On November 15, 2021, the federal and provincial governments announced an agreement to fund the expansion of accessible and affordable childcare. This is a game-changer for working families for several reasons. First, this program will reduce the childcare cost of families by up to half in early 2022 and to $10 a day within five years. Second, this should have a positive effect on the labor market, as many people who have opted to exit the labor market to take care of children for financial reasons may have the incentive to return to work.

While this page will be consistently updated to the best of our ability, the go-to resource for real-time updates and specifics is Drive BC

In mid-November 2021, the Province of British Columbia experienced significant rainfall which caused widespread flooding and mudslides. As a result, all major highway and rail transportation corridors into and out of Vancouver, BC and the lower mainland were cut off from the rest of Canada, resulting in stranded travelers and delays of currently-unknown magnitude.

BCTA: As per our previous update, the best resource for real time specifics will always be Drive BC (www.drivebc.ca ). We will NOT be providing notice of real-time highway conditions as the provincial government is best positioned to do this.

Alberta Government: The $20-million Restrictions Exemption Program Implementation Grant is now open to all eligible businesses, cooperatives and non-profit organizations. In-scope small and medium-sized organizations may use the one-time funding as they see fit. Click to read full release.

Since 1909, when it was known as Minister of Railways, a man had always been named as Alberta’s Transportation Minister. That all changed when Rajan Sawhney was sworn in as the province’s first woman Transportation Minister on July 8, 2021.

Calgary, AB (Sept. 29, 2021) – Canada’s commercial trucking industry is shifting into a future driven by safety, efficiency, and Connected Automated Driver Assistance Systems. Today, the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) and its partners introduced the nation’s first pair of artificially intelligent semi-trucks of their kind, which are part of a project studying the safety and benefits of connected commercial transportation on Canadian roadways.

While the official name for September 30th may have changed, Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation share common goals of honouring those who attended residential school, their families, and communities; creating meaningful discussion and reflection about the effects of these schools; and commemorating the history and ongoing legacy of the residential school system.

Alberta Government: The province has expanded eligibility for an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more immunocompromised Albertans to align with recent recommendations made by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

Alberta Government: New temporary health measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 will apply provincewide. This includes new restrictions on restaurants, indoor gatherings, weddings and funerals, retail, entertainment venues, and indoor sport and fitness beginning Sept. 20. Measures in workplaces, indoor private gatherings, places of worship, schools and children’s activities, as well as mandatory masking and physical distancing in all indoor public spaces begin Sept. 16.

More than ever people are realizing the importance of what commercial drivers do for us all, and as an association, the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) will continue to add our voice to the chorus to say “thank you”.

The Alberta Medical Association has called for mandatory vaccines for health care workers, adding to a list of associations and groups making mandatory vaccines a priority.

OTTAWA, ON, June 3, 2021 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada is building a clean energy future to strengthen the economy, create good, middle-class jobs and support workers in the natural resource sectors. This is more important than ever as we recover from COVID-19.

Location: The Conrad, MT Rest Area/Weigh Scale located on the I-15 northbound. Easily accessed from southbound via overpass. Vehicles going in either direction can access it well. Google maps: 48.1816925200338, -111.93112466051848

Canada’s commercial trucking industry is shifting into a future that is being driven by safety, efficiency, and artificial intelligence. A test project funded by the Government of Canada will soon see a series of semi-trucks kitted with AI technology plying their trade on Alberta’s Queen Elizabeth Highway II – the major transportation corridor between Edmonton and Calgary.

Phase four of construction has commenced at Kicking Horse Canyon, located just east of Golden, BC on the Trans-Canada Highway.

The corridor sees more than 10,000 vehicles daily in the summer months, and in a year averages as much as 30 per cent commercial traffic.

Over the next three years, the Alberta Government is reviewing the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code. The Province says the review is an opportunity to improve health and safety outcomes for workers and streamline requirements to reduce unnecessary administrative burden.

Starting April 1, the federal carbon price on diesel will increase $0.1073 per litre.

In a release from the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), the alliance estimates the commercial transportation industry will pay $538 million in carbon pricing in 2021. By 2030, CTA estimates $3 billion in carbon pricing by 2030.

Proposed amendments to the Association’s Bylaws will be presented to Members and included on the meeting agenda for approval. The proposed amendments pertain to the Association’s mission, vision, core values, goals and purpose. The document is located here.

The Alberta Government has released the budget for 2021.

The AMTA recognizes the Alberta Government’s ongoing investment in transportation infrastructure and what that means to how essential commercial transportation is to the underpinnings of our economy.

Highlights from the budget affecting the transportation sector include: