The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is urging provinces and regulators to oppose New Brunswick’s plan to toll out-of-province trucks traveling through a key Atlantic Canada corridor.
As trucknews.com previously reported, the proposed toll, expected to be implemented by 2028, would target vehicles moving through the Aulac corridor at the New Brunswick–Nova Scotia border, the only land link connecting Nova Scotia to the rest of Canada. The province estimates the measure could generate about $10.4 million annually for transportation infrastructure.
OTA chairman Mark Bylsma said the association has obtained legal advice suggesting the proposal raises constitutional concerns.
“The OTA has sought legal advice that suggests the proposed tolling regime introduced by New Brunswick is relatively novel in Canada and presents meaningful constitutional vulnerabilities, particularly under Section 6 of the mobility rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Bylsma said in a release.
The corridor is a critical trade route, carrying roughly 25,000 commercial vehicles daily and supporting an estimated $35 billion in goods movement annually.
OTA said it is also examining whether the toll could violate Section 121 of the Constitution Act, which prohibits tariff-like barriers between provinces. The association argues the measure could be viewed as a de facto trade barrier, particularly if it disproportionately targets out-of-province carriers.
The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association is backing those concerns, warning the toll could increase supply chain costs and undermine recent efforts to reduce internal trade barriers.
Both groups said the proposal risks setting a national precedent.
“This is a slippery slope that could set a precedent across the country, and the industry needs to voice its opposition to such policies before they grab hold elsewhere,” Bylsma said.
OTA said it will bring the issue to the Canadian Trucking Alliance board next week to gauge support from other provincial associations for a coordinated response.
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