TORONTO, Ont. — Despite the unfortunate cancellation of this year’s National Professional Truck Driving Championships, several provincial competitions went ahead as planned. The following is a province-by-province list of the winners.

Eastern Canada

In Masstown, N.S., professional drivers from the Atlantic provinces competed June 6 in six categories. Winners were: Leonard Cooke, Armour Transport, two-axle; Jeff Wilkins, Clarke Road Transport, four-axle; Ken Swinamer, Bison Transport, five-axle; Shawn Pieschke, the TDL Group, B-Train; Scott Naugler, Midland Transport, Rookie of the Year; Louise Landry, Midland Transport, Ladies Roadeo. Armour Transportation won the Team Award.

Ontario

Results from the Ontario Professional Truck Driving Championships, held in Sarnia July 10-11, are not yet available. However, the Toronto Regional Truck Driving Championships were held June 13 and the winners were: Mike Hamilton, City of Brampton, straight truck; Todd Hewines, Gordon Food Services, single-single; Lorne Wise, L. Hanson’s Forwarding, single-tandem; Preetpal Niijar, Canada Cartage, tandem-tandem; and Jim Schaefer, TDL Group, train. Niijar was crowned Grand Champion and the Team Trophy was taken home by Epic Express.

Also on June 13 in Kitchener, the Central Ontario Regional Truck Driving Championships were held. Winners included: Joe Kuntz, Koch Transport, straight truck; Rick Dobie, Conway Freight, single-single; Ryan Teskey, Blue Water Mile Transport, single-tandem; Larry Ruoho, Challenger Motor Freight, tandem-tandem; and Wayne Burnett, Maple Leaf Foods, B-train. Dobie was named Grand Champion.

Manitoba

Manitoba drivers braved wet conditions to compete in the provincial championships on June 27. A total of 39 drivers squared off in six different categories. Winners were: Garth Deschamps, Canadian Freightways, step van; Gene Wertepny, TST Overland Express, straight truck; Brian Hrabarchuk, Con-Way Freight Canada, single-single; Frank Klassen, Penner International, single-tandem; Ed Eagle, Canada Safeway, tandem-tandem; and Ken Wiebe, EBD Enterprises, Super-B. Top Team honours went to TST Overland Express and Eagle was named Grand Champion.

Alberta

In Alberta, drivers turned out at the Westerner Park in Red Deer to go head to head in the province’s truck roadeo. Winners were: Randy Smith, Canadian Freightways, step van; David Bulechowsky, City of Calgary, straight truck; Patrick Thorne, Canadian Freightways, single-single; Timothy Bingley, Sokil Express, single-tandem; Dirk Reid, Bison Transport, tandem-tandem; Steve Calhoun, Canadian Freightways, B-Train. Bulechowsky was named Grand Champion and the Team Award went to Canadian Freightways.

B.C.

Forty-nine of B.C.’s top drivers competed in that province’s competition on June 27 at the Tradex Centre in Abbotsford. Winners were: Robert Mullen, Canadian Freightways, step van; Hans Wettstein, Canadian Freightways, straight truck; Jack Newton, Canadian Freightways, single-single; Edward Rolston, Van Kam Freightways, single-tandem; Dean Grant, Agrifoods International Co-op, tandem-tandem; and David Lighton, Air Liquide, B-Train. The Team Award went to – you guessed it – Canadian Freightways. Grant was named Grand Champion.