Toyota in Canada: 60 years and 60 photos from coast to coast (part 1)
Last August, Toyota undertook a completely crazy journey, crossing Canada, from coast to coast, to celebrate its 60th year on Canadian soil. It was in fact in 1964 that the company launched its activities here, in a very modest way, need we remember.
See also: Toyota Canada celebrates 60 years, coast to coast
This trip it was divided into six major waves. It started in Saint John, Newfoundland, and stopped in Victoria, British Columbia, with stops in Halifax, Montreal, North Bay, Winnipeg and Calgary, passing through Quebec, Ottawa, Thunder Bay , Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver, among others.
In each of the six waves, a group of hand-picked journalists came to join the convoy. Auto123 found itself, due to a combination of circumstances, in three of the six waves, which means that we covered half of the country behind the wheel of Toyota vehicles.
Yours truly completed the first wave (Saint-Jean to Halifax), as well as stages 3 and 4, which took us from Montreal to Winnipeg.
A memorable trip, with targeted and strategic stops, whether to visit a dealership that stands out, a place that has been important in Toyota’s history, or a point of interest on our route.
How can you sum it all up, without getting bored, and without keeping you prisoner for hours because of the quantity of things there would be to say? With two photo galleries recounting the essentials of this historic crossing of the country. In all, 60 shots.
St. John to North Bay
Let’s jump right in with the first half of this journey, with 32 photos covering waves 1 to 3, which took participants to North Bay, Ontario.
kilometer 0
It’s a tradition almost everywhere across the planet, and it always represents a fun point of interest for tourists… or adventurers. We are talking here about the starting point of a road, of a route, often identified as kilometer or mile 0. The one photographed marks the start of the Trans-Canada Highway which, as its name indicates, allows you to cross the country. It was inaugurated in 1962.
Kilometer 0, in Saint-Jean | Photo: D. Rufiange
St. John, Newfoundland
Several photos were taken in Saint-Jean, but this one represents the city well, one of the main commercial activities of which is fishing. It was at this precise location that we had our first supper, the day before our departure.
A fishing port in Saint John, Newfoundland | Photo: D. Rufiange
Toyota Crown Signia 2025
At each wave of the trip, four vehicles were made available to the participants, who made rotations, sometimes planned, sometimes random, throughout the course. Two models made the entire trip, the Crown Signia, as well as the Land Cruiser. The reason? In 1964, Toyota offered the Crown sedan in Canada, as well as the Land Cruiser utility vehicle. A nice way to come full circle.
Toyota Crown Signia 2025 | Photo : D. Rufiange
Toyota Cressida 1979
No, this 1979 Cressida did not make the trip with us. It was loaned to us for a few hours on our first day, courtesy of the owner of a dealership located near Saint-Jean. The author of these lines was quick to get behind the wheel and add some 25 km to his odometer (which only numbered some 86,000).
The 1979 Toyota Cressida | Photo: D. Rufiange
2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
This hybrid Corolla was part of the vehicle fleet of this first wave, but what matters here is rather the place where the car is photographed, namely the site where the first Toyota factory was built in the country, in the Cape Breton region. The field is empty today, but it was special to be there where it all began for the company in this country, and where “Canadian” Toyotas were built in 1968.
Toyota Corolla hybrid 2024 | Photo: D. Boshouwers
Toyota GR86 2024
We had to draw straws to get behind the wheel of this GR86 Trueno, especially when approaching the famous Cabot Trail, known to everyone as the Cabot Trail.
Toyota GR86 2024 | Photo: D. Rufiange
Arrival at the ferry
To go from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, you must take the ferry operated by Marine Atlantic. A journey of six to seven hours, or more, if the sea decides not to cooperate. When we arrived, we couldn’t even see the boat because the fog was so dense. This photo was taken around 11:30 a.m., just as we were entering the boat.
Ferry from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia | Photo: D. Rufiange
