Toyota celebrates 60 years in Canada with a cross-country tour

The tour highlighted its evolution in Canada, from its early days producing Toyota Corollas to becoming the nation’s largest automaker

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Toyota celebrated 60 years in Canada with a cross-country tour during the month of August.

Groups of automotive journalists took turns driving new Toyotas on sections of the Trans-Canada Highway, starting in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and finishing in Victoria, British Columbia.

“In Japanese culture, turning 60 years old is a very significant milestone. It even has a special name: ‘Kanreki.’ This represents a ‘rebirth’ – an opportunity to reflect on one’s past, take stock of the present, and prepare for the future,” explains Stephen Beatty, Corporate Secretary at Toyota Canada.

The 9,000 km journey was divided into six stages, each covered by a different group of journalists. Along the way, the tour made stops at tourist attractions, Toyota dealerships, and Toyota manufacturing plants. This road trip was designed to highlight Toyota’s six-decade presence in Canada, sharing stories about the people, production facilities, and vehicles that have contributed to the company’s success in the country.

Drivers on the first leg of the tour, from St. John’s to Halifax, stopped at Point Edward, Nova Scotia, just outside of Sydney. This location is significant because it’s where Toyota’s first plant in Canada began producing Corollas in 1969, marking an important milestone in Toyota’s history in Canada.

This 1969 Corolla, a model that made Toyota popular in Canada, was originally priced at $1,798. Photo by Dale Edward Johnson

This 1965 Toyota 700 is an example of early Toyotas sold in Canada. It has a 700 cc engine and a two-speed automatic transmission. Photo by Dale Johnson One stop on the tour was the site of the first Toyota plant in Canada, at Point Edward, near Sydney, Nova Scotia, where the first Toyota Corolla built in North America rolled off the assembly line in 1969. Photo courtesy Toyota Canada

Partway through the tour the 11 millionth vehicle produced by Toyota in Canada – a RAV4 Hybrid – joined in before the event finished at Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada Highway in Victoria, B.C. Photo courtesy Toyota Canada

I was part of the second group on the drive, travelling from Halifax to Montreal. Our first stop was the Steele Wheels Motor Museum in Halifax, where we admired around 60 vehicles on display, including a 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser.

I began my journey in a current model Land Cruiser, which was part of the fleet provided for the journalists in my group. It was an exciting way to start this leg of the tour, connecting the past with the present.

The first dealership stop on the tour was at O’Regan’s Toyota in Halifax, which is the largest Toyota dealership in the province in terms of new vehicle sales. One of the highlights was a 2013 Toyota Highlander with 976,000 km on the odometer. The vehicle had recently been traded in for a new Grand Highlander, showcasing the durability and longevity that Toyota vehicles are known for.

It was a short drive to the scenic Peggy’s Cove, where we stopped for coffee and took in sites, including the famous red and white lighthouse. It was built in 1914 and later served as a post office for many years. It was now time to switch vehicles; I got behind the wheel of the luxurious Crown Signia, a cross-over version of the new Crown sedan. We headed through New Brunswick and across the Confederation Bridge to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where we spent the night.

I started the next day in a Crown sedan – a name that, like the Land Cruiser, dates back to Toyota’s early days in Canada during the 1960s. The new Crown is Toyota’s top-line sedan, offering a more luxurious and spacious experience than the popular Camry. Think of it as the next level up, blending premium features with comfort, making it a top choice for those seeking an upscale driving experience. It was a fitting way to continue the journey, highlighting Toyota’s evolution in both performance and luxury.

Our next stop was Acadia Toyota in Moncton, New Brunswick, which opened in 1968 and is now the largest new Toyota volume dealer in the province and the third largest in the Maritimes. The dealership featured two classic models: a 1976 Toyota Celica and a 1988 Toyota Supra. Also on display was a recently traded, one-owner Corolla with 750,000 kilometres. Even more remarkable, the owner’s previous car was a Toyota Camry, which he traded in after it hit one million kilometres.

Just outside Moncton, we stopped at Magnetic Hill, where we took turns experiencing the famous optical illusion. After driving to what seemed like the bottom of a hill and placing the gear selector in neutral, each vehicle seemed to roll backwards uphill. Never did quite figure it out.

The next vehicle I drove was a bright orange Toyota Supra GR – a two-seater with a six-speed manual transmission. This was perfect for taking the hills and curves across New Brunswick and on to Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec.

The following day, we reached the Quebec City area and stopped at Lévis Toyota, which opened in 1967 as Metivier Auto. On display was a pristine, dark green 1969 Toyota Corolla, which originally sold for just $1,798. For many Canadians, the Corolla was the first Toyota model they owned, and it has remained one of the most popular and enduring models in the lineup.

Our final dealership stop was at Maurice Toyota in Shawinigan, Que., which holds the distinction of being the province’s first Toyota dealer, having opened in June 1965. Remarkably, it’s still owned and operated by the same family. On display was a 1965 Toyota 700 and a 1978 Land Cruiser.

Then it was on to Montreal, where our group had a farewell supper before flying back to our various home cities the next day.

Other groups of journalists continued the journey across Canada, visiting Toyota dealerships and popular tourist attractions in cities like Ottawa, Cambridge, North Bay, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Calgary before wrapping up in Victoria, B.C. Along the way, different Toyota vehicles were made available for test drives, including a milestone vehicle: the 11-millionth vehicle produced by Toyota in Canada, a RAV4 Hybrid.

When Toyota opened its plant in Cambridge, Ontario, in 1988, production totalled just 153 Corollas for the year. Today, more than 500,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles are made in Canada each year, making it Canada’s largest automaker. No one would have imagined that back in 1964 when Toyotas were first sold in Canada.

Dale Johnson is an award-winning author, broadcaster and journalist who has worked in TV, radio, print and online. While the manufacturer provided Dale with a vehicle to test drive, the content of this review was not reviewed or accepted by the manufacturer.

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