily supplies for our households, I believe that society as a whole may not fully comprehend everything that truck drivers touch. Trucks deliver blood and medical supplies needed by hospitals. They deliver medicines and vaccines to our pharmacies and hospitals. They deliver heating fuels for our homes and businesses. They are needed to maintain and repair critical infrastructure such as hydro networks, telecommunications and roads. These are just a few items, but it is safe to say that almost everything we need or want at some point in time is on a truck—or the service is delivered by a truck—and delivered by a professional driver.

The labour shortages we are currently facing endanger our economic recovery, as well as the current and future supply of these goods and services. A recent LMI report by Trucking HR Canada highlights the current deepening shortage. As of the end of June, there are 28,210 job vacancies in Canada. This means we have over 28,000 trucks sitting idle as a result of no one being able to fill the seat. The vacancy rate is 9.2%, well above the national average of 5.2%. Over 50% of the vacant positions have been posted for over 90 days, indicating this is not an issue of seasonal peaks and valleys. Compounding these issues is that the average age of a truck driver is over 51, with 32% of drivers over the age of 55. These numbers are a clear indication that the shortage will only become worse going forward if it is not addressed.

While there is no silver bullet that can solve the labour shortages immediately, there are a number of actions that can be taken to begin addressing the shortage in both the short and near terms. Action must be taken swiftly. While we know that the labour shortage is a country-wide issue and that the industry is competing with many other fields for labour, we must act to prioritize the position of the truck driver to ensure that our fragile supply chain can supply our nation's essential services and goods while continuing to support the rebuilding of our economy.

Here are some of the priority items that the PMTC would like to see implemented.

Funding needs to be opened up for training. Unfortunately, the position of a truck driver has not yet been classified as a skilled trade, which means that obtaining grants and student loans is not an option for most. With the introduction of mandatory entry-level training across the country, the cost of a training program for a class 1 driver is in excess of $8,000. This is a barrier to many interested individuals who would like to enter the industry. We need an increased and consistent funding model available to help people enter the industry.

One solution that can be acted on quickly, as identified in the national supply chain task force report, is the expansion of Trucking HR Canada's career expressway program. As a signatory in support of this program, we are in complete agreement with the task force on this recommendation. We would also like to see work continue to be done to elevate the position of truck driver to that of a skilled trade. We also need to continue to support and increase access to temporary foreign workers for the position of truck driver, with the goal being a pathway to permanent residency. This program is important, as immigration is required to fill labour shortages.

Just as crucial, however, is to ensure the program has proper oversight. We must ensure that we only use companies that have proven safety records, written policies and procedures and formal initial and ongoing training, and that abide by proper labour standards. We must properly assess the employer who wishes to bring a worker in if the program is to provide a long-term solution to the industry and not endanger road safety at the same time. A Globe and Mail investigative report showed, in 2019, that if oversight is not properly done, the consequences can be severe.

We need to reopen the fast processing centres on the Canadian side of the border. These centres were closed in March 2020 in response to COVID-19. The centres have been reopened on the U.S. side of the border, but the ones on the Canadian side remain closed, with no opening time announced.

We also need to find a way to expedite current processing times, as there is a backlog of 10,500 drivers waiting to have their interview completed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

You have 10 seconds, Mr. Millian.

[Michael Millian]

Okay. I'll just say that we also need to improve rest area facilities for truck drivers and have proper lighting in washroom facilities.

With that, I'll wrap up. I thank the committee for giving me the time to speak to you today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Mr. Millian.

Next we have Ms. Splinter.

Ms. Splinter, the floor is yours for your five-minute opening remarks.

[Angela Splinter, Chief Executive Officer, Trucking HR Canada]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon, and thanks to all of you for the invitation to speak with you here today.

Trucking HR Canada is a national not-for-profit organization that works collaboratively with stakeholders in commercial transportation, public policy, training and economic analysis, ensuring Canada's freight transportation network has the skilled workforce it needs to meet growing demand. We offer a range of HR-related programs and supports, including driver training and other wage incentives and subsidy programs, which are all informed by our sought-after labour market information.

I had the opportunity to review some of the testimony that has already been heard by this committee, and my comments today will build on it, with labour market data on shortages and some considerations to address them.

The trucking and logistics sector is the most significant enabler of postpandemic economic recovery in Canada. Our labour market information shows that in the third quarter of 2022, Canada's truck driver labour force amounted to close to 320,000 drivers, including those who are fully employed or who are actively seeking work, with 60% of these drivers working directly in the truck transportation sector, and the remaining 40% working in industries such as construction, agriculture—as we've heard today—mining, oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and more.

In that same quarter, employment among truck drivers increased by 11.8%, with some 33,000 additional drivers actively employed compared to the previous quarter. At the same time, the number of unemployed drivers fell by half. The low level of unemployment among drivers means that employers have a much smaller pool of experienced workers to draw upon and must therefore look to hire, train and onboard new drivers, which is a lengthy and costly process.

The unemployment rate among drivers stands at 2.1% compared to 5.3% in the overall Canadian labour force. The most recently available vacancy data shows, as Mike said, that there are some 20,110 vacancies in truck transportation overall—NAICS 484—with a vacancy rate of 9.4%. These vacancies include jobs for over 30 different occupations, including truck drivers, mechanics, dispatchers, shippers and receivers, managers and administrators, IT workers and more.

For the occupation of transport truck drivers specifically—NOC 7511—the vacancy rate is similar, at 9.1%, which is what Mike quoted, with 28,210 vacancies across Canada. This is 8,100 more vacancies than in the truck transportation sector overall. How is this possible? As we've heard, it's because most other sectors in the Canadian economy depend upon the services provided by truck drivers both to receive goods required to conduct their business and to move their products onwards in the supply chain. As a result, the shortage of truck drivers impacts the abilities of these other sectors to recover from the pandemic and grow.

Even before the pandemic, the driver shortage was threatening growth. In 2020, Trucking HR Canada estimated that the driver shortage was costing the truck transportation industry as much as $3.1 billion in lost revenues every year. Other sectors are experiencing the impact of the driver shortage too. For example, the Forest Products Association of Canada estimates that the truck driver shortage is costing their industry about $450 million in lost business. Also, the shortage of drivers might actually be fuelling inflation. If it costs more to move food, fuel, medical supplies and other goods by truck, it is likely that these costs are being passed on.

In terms of underlying causes, our research suggests that safety concerns, high upfront training costs, work-life balance and environmental concerns are some of the reasons. Retirements are a factor, as we've heard, with 35% of our truck drivers being 55 or older, compared to 22% in all sectors. Our industry also has some of the lowest representation of women and youth, each group accounting for under 4% of our truck drivers.

What are some considerations to help address this?

First, our driver training subsidies and wage incentives are helping get more young people in the sector and are helping employers with onboarding and employment readiness. Here we need access to more of these programs.

Second, we need to better bridge the gap between entry-level training and employment readiness. Trucking HR Canada has given a proposal to the federal government to support this.

Third, we see a need to develop tools to equip employers in the recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Fourth, we see a need to better support and educate our federally regulated employers with increasingly prescriptive Canada Labour Code compliance requirements.

Fifth, we need to continue with our labour market information to support evidence-based decisions by employers and career seekers, as well as to inform government policy and skills-training investments.

Our truck driver shortage is real and worsening. The shortages in other key occupations are also worsening, posing a threat to economic recovery. We need significant and immediate interventions to ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to support a growing, competitive and sustainable supply chain.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Ms. Splinter.

We will now hear from Mr. Julien for five minutes.

[Luc Julien, Staff representative, United Steelworkers]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, as well, to the committee members for inviting me to appear today.

My name is Luc Julien. I am a union representative with the United Steelworkers union. I represent more than 900 security screening officers at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport. I'm also on the bargaining committee for screening officers in eastern Canada, which represents nearly 2,000 officers at 26 airports in Quebec and the Maritimes. We are in negotiations as we speak. The United Steelworkers union is the voice of security screening officers at over 42 airports across Canada.

The labour shortage is a real and pressing concern for us. This past summer, the Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and Newfoundland airports were impacted by a screening officer shortage. The situation was so bad that officers from other airports had to be brought in to help. Officers from Halifax and Montreal were sent to Quebec City. The airports are still very understaffed, with Montréal-Trudeau airport alone in need of nearly 100 officers.

The issue persists today because the problem has not been fixed.

In our view, the Canadian government's underfunding of the workforce is the main cause of the screening officer shortage. The Canadian government gave the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, or CATSA, the responsibility of administering Canada's airports. This government agency contracts the management of screening officers out to security firms, the idea being to reduce labour costs.

Officers are being pressured by their employers because of the labour shortage. What's more, the public's frustration is making their jobs harder and harder. People end up quitting or taking time off work. Finding another job is easy these days, especially one with better working conditions and a lot less stress. We are losing more and more expertise.

This summer, CATSA introduced a bonus program in an effort to combat employee absenteeism. It was a disaster. Screening officers became very frustrated because, in order to receive the bonus, they couldn't miss work for any reason, not even to look after their children. If they did, no bonus.

We are at the bargaining table, and the employer is offering screening officers a wage increase less than half the rate of inflation. The federal government must do something. It has sole responsibility for the safety and security of passengers, Canadians and workers at airports. Workers are fed up and discouraged, and if nothing is done, nothing will change.

What screening officers do isn't just another job. They are under constant watch. In order to be hired, they have to obtain security clearance, and their schedules make it difficult to have a work-life balance. On top of that, the employer is putting more pressure on them and the public is growing more impatient because of the long lineups. It is important to keep in mind that these workers ensure the safety and security of all.

I would be remiss if I didn't address the challenges related to security. This year, efforts were made to hide the understaffing. Screening officers are the key to the work. Administrative personnel at CATSA and security agencies worked in screening positions to make up for the lack of officers. Requirements were lifted so that new officers could perform certain tasks, something that used to be the exception. Existing officers were asked to do more with less. We saw a reduction in the number of staff assigned to certain positions, increasing the amount of stress and fatigue, not to mention the potential for error. There is no room for error in an airport.

The government can and must do something about the screening officer shortage. The government has a duty to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and workers. It is time that the government recognize the value of the work screening officers do and give CATSA the resources it needs to improve working conditions.

In closing, there is no doubt that the labour shortage is going to get worse. What happened this past summer will happen again, especially during the holidays, March break and, what's worse, next summer.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much.

We'll begin our line of questioning with Mr. Muys.

Mr. Muys, the floor is yours. You have six minutes.

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all the witnesses for giving us a lot to think about on this issue.

I'd like to take a moment to welcome my new colleagues to the committee and give them a warm welcome. I look forward to working with them, as I know all members do.

At the last meeting, we heard there were about 30,000 vacancies for truck drivers. We've heard the figure 21,210, so we can split the difference, I suppose. There's a projection that this was going to grow to a shortage of 50,000 truck drivers over the course of the next few years.

My question is for Ms. Splinter and Mr. Millian.

You've put forward recommendations, and the government has a national supply chain task force. Is there enough urgency to this? It is really impacting our economic recovery, as you pointed out.

[Angela Splinter]

Yes, absolutely, there's an urgency, as we've stated. That was the word you used.

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Is there enough urgency on behalf of the government to act on this?

[Angela Splinter]

Absolutely. As I mentioned, we are addressing it in terms of driver training subsidies and wage subsidies, which are helping, but in terms of the forecasting, it is going to keep increasing over the next five years.

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

We're going to have a massive shortage that's going to impact every sector of our economy. Is there one thing you'd recommend the government to do as immediate action to address the shortage staring us in the face?

[Angela Splinter]

First, I wouldn't say it's not going to impact economic recovery. It already is. We're seeing that.

I don't think there's one simple solution to the issue. As I've mentioned, we need to get younger people into the occupation. We have training issues that we need to look at. We have insurance issues when bringing those younger people in.

There's a range of solutions that we need to look at. One is getting more Canadians into our sector, particularly young people, and more women into the truck driver occupation. The temporary foreign worker program, as has been mentioned, is also another avenue for us to look at—

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

A study by your organization indicated that 27% of the drivers are coming from immigrant communities. Given the massive backlogs in IRCC, which we've seen snowball over the past year, how do we tackle that? Is that going to be enough?

[Angela Splinter]

No, it won't be enough on its own. I think we need to look at a range of different solutions to get more drivers in using all different avenues.

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Millian, do you have any comments?

[Michael Millian]

I concur with Angela. It's going to take a number of solutions. One is not going to fix it. I believe the biggest thing we need to get going quickly is something we've been asking for for quite a while: We need a consistent stream of funding for people to have access to training.

Eventually we'd like to see this declared as a skilled trade, which opens up a whole bunch of different avenues for training dollars. Getting it declared a skilled trade is not going to happen tomorrow. In the meantime, we need consistent training funds available that people are able to access, that they're aware of and that the government pushes out and makes people aware of.

The biggest access to funding available right now occurs when people are on unemployment, which is fine, but in a lot of cases, if they're already on unemployment and are being pushed into the industry, they may not want to be in the industry. Then they don't stay in it anyway. If unemployment is your number one access to the training dollars available to people, it's not necessarily getting the best candidates to come into the industry.