'When you gotta go, you gotta go:' Eastern Ontario truck drivers welcome proposed legislation allowing delivery workers to access bathrooms
A proposed new Ontario law may soon bring relief to those working behind the wheel.
The Ontario government will introduce legislation that would allow delivery workers access to bathrooms at businesses where they are delivering or picking up items.
Roland LaFlamme has been driving a truck for 50 years; but, with businesses restricting access during the pandemic, drivers like him don’t always have somewhere to, 'go.'
"Especially on that highway, here, on (Highway) 17," LaFlamme says. "After Pembroke, there’s no other place we can stop for a washroom."
The legislation, if passed, will apply to couriers, truck drivers, and food delivery workers access to washrooms.
"These workers have been there for all of us during the pandemic; we ought to be there for them; it’s time we give these drivers a break," said Minister of Labour, Monte McNaughton at a press conference Wednesday.
"This is something most people in Ontario take for granted but access to washrooms is a matter of common decency currently being denied to hundreds of thousands of workers in this province," McNaughton adds in a statement.
"When you gotta go number two, you think you can hold it?" says truck driver Howard Boudreau, while stopping at the Antrim Truck Stop in Arnprior, Ont. "When you gotta go, you gotta go!"
Boudreau says the pandemic has made life on the road tougher, and welcomes the proposed change.
"It gets frustrating sometimes, it does. I find it insulting at times when clients don’t let you use their washroom."
Steven Artuso just started driving for Uber Eats.
"Well, actually - yesterday during my first day, it was already a concern,” he says, while picking up an order outside of a west Ottawa McDonalds. "So, I’m sure for people doing it for over a year - yeah, that’s definitely a big concern for them. So yeah, I think it should be allowed."
Officials say the proposed legislation will only apply to businesses where workers are picking up or delivering items, and is not applicable to private residences.
The measures came after consultations through the government’s Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee, in which officials say they learned that delivery workers, including those who work for online platforms such as Uber Eats, are often denied use of washrooms at businesses.
The Ontario Trucking Association said in a statement that they are "thankful" for the proposed legislation.
Officials say that on average 203,700 people in Ontario were working as transport, bus, taxi and delivery drivers in 2020. During that same year, on average 30,800 people in the province worked as mail, couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors.
With files from CTV News Toronto Multi-Platform Writer Katherine DeClerq
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was dramatically booted out by organizers over a backstage incident. He had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday, and contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union said it was investigating an "incident."
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'We have no judge for you': Man's assault charges dropped weeks before trial due to lack of judges in Toronto
A man who was accused of sexually and physically assaulting a woman had his charges dropped in April, just weeks before he was set to stand trial in Toronto, due to a lack of judges in the region.