A residents’ group leader called the Town of Caledon’s online map of illegal trucking depot complaints “a huge step forward in transparency.”

The town, which sits atop the Region of Peel in Ontario’s trucking heartland, has prosecuted 72 such cases. There are 64 active files, according to the interactive tool, which provides information about the status of complaints and prosecutions.

Amanda Corbett from the Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy Group said the map will help residents keep an eye out for illegal activities taking place in their communities. If residents see trucks on a property or a driveway being widened, they can give the authorities a call.

“The town has launched this map to provide up-to-date information on the status of illegal trucking depot complaints across Caledon,” a Town of Caledon official told TruckNews.com.

The map displays properties that have been reported by the public, including closed and active complaint investigations, the official added.

Map users can click on pin locations for property details. Open complaints are denoted by a yellow circle, closed complaints in black, and closed prosecution files have a red pin. Clicking on each offers data about when the complaint was received and what action the town has taken. The map is updated every Monday, according to the town official.

Town councillor Cosimo Napoli said the interactive tool displays transparency to residents and demonstrates the progress being made against illegal trucking sites in the town. 

“They can pinpoint sites being investigated,” he said.

Corbett would like more information to be provided on the map. This could include the case number, court date, violations found, and fines imposed and paid.

There have been instances of trucks illegally parked on agricultural land, creating road safety problems along with broader environmental issues.

Corbett said illegal truck depots keep neighboring residents up at night due to noise and lights. Some experience vibrations in their homes and dust covering their backyards. “They can’t enjoy their house and property values drop,” she said.

She noted these yards are being set up on agricultural land, along single-lane roads not designed for heavy trucks. These commercial vehicles must turn into or out of narrow driveways into oncoming traffic, creating dangerous situations.

There are environmental concerns too, Corbett alleged. Sometimes, grass is scraped off and gravel dumped in the area. “Where do they get that gravel from? I would venture to say it’s probably not clean gravel. It’s likely contaminated.”

Environmental concerns

Trucks are repaired on the property and sometimes there may be spills. If the property is not properly graded these liquids flow into water sources, contaminating them.

Corbett noted the advocacy group is not against trucking but focuses on road safety and ensuring things are done by the book. “If someone wants to rezone land for a truck yard, there is a process. They must satisfy all conditions. Then the public has their chance to have their say, it’s safe and the environment is respected,” she said.

The town official said that residents can report a suspected illegal trucking yard property by contacting Service Caledon at 3-1-1 or emailing info@caledon.ca.