BCTA would like to thank our members who joined us for our virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 10th. We were pleased to have had over 80 members attend. Thank you for your continued support, enthusiasm, and dedication that helps us continue to be a strong voice of our members.
Our AGM is a great opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed and discuss future endeavors and advocacy initiatives that affect our industry.
AGM Highlights
Chairperson Phil Bandstra presented his 2020-2021 report that captured the challenges members faced over the past 12 months and summarized our industry’s adaptability and tenacity while weathering the pandemic. He went on to highlight:
- BCTA’s efforts in developing safe operating guidelines for the BC motor coach sector that were endorsed by the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
- How BCTA provided COVID-19 support to industry in the form of personal protective equipment and employment law revisions in order to protect companies from crippling payments.
- BCTA’s successful involvement in the mandatory entry level training (MELT) program.
- Progressive enforcement of the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate.
- The success of Year-two of the CleanBC Heavy-duty Vehicle Efficiency Program.
President and CEO Dave Earle followed with a summary of past and current initiatives of BCTA and what is coming down the road, including:
- A return to events and in-person training by the summer with increasing frequency as we build to full capacity this September.
- The upcoming annual BCTA golf tournament, as well as an event to engage the broader industry this fall.
- BCTA’s successful lobbying for increased weight allowance for alternate fuel vehicles, and for charter coach operations to be included in tourism recovery funding.
- The coordination of infrastructure improvements throughout the province.
- How BCTA is working to increase our presence and interactions with regulators at every level.
- Issues that will be the main focus for BCTA as we look into the year ahead, including a swift and effective ELD enforcement strategy, Metro Vancouver’s Clean Air Plan and Translink’s Transport 2050, regulations that address delete and glider kits, and the labour supply challenge.
Thank you to Ken Peacock, Chief Economist and Vice President at the Business Council of British Columbia, for providing a presentation at this year’s AGM. Ken has been presenting economic updates at BCTA’s Annual General Meetings for years and is always a popular speaker using a wealth of knowledge to provide information and answer questions from attendees. A copy of Ken Peacock’s 2021 BC Economic Update can be found on our website.
2021/2022 Board of Directors
We would like to welcome new directors to the Board, introduce the Executive Committee for 2021-22, and extend thanks to those who have served.
Joining the Board this year are:
- Mike Bissell- Nortrans Freight Management Ltd.
- Jeff Ferguson- Transource Freightways Ltd.
- Sharn Gill- HAP Enterprises
- Mark Lindstrom- Waste Connections of Canada
- Dean Moore- BST Management Ltd.
- Tina Schueren- Allision Transmission
Thank you to Shaun Freeman (BFL CANADA Insurance Services Inc.), Deep Grover (Quality Move Management Inc.), Derek Norman (Nortrans Freight Management Ltd.), and Darren Racine (Protrux Systems Inc.) for all of their work on the board over many years. We sincerely appreciate your commitment and participation.
Members of the Executive Committee for 2021-22 are:
- Phil Bandstra, Chairperson- Bandstra Transportation Systems Ltd.
- Doug Sutherland, 1st Vice Chairperson- Sutco Transportation Specialists
- Justin Cheverie, 2nd Vice Chairperson- Sterling Bulk Solutions
- Jason Wheeler, Secretary/Treasurer- The Inland Group
- Ken Johnson, Immediate Past Chairperson- Ken Johnson Trucking Ltd.
- Tina Schueren, Associate Members' Representative- Allison Transmission
- Daman Grewal, Director at Large- Centurion Trucking Inc.
Finally, thank you to all members who have returned to serve on the Board over the next year. A complete list of the BCTA Board of Directors can be found on our website.
As we head into 2021-22, we look forward to another year of serving our BCTA members and hope to see you in-person at next year’s AGM!
