About 40 activists from Second Sons Canada club unfurled a black banner reading “Indian trucks kill Canucks” on an overpass in Orillia, Ontario, on Saturday, drawing condemnation while reigniting debate over road safety and trucking regulation.
The group said on X that the demonstration was intended to highlight what it described as an “ongoing and growing problem on Canadian roadways”, pointing to a series of fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles.
The banner featured two white crosses and echoed slogans the group has used at previous actions, including a December protest at Niagara Falls where members wore Santa hats and called for “remigration”.
Police did not report any arrests.
Provincial authorities in Canada have moved to scrutinise heavy-vehicle safety. Quebec’s Chief Coroner last year ordered a public inquiry into fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles after data showed 100 of the 379 road deaths in 2024 involved a heavy vehicle — a 35 per cent increase year-on-year. The inquiry, ordered by Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière, is examining whether systemic issues contributed to the deaths, with recommendations to follow.
Industry groups argue the problem lies with regulation and labour practices rather than nationality. The Canadian Trucking Alliance has warned that the so-called “Driver Inc.” model — an illegal worker misclassification scheme — undermines safety and fair competition by pressuring drivers and skirting oversight.
Johanne Couture, a board member of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, told LandLine.Media the model can be used to exploit foreign entrants, funnelling them through poor-quality training. “They’re just teaching them to pass the test,” she said, warning the practice is “affecting safety on our roads” and can amount to labour trafficking.
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