January 4, 2011

I'd like to thank everybody that attended our Annual Dinner earlier in December. With impressive attendance, extremely generous sponsorship from our industry leaders, and all of the hard working volunteers who contributed their time and efforts, the evening was a huge success. From what I've been told from one of our past presidents, we haven't seen that large of a gathering at a Toronto Transportation Club (TTC) event since before the Leafs won the cup in the 1960s. Wow! Are things finally turning around for the better now? Let's hope!

I've been a member of this organization for a number of years. When I first joined the TTC years ago, I thought the club was solely in existence as a social 'old boys club', even though they were kind enough to accept me and allow me to join at the time. The social aspect is strong, but it's not the only reason the club exists. We are here for a reason. Little did I know back then that the TTC was a non-profit organization raising money and awarding scholarships, dispersing hundreds of thousands of dollars to deserving students and families over the years. Fundraising for the scholarships are attained through memberships, advertising, and event attendance. That's where the social component and your participation are essential. A portion of your membership and event ticket sales all contribute to the scholarship fund.

If you have attended our events and aren't a member, I encourage you to become a member. Not only will you be helping to contribute to a very worthy cause, you'll also have the opportunity to meet and network with other industry leaders, while gaining additional exposure for your organization.

If you are a member, refer a friend and come out and attend our events. They really are a great way to spend time with friends and associates. Also, as a reminder, renewal time is upon us. Please help make our lives a little easier by renewing early. This will also ensure that your information gets updated on our website and in the roster.

I'm really looking forward to being your TTC President in 2012. My main priorities will be to continue to grow our membership base in all areas of the transportation sector and continue to increase the size and caliber of our events. As I mentioned during our annual dinner, we're adding a couple of new ones this year and hope to enhance our existing ones based on your feedback.

Our 2012 lineup consists of...

• Ski Day – January 13th, 2012
• New Members Reception – By invite only to new members who joined in the past year
• Wine Tasting – Spring 2012
• Spring Golf – May 10th, 2012
• Quarter Century Dinner – June 4th, 2012
• Transportation Night – June 20th, 2012
• Scholarship Golf Tour in Muskoka – August 2012
• Race Night – September 19th, 2012
• Annual Dinner – December 6th, 2012

Warmest Regards,

Claudia

President

Toronto Transportation Club

October 24, 2011

Is it not amazing where the time goes these days? It only seems like days ago that I was writing my last blog article on the Transportation Club's race night at Woodbine, held on September 21st, 2011. It was a record turnout for the club and the event with some incredible racing and lots of fun for all who attended across the industry, friends and colleagues alike. Thanks again to the race night organisers, Dave Wood and Kelly O'Brien, with club secretary Denise Cardy supporting the team, who did a masterful job.

So now that we have race night behind us, it's a straight forward march to the Toronto Transportation Club annual dinner being held at the Royal York Hotel on Thursday December 1, 2011. Ron James will be with us for that event to entertain us throughout the evening. If you have not already, please order your tickets as soon as you can. There is an early bird special on until October 31st, so book early and save. This years event will also feature a silent auction, and The Royal York is once again offering a special room rate for anyone attending the dinner. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Finally, I want to take a moment to say a special thanks to two people from your transportation club board of directors. With regret, we see the departure from our board of Ms. Kelly O'Brien. Kelly was a member of your board of directors for 5 years. Her energy and commitment to detail was part of what has made the TTC events over the past 5 years as good as they have been. We are very grateful to have had Kelly with us and wish her much success in the industry moving forward. Also, as her term as past president finishes up in December 2011, we will sadly miss Ms. Kelli Saunders at our monthly board meetings. After over 9 years of very dedicated service, Kelli takes on a new role as a mentor to the board as a past president. It was truly an honour to have worked with Kelli during my tenure on the board. Thank you Kelli, we appreciate everything you have done for the TTC.

Thank you,

Gary A. Crowther

President

Toronto Transportation Club

September 8, 2011

We are very pleased to welcome Peter Di Tecco, President Armbro Transport Inc. and Mary Clarke, Manager Domestic Canada Air Canada Cargo to our Board of Directors. Both Peter and Mary have extensive careers in Transportation and we are excited to have the additional support and assistance with the event planning, committees and various projects that place the TTC amongst the premier social organizations for transportation, logistics and other industry-related businesses.

The passing of Labour Day also launches the Toronto Transportation Club back into full swing for fall events, including the annual Toronto Transportation Club Night at the Races on September 22nd. This event is nearly sold out, so get in while you can. It is one of the most enjoyable events every year by all, and this year will continue in that fine tradition.

Also, as a reminder, the Annual Dinner for the Toronto Transportation Club will be held on Thursday December 1st at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel. Tickets are on sale at www.torontotransportationclub.com. This year, we are very proud to be featuring Mr. Ron James as our entertainment for the evening. Ron can be seen weekly on CBC on the Ron James Show. It should be a fantastic night, so order your tickets now. Numerous sponsorship opportunities as well as digital advertising spots are available for this evening. For additional information, go to our website, or contact Denise Cardy, Club Secretary at 416-886-5450.

I look forward to seeing all of you there, and a proud moment to be shared when passing the torch on to Ms. Claudia Milicevic, your 99th President of the Toronto Transportation Board.

Lastly, please take the time to renew your membership for 2012. Our scholarship fund counts on each and every one of you for support. Membership really counts to the kids!

Thank you,

Gary A. Crowther

President

Toronto Transportation Club

June 23, 2011

Hey, what happened to Spring? I guess we are getting a typical Toronto spring. Furnace on in the morning, air conditioning in the afternoon! Well, the TTC is winding down for summer recess. On June 6, we held the Quarter Century Dinner at St. Georges, your host this year was the 2010 President Kelli Saunders. Unfortunately, I missed my first board meeting in two years and was unable to make the event. Kelli did a great job hosting, and welcomed our existing Quarter Century Members, and also welcomed new members to this very prestigious club. We were honoured to present Paul Keene, Stephen Sayers, John Merrylees, Ken McGrail and Jim Benniger with their 25 Year Pins this year. The Quarter Century Club is a very important component to the TTC and links our history with today. We could not be more proud of having over 100 members that have supported our Club for over 25 years.

On the new website, we have seen very strong results for searches reviewing our website. Latest analytics had us showing up in website searches in Brazil, India, and China. We are getting global attention which is very nice to see. We are currently in the final couple of weeks for receiving scholarship applications for this year's award. If you wish to submit an application, please contact Denise Cardy, Toronto Transportation Club Secretary at 416-886-5450.

A couple of quick notes about events coming up after summer recess. We will be once again hosting the TTC Annual Race Night at Woodbine on September 21 at 5:00 PM. Tickets are limited for this event, so before you go away on vacation, be sure to book your space for this event. It sells out early every year so don't miss out! Our Annual Dinner is coming up at the Royal York on December 1st and promises to be a fun filled night with plenty of comedy to keep us entertained. Once the contracts are signed, we'll post it on our website but get ready for a great evening.

So, it's off to the cottage, or away, and time to enjoy quality time with friends and family. On behalf of the Board of Directors at the Toronto Transportation Club, have a wonderful, safe summer. See you in September!

Gary A. Crowther

President

Toronto Transportation Club

May 16, 2011

Spring is in full swing, and so was the TTC last week at Lionhead Golf and Country Club.

It's been a year of change for the club, and this year's events reflect the ever-changing Toronto Transportation Club.

Neil McKenna hosted the 2011 Golf event on May 5th, supported by co-chair Tim Boyce. They were lucky enough to time the day perfectly with the first real spring day of 2011. Great job on putting together a fantastic event. We keep setting the bar higher every year! Thank you Neil and Tim, and of course, Denise Cardy, for tying it all together.

Speaking of setting the bar high, if you missed Blues Night at the Palais Royale on April 14, it was perhaps the best spring event we have had in a decade. Jim Wade and his co-chair, DJ Massicotte, worked tirelessly to bring to The Toronto Transportation Club a fun and memorable night on the shores of Lake Ontario. We'll have to give both the Palais Royale and The Blues Brothers another look in 2012. The venue was perfect and the entertainment superb. It truly was an incredible evening that was enjoyed immensely by all who attended. A special thanks to Denise and Olga for all your help. Word is that Jim, not his wife, planned and arranged his own wedding. We're not surprised one bit seeing how well this event turned out!

We're quickly marching towards summer, with The Quarter Century Dinner, a special night where we recognize and celebrate the personal contributions of our Quarter Century members, being held at St. Georges on June 6th. We look forward to honouring the wonderful people who have been associated with the TTC going back to the 1960's and contributed to its long-term success. Past President Kelli Saunders is our host for this evening.

I'm very proud of the Toronto Transportation Club, and to be part of the changes in 2011 that have made the TTC the modern social network of transportation professionals it is today. Not only in Toronto, but across the entire country. This is the premier Club and I am happy to be a part of it.

Race Night at Woodbine (September 21, 2011) and The 99th TTC Annual Dinner (December 1, 2011) are approaching. Details for these upcoming events will be coming soon. You can also check for updates by visiting our events page or by calling Denise Cardy at 416.886.5450.

I look forward to any feedback you have on the Club. Please give me a ring or drop me a line with any suggestions you may have. We're always looking for ways to connect and improve.

Gary A. Crowther

President

Toronto Transportation Club 

March 23, 2011

Spring has finally arrived. It's been a long and tough winter for us here in the Toronto area, but thankfully it is now behind us all. And what better way to do it than to chase away the Winter blues at the TTC Speakeasy on April 14th. This event looks like one of the most entertaining and fun events we have ever held at the club. Jim Wade and DJ Massicote have put together an event that will be a night, not soon forgotten by those that attend. Check our events page for ticket details.

Rapidly closing in on us is the sought after TTC Spring Golf Event. We re-formatted our golf a couple of years ago and what a great decision that was. A fast moving 18 holes of golf, great food and prizes, and great networking before, during and after this event. This year, Tim Boyce and Neil McKenna are hosting the event on Thursday May 5th, 2011 at 11am at Lionhead in Mississauga. Please check the events calendar for ticket information.

The digital advertising window closes on March 31. If you wish to advertise at our events throughout the year, please give your club secretary, Denise Cardy a call at 416-886-5450. This will also be the close of the membership for 2011 as the roster publication will be available at www.torontotransportationclub.com to all members.

I look forward to seeing all of you, and enjoying some great time with each and every one of you this spring.

Gary A. Crowther

President

Toronto Transportation Club

Welcome to our new website!

Hello, and welcome to the new website for The Toronto Transportation Club. I've been President of the club for a very short time but already so much is going on for 2011.

Our web redesign introduces our club to the world of social media. We have also created greater functionality and exposure for the club and its members. We've added new features such as the message board, interactive online membership roster as well as updated the profile and gallery pages. We have also engaged in search engine optimization (SEO) techniques in order to increase our rankings on the web.

With new web advertising opportunities, participating members can raise their profile and have a quick link to their own company site. We have also initiated changes to generate more funding for our annual scholarship fund and have taken some big steps towards becoming a "greener" organization.

With a very successful 2011 Ski Day behind us, our volunteer committees are busy preparing for the next event ... Transportation Night, April 14th! You should have already received details but if not, our quick link to Events on our home page will have all the details posted and give you the convenience to register online! Also, check our Events page often for other great get-together opportunities to look forward to in 2011!

Gary A. Crowther

President

Toronto Transportation Club