Toronto, Ontario, Canada – October 4, 2020: The Toronto and Region (“T&R”) Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (“COMTO”) has received the award for Best Emerging Chapter of the Year at COMTO’s 50th Annual National Meeting and Training Conference. The Toronto and Region Chapter was founded in 2020 by members from the Toronto Transit Commission (“TTC”) and New Flyer Industries Canada ULC (“New Flyer”). The award is a first for the T&R Chapter.
Established in 2020, the Toronto and Region Chapter marked the beginning of COMTO’s Canadian presence, welcoming members from across Canada and spanning the entire transportation industry – from chief executive officers who determine the direction of major transit systems to the mechanics and operators who ensure the safe passage of millions of riders every day. COMTO T&R continues the critical work of COMTO, focused on providing opportunity for development and advancement in the transportation industry for people who identify as being from an underrepresented group.
“I am very proud to accept the award for Best Emerging Chapter on behalf of the Toronto and Region Chapter of COMTO. I am thrilled that our organization is being recognized for helping to bring a vision of diversity and inclusion to Canada’s transportation sector,” said Annette Salfarlie, COMTO T&R President, and Senior Advisor, Diversity and Culture at the TTC. “We have accomplished a lot in our first year and I am excited about what we have planned. As an industry we know there is a lot of room for improvement, but it is important to take the time to recognize what we have been doing right.”
The T&R Chapter has realized many successes in its inaugural year. Most recently, the Chapter organized a backpack drive to help communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area. The objective was to donate 450 backpacks complete with school supplies, but because of the commitment of its membership, over 1,000 backpacks full of school supplies were donated – far surpassing the goal.
Late 2020, COMTO T&R also developed a virtual speaker series and has hosted over 10 educational and interactive events to date. The series is aimed at inspiring, informing, and offering insights on how to lay a strong foundation for a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and what the industry can do to advance diversity and inclusion. Most recently, to recognize Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation held September 30, 2021, the T&R Chapter hosted Chief R. Stacey Laforme of the Mississaguas of the Credit First Nation.
To date, COMTO has established more than 30 chapters, representing professionals in the North American transportation industry. For nearly 50 years, it has delivered leadership training, professional development, scholarship and internship funding, advocacy, partnership building, and networking opportunities.
For more on COMTO Toronto & Region, including membership fees and information, visit comtotorontoandregion.ca.
About COMTO
Founded in 1971, COMTO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing success for underrepresented individuals in the transportation industry. With over 30 chapters in the U.S. and Candida, COMTO is driven by a mission to ensure opportunities and participation in transportation for minorities, veterans, people with disabilities, and certified MWDBE (minority, women, or disadvantaged-owned) businesses through leadership training, professional development, scholarship and internship funding, advocacy, partnership building, and networking opportunities. For more information, visit comtonational.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Shabnum Durrani, Chair, Communications and Marketing Committee
Toronto and Region Chapter, COMTO
P: 416.452.1699