OP-ED: Canada’s Roads Are In Chaos. That Has To Change

Juno News host Alexander Brown on the crisis within the North American trucking industry, and what can be done to address it

By Alexander Brown

Millions have now seen the latest incident south of the border, where Harjinder Singh, an illegal immigrant to the United States, who had failed key language and road sign tests, committed an illegal U-turn, leading to three fatalities.

With the stakes from this growing policy failure amounting to life or death, it’s time we confront the systemic failures that allow such tragedies to occur.

Tragically, this incident is not an anomaly but a mirror to the issues plaguing Canada. The Humboldt Broncos tragedy in 2018, where Jaskirat Singh Sidhu had racked up 70 violations before the crash, over just 11 days, serves as a stark reminder of what happens when drivers who should never be on the road are allowed to operate.

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The Canadian commentariat weren’t ready to speak plain truths to this growing issue back in 2018. Now that the Americans are acting on suspending international visas for drivers out of safety concerns, it’s time to ensure that same conversation is had here, so that firm action can lead to immigration reform and an unflinching crackdown on the dangerous owners and operators putting Canadian lives at risk each and every day.

As Gord Magill details in the latest episode of ‘Not “Sorry”,’ and in his upcoming book ‘End of the Road,’ the human cost of these oversights has proven to be immeasurable. The root of the problem lies in systemic failures and fraud. The "Driver Inc." scam, where companies misclassify drivers as independent contractors to evade taxes, is a prime example. This practice is exacerbated by the exploitation of immigrants, often funneled into trucking jobs without adequate preparation.

Magill, a celebrated veteran in the trucking industry and a renowned writer for publications such as Newsweek and The American Conservative, and who has made recent appearances on Tucker Carlson and with Steve Bannon, wants to ensure this moment culminates in the wake-up call sorely needed for the industry, for both the prioritization of Canadian and American workers, and for the safety of our loved ones on the highway.

For all the regulatory loopholes that enable such dangers, these issues are not just logistical; they have deep cultural and social implications. Broader societal frustrations are on the rise, resentment and the breaking of Canada’s once iron-clad immigration consensus continues at pace, "tow truck wars" and illegal trucking yards spill over into once-pastoral towns, and a pronounced concentration of Punjabi males, some susceptible to the influence of Khalistani separatism and gangland activities, have wreaked havoc on our streets, and imported unwanted diaspora grievances that threaten our Hindu-Canadian communities, as well as the public at large.

These incidents are no longer isolated, they are part of a pattern of neglect that endangers us all. So, what is the path forward? Unflinching conversations, stricter regulations, comprehensive training, a crackdown on LMIA abuse, the abolishment of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and fraudulent diploma mills, and a massive increase in transparency – at a time where the Liberal government is obscuring its immigration data – must all be non-negotiables. Figures like Gord Magill, and the concerned listening public, must drown out the so-called ‘experts’ in the mainstream media who are arguing for more unvetted mass migration, more replacement labour, and more corners being cut.

The need for action is now, and the road ahead for Canada’s trucking industry must be paved with accountability, not with the blood of the innocent. Watch the ‘Not “Sorry”’ episode, engage with this vitally important work, and help reflect on how our collective neglect of industry standards puts lives at risk.

While action is coming years too late, the highway ahead to reform doesn’t have to be long. We can look to the Trump administration’s recent steps to get a hold of the chaos and rising body counts.

As Gord Magill laments, our truckers used to serve as a kind of “vanguard” to those sharing the road. Many of us have driven lonely highways at night and turned to that stalwart semi-driver to light the way home, to serve as our shield cutting through the darkness and the unknown of the Canadian wilderness. Now, we view anything on more than four wheels with caution.

What a loss that is. What losses we’ve endured.

It’s time to be a part of the solution.

Alexander Brown is the host of ‘Not “Sorry”’ on Juno News, the director of the National Citizens Coalition, and a writer and columnist. This column is based on the latest episode of ‘Not “Sorry.’”