Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Transport Prabmeet Sarkaria were among many elected officials who attended the Canadian Truck Operators Association (CTOA) Holiday and Industry Appreciation Event on the weekend.
More than 2,000 people attended, including truck drivers, owner-operators, fleet operators and others. Additional elected officials included Member of Parliament Iqwinder Gaheer, MPP Hardeep Grewal, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, members of Brampton City Council, Ontario Liberal MPP Adil Shamji, and Ontario NDP Deputy Leader MPP Doly Begum.
“Canada’s supply chain relies on real people, drivers who work long hours, often far from home, to ensure food, medicine, and essential goods reach communities across the country,” CTOA spokesman Tejpreet Dulat, said in a news release. “Their contribution deserves respect, dignity, and professional recognition.”
Ford spoke at the event, saying: “I just want to say thank you, thank you for everything you do for Ontario. Without the trucking sector, goods don’t move from Point A to Point B. You are the backbone of our economy, the backbone of our infrastructure, healthcare, everything. It’s the hardworking men and women in trucking who keep our economy going, and we are incredibly grateful.”
“It’s incredible to see so many people from the trucking industry come together today for such a successful event,” added Sarkaria, the province’s transport minister. “Trucking is the backbone of everything we rely on every single day. It is our responsibility as elected officials to support this industry, and I know everyone here agrees that safety must always come first.”
