Quebec’s Chief Coroner Announces Public Inquiry Into Deadly Trucking Collisions

Quebec’s chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry to examine what’s behind a surge in deadly truck collisions in the province in recent months.

The inquiry, announced Oct. 10, comes amid repeated warnings from trucking industry representatives, who say an increase in unqualified truck drivers in the province is contributing to the spate of deadly accidents. They say some companies, mostly based in Ontario, take advantage of immigrant drivers by paying low wages and forcing them to work below industry standards.

“Following the examination of several fatal collisions involving heavy trucks in recent months, we believe it is necessary to launch this public inquiry to shed light on the existing issues and better protect human life,” Quebec’s chief coroner Reno Bernier said in the announcement.

In 2024, 100 of 379 road deaths in Quebec involved heavy vehicle accidents including trucks, tractors, and school buses, according to the province’s auto insurance board. This marks a 35 percent increase from 2023.

The coroner’s office said the inquiry will begin by investigating the deaths of 34-year-old Tanya Lalonde and her 5-year-old son, Elliot, who were killed when their vehicle, which had been involved in a pileup, was hit by a truck near Boucherville, Que., on Aug. 27 of this year. Four others were injured in the incident.

Coroner Dave Kimpton, who is assigned to investigate the Lalonde fatalities, said he may look into other truck-related fatalities to further understand the issues leading to such incidents. He will also recommend changes to prevent heavy-vehicle accident deaths in future.

The coroner’s office hasn’t announced the hearing inquiry schedule yet.

Trucking industry representatives in Quebec say inexperienced drivers, often operating poorly maintained vehicles, have made the province’s roads more dangerous.

“For some time now, illegal drivers have been appearing on our roads, creating real chaos, both in terms of road safety and in our trucking industry,” said Véronique Gagnon, co-owner of Transport St-Pamphile trucking company in testimony before the committee on Oct. 9. “Their actions bring shame to our profession.”

A House of Commons transport committee is now studying a controversial employment model known as Driver Inc., a business practice in which trucking companies classify drivers as incorporated contractors rather than employees, allowing them to avoid payroll taxes and benefits. Critics say the system often exploits temporary foreign workers, who face long hours, low pay, and unsafe equipment.

Alberta shut down a number of driving schools and suspended 13 commercial trucking companies for operating below provincial standards on Oct. 3, with Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen saying “anyone cutting corners or operating unsafe trucks will be removed from our roads.”

Bloc Québécois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval recently demanded a federal inquiry into Driver Inc. as well as demanding changes to solve problems in Canada’s trucking industry.

“It’s a downright cancer in the trucking industry,” Barsalou-Duval said in French at a press conference in Ottawa on Oct. 6, accompanied by several trucking industry representatives. “These discount drivers are often people who are shamelessly exploited by employers or contractors, and they ensure that regular, legitimate carriers are stuck with unfair competition.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.