Evidence of meeting #17 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was drivers.
A video is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Thank you.
Ms. Séguin, do you have anything to add?
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Okay, no problem.
I still have 30 seconds.
Ms. Boucher, had you been able to speak to the Minister of Transport today, what message would you have liked to give him to bring about change?
As an Individual
I certainly think all the points you raised in your 10 requests are relevant.
As for harmonizing the rules from coast to coast to allow follow-up when people change provinces, I mentioned at the press conference that that would make sense.
The issue of mechanical checks came up when we talked about the cases of Allyson Dumont and Alexandre Tremblay. When a defect, minor or major, is detected at a roadside checkpoint, whether during weighing or inspection, it should be followed up from one province to the next. The jurisdictions are too divided. There should be a more consistent approach.
On the list of 10 requests, I also thought an item on investigating companies at fault was relevant. I would have liked to bring points 1, 2, 5 and 6 to the attention of the Minister of Transport .
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you, Ms. Boucher and Mr. Barsalou‑Duval.
We'll now go back to Mr. Groleau.
You have the floor for two and a half minutes.
Conservative
Jason Groleau Conservative Beauce, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, I thank the witnesses for being here. Their testimony was delivered with aplomb, if I may say so.
You're very brave.
I'll direct my questions to either Ms. Boucher or Ms. Séguin.
After today's meeting, what do you expect from the government and elected officials?
Entrepreneur, As an Individual
I expect you to show your humanity. You have a family too. What would you do if this happened to you? Would an extraordinary law be passed overnight if this happened to Mr. Trudeau's children? I'm sure it would. Are you going to continue to give these people licences to come and kill us? I hope not. I hope that today is the last day you allow them to come and kill us on our roads and give them that power. I hope so.
Ms. Poulin, do you have further comments?
Accounting Technician, As an Individual
My God, it's time to get to work; it must be done. It's fairly simple. Today, you have the power to save lives. That's all I can tell you. You have that power. Even if I shouted and spoke through all the media, I wouldn't be able to do that. We can help you, but we can't do it alone. You have that power. You tell us that these are our families, our children. They are also your families, your children, because it could happen to anyone. If a bus carrying 45 children had gone down that hill on that day, would it have been treated the same way? I don't know, but you have the power to do it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you very much, Mr. Groleau.
We'll conclude with Mr. Kelloway.
You have two and a half minutes.
January 26th, 2026 / 12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Mike Kelloway Liberal Sydney—Glace Bay, NS
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to say thank you so much. It's often said that leadership is the act of serving others and not yourself. You're doing that today by telling us your profound story of loss, and I appreciate it. I know that every MP and all the staff here appreciate it.
The three of you today talked about your experiences, and some of that goes to federal and provincial shared responsibility. I'm wondering if you would like to see the committee include in our report elements of the things you talked about that are provincial that need to be tightened up and to share that with the transport departments that are provincial across Canada. Is that what I'm hearing? It's not just the federal government, although we're key here, but also sharing this report, this recommendation, with the provincial governments in Canada.
Do I get a thumbs-up for that or a thumbs-down?
Liberal
Mike Kelloway Liberal Sydney—Glace Bay, NS
Okay. Thank you so much.
Also, with limited time, I hear of such things as enforcement, investigations and training, or the lack thereof. Let's be frank; from some of the stories we've heard today and from previous testimony, the level of training, or the lack thereof, is jaw-dropping.
Do you see a role for the federal government to be more involved in those elements that are provincial or to have some type of deeper shared responsibility? Do you see that as something we should look at in terms of a recommendation?
Accounting Technician, As an Individual
When it comes to training, it essentially starts at the federal level. The provincial governments implemented it, but it was too little, too late. It was set up in December 2025, and for now, it's not enough. Are licences still being issued? I don't know, but for now, the training is inadequate. There's not enough of it, and it's complicated.
What worries me are all those who were licensed earlier, without training. The implementation of training begins, at least, at the federal level. Wouldn't it be possible to ask provinces, for example, to provide ongoing training and require that people who can't prove they've taken a course in the last 10 years retake a short refresher course? That way, provinces could ensure that people are qualified. It might be a good idea. For now, we have no way of knowing.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Once again, I sincerely thank all three witnesses for sharing their personal experiences with us. It will help us tremendously in drafting the report that we are working hard on. It will be sent to the federal Minister of Transport as well as to our counterparts in each province and territory.
Thank you, ladies.
Colleagues, that concludes the first half of today's testimony.
I'm going to suspend for two minutes to allow for the clerk to invite the next round of witnesses.
The meeting is suspended.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
I call this meeting back to order.
Colleagues, I'd like to welcome the witnesses for the second half of today's panel.
From the Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group, we have Amanda Corbett, director; Carmela Palkowski, director; and Franca Pisani, director.
Welcome to all three of you.
From Justice for Truck Drivers, we have Navneet Aujla, service director, Labour Community Services of Peel, who is joining us by video conference.
Welcome to you.
From Joy Smith Foundation, we have Janet Campbell, president and chief executive officer.
Welcome to you as well.
We'll now go to the Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group for opening remarks.
The floor is yours for five minutes, please.
Carmela Palkowski Director, Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group
Thank you very much for having us here today.
The Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group was formed in September 2024 after the death of a young woman in our community, Adrianna Milena McCauley. Her mother, Pia, is here with us today in the gallery. On September 10, 2024, the 23-year-old was killed after a transport truck driver ran a red light a whole 10 seconds after the light turned red. She had just completed her first university degree and had travelled safely countless times, only to lose her life 30 seconds away from home.
Our community has reached its limits. We are now a not-for-profit organization with residents coming together across Ontario advocating for change.
Franca Pisani Director, Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group
“If you get into an accident, make sure you kill them. Injured will cost you more.” A truck driver once told me he overheard companies saying this to their drivers. I will never forget that. It reflects a system where profit is placed above human life.
While my colleagues will address the broader road safety crisis, I want to focus on CRA accountability in the trucking industry. In 2006 CRA introduced a T5018 reporting system in construction to address the underground economy, recognizing that T4As were not sufficient. Today the same lack of compliance exists in trucking and transportation.
A similar reporting model should be considered. Shippers or brokers should be required to report gross payments to carriers and owner-operators for anyone moving goods or people. This would support CRA cross-auditing, close long-standing compliance gaps and improve transparency. This recommendation is made in the interest of public safety, fairness and compliance, not on behalf of any private or commercial interest.
Amanda Corbett Director, Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group
Living in Caledon, which borders Brampton and Vaughan, is living at ground zero for truck industry chaos. We are experiencing a public safety crisis. This is not an exaggeration. A typical daily commute involves cars surrounded by trucks in every lane, and car drivers taking risks to get around the extreme congestion. It involves trucks with improperly trained drivers pulling U-turns on highways, driving at speed on the road shoulder in the opposite direction of traffic, pulling into oncoming traffic from narrow roads and driveways, and bullying car drivers. Recently there's been a drastic increase in extortion crimes, with bullets flying into homes and businesses. It's not “if” but “when” something horrible will happen.
We are surrounded by illegal truck yards where trucks, trailers and intermodal containers are stored on improperly zoned land. Residents are impacted with endless noise, traffic congestion, environmental concerns and potential for organized crime, just to mention a few. This isn't happening in just Caledon or Ontario. It's happening across Canada.
To effectively address these public safety concerns, simply lifting the T4A moratorium is not enough. All levels of government need to be accountable for working consistently and collaboratively to make meaningful changes within their purview. Canada needs a national commercial driver safety registry accessible to enforcement officers to ensure meaningful accountability instead of relying on fragmented provincial systems, as some drivers routinely move between provinces or carriers.
In regard to the criminal justice system, Adrianna's death exposed a serious gap in how Canada treats fatal negligence involving commercial drivers, currently handled under provincial offences, often with minimal sentences. There needs to be federal recognition that, for example, a fully loaded transport truck running a red light is not comparable to inattentive driving or a momentary judgment error. When a commercial driver causes a death, it should trigger mandatory Criminal Code consideration and not default to provincial offences. Sentencing guidance must account for the elevated professional duty of commercial drivers and the associated risk of severity in harm.
We fully support good truck drivers and companies—even owner-operators or independent drivers—who follow the law and take their responsibilities seriously. They are all an essential part of our economy. Without them, our lives would look very different.
I'll pass it to Carmela.
Director, Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group
Every level of government needs to come together to implement change, no matter what political party. This is a public safety crisis. Weapons are on our roads being driven by unqualified drivers who are putting their lives and our lives at risk. What's next, unqualified pilots in the air?
This is a crisis across this country, and this must be addressed now.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you for your opening remarks.
Next, we'll turn the floor over to Ms. Aujla.
Ms. Aujla, you have five minutes for your opening remarks. The floor is yours.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you very much, Ms. Aujla.
Next we'll go to Ms. Campbell.
Ms. Campbell, the floor is yours. You have five minutes for your opening remarks, please.