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

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) will be pressing Canadian and American authorities for more time to prepare for vaccine mandates recently announced by both countries for cross-border truck drivers.

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.

Meet Myles, an easy going individual with a very friendly demeanor and positive attitude. He brings extensive experience in the trucking industry and a willingness to venture outside of his comfort zone. He is scheduled to begin levels I and II in computer training shortly and is eager to gain this valuable skill. Myles would flourish in a role driving pilot trucks or in fleet maintenance (within his restrictions). His attitude and personality could also make him well-suited as a supervisor or trainer for new hires.

Have a little one with a flair for the creative? Been longing to use those Laurentian Pencil Crayons you’ve had forever?

On November 10, 2021, the provincial government opened the second intake of the Alberta Jobs Now Program (AJNP). The intent of this program is to support Albertans, including those with disabilities, to gain the right skills to find and maintain employment through on the job or formal training. This is accomplished by providing a subsidy to employers for 25% of a new hires annual salary up to $25,000, which ever is less. This increases to 37.5% or $37,500 when hiring people with disabilities. [1]

In 2019, in those pre-COVID “before times”, folks were talking about the construction of additional commercial and public safety rest stops in Alberta [1] – at least those involved in Alberta’s trucking industry, anyways, and the many commuters who were frequenting Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton.

People in general want to be engaged at work. One of the tools we can use to do that is by providing meaningful investments in training. Unfortunately, employers often struggle to justify spending that kind of money on training. After all, training an employee costs the employer both money and time.

The 2022 COVID Audit Plan is in effect from January 1 to December 31, 2022.

-On-site data gathering activities by auditors is suspended until March 31, 2022:

-Internal maintenance auditors who are directed by their employer to remain on-site during the pandemic may continue to conduct on-site data gathering, however the Safe Auditing Guidelines for Auditors and Employers for On-Site Activities must be strictly followed.

CALGARY, Alberta – Pioneer Safety Solutions, Ltd. wishes to clarify a previous press

release dated September 1, 2021.

Alberta Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney keynote of fifth annual Western Women With Drive

Alberta Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney was among the speakers at the fifth annual Western Women With Drive presented virtually by AMTA and Trucking HR Canada Oct. 29.

When Rob was a young kid, he looked up to his hero. Not Superman or Batman, but rather his father.

Rob stated “My dad was a hard worker”, which instilled an outstanding work ethic that became one of Rob’s core values.

AMTA Board Chair Jude Groves submitted an op-ed to the Edmonton Journal chronicling the importance of drawing more people to careers as commercial drivers. Read the article in full here.

Meet James, an enthusiastic go-getter, who is actively searching for a brand-new career in trucking. He brings with him an extensive background in customer service and leadership, and has experience supervising, training and managing teams.

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.

When I first started trucking, I was terrified.

The fear I felt when I first began trucking wasn’t a deterrent, though. It was felt along with feelings of excitement, wanderlust, adventure, and a boyhood dream of becoming a trucker now fulfilled. When working in yards, practicing maneuvers, and riding with trainers, I was always eager to get going and couldn’t wait to get out on my own.

Arvind Nunner is at a Petro-Pass north of Edmonton on Highway 43 when he takes some time to talk to us about health behind the wheel.