Wave Three: Toyota’s 60th Anniversary in Canada Cross-Country Road Trip

In celebration of Toyota’s 60^th anniversary in Canada, the cross-country “Kanreki” road trip goes on! Wave three of the drive began in Brossard, QC and ended in North Bay, ON. The group of automotive journalists and Toyota Canada representatives were behind the wheel of the Toyota Land Cruiser, Crown Signia, Prius, GR Corolla, Venza, Sienna and Grand Highlander. 

The first stop along the way was at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, ON. Here, the first Prius to arrive in Canada (a 1998 model) remains part of the museum’s exhibit, and was displayed against the latest 2024 Prius that the group drove. Also in attendance at the museum was Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer, Walter Boyce, along with past co-driver, Doug Woods. Boyce is the only Canadian rally driver ever to win an FIA World Championship Rally, and both he and Doug won the 1973 Press-On-Regardless Rally at the wheel of a Corolla. Walter’s record of five consecutive Canadian National Championship titles has never been equaled. 

As the journey continued, the group toured Toyota Canada’s Eastern Canada Parts Distribution Centre, where they learned about the company’s parts distribution network and logistics. A visit was also paid to Toyota Canada’s headquarters in Toronto, which showcased some heritage vehicles on display, archived photos from over the years, and the winning artwork from Toyota’s Dream Car art competition, which is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. At the same time, Toyota Canada took this opportunity to announce a $500,000 donation to Providence Healthcare in Scarborough, for the renovation of the Toyota Canada Motor Skills Clinic. The investment will support the modernization of the existing facility to further enhance the clinic’s program delivery.

Wave three concluded with two final visits: Toyota’s Toronto Vehicle Processing Centre, where the group was shown how vehicles are received and prepared before being sent to dealers for sale, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) in Cambridge, ON. At TMMC, the group toured the North plant, which builds the Toyota RAV4 and Lexus NX, as they learned more about the Toyota Production System, which has changed how automobile manufacturers around the world produce vehicles. TMMC’s President, Frank Voss, also recognized the important role TMMC has played in Toyota’s Canadian history, and celebrated the 11-millionth vehicle they’ve produced in Canada, which will complete the road trip through the rest of Canada.

The road trip then lead the group North, where they met with one of Toyota’s longstanding retail partners, Yamaha, to experience the joys of driving on trails at the wheel of ATVs.