President’s Message 

from CTA President Marc Andre Way 

April 12, 2024

Greetings, CTA members and supporters.

I am writing today to ask for your continued support for the Canadian Taxi Association.

As you are no doubt aware, during the extended period of time which saw Uber legalized across Canada and COVID-19 decimate the Taxi industry, the Canadian Taxi Association experienced a period of hiatus.

Since our last in-person get-together in August of 2017, the volunteer Board of Directors of the CTA has managed to keep the organization afloat through our own resources and funds, with support from dedicated volunteers. Rita Smith, Editor of Taxi News and Agne Butkute at Coventry Connections have been particularly helpful during this challenging time.

In conversations with some of our Board Members, I find a more optimistic and proactive spirit is returning to our industry. Looking forward to a renewed and more productive business environment in 2024, I believe the time is right for us to return to a more organized and structured Canadian Taxi Association.

In recent months, the CTA has engaged in a number of activities including:

• monthly Zoom webinars to promote professional development in areas including technologies like Artificial Intelligence; supporting EMS services locally; and advertising.
• providing Public Service information to police regarding fraudulent Taxi activities;
• acting as industry spokespersons and a media point of contact at the national level;
• You may also be aware that as I write this letter, Justice Marc Smith in Ottawa is making his decision on our lawsuit, Metro Taxi vs the City of Ottawa. This lawsuit took 7 years to get to court and a year at trial; while it is not technically an initiative of the CTA, as complainant in the case and president of the CTA I will stand behind this lawsuit fully, until the last minute, to see municipal government held accountable for the damage they allowed Uber to do to the Taxi industry.

To confirm your support and to assist in ameliorating expenses such as website hosting, I am asking you today to renew your membership in the CTA and to make a $100 payment by e-transfer on the sign-up page.

Sincerely,

Marc André Way

President

Canadian Taxi Association