Why & When was Motor Coach Canada (MCC) Created?

By the 1980’s many of the issues facing the members of regional associations were national. The Western Canada Motor Coach Association (WCMCA), Ontario Motor Coach Association (OMCA), and the Quebec association (APAQ), had representation on the Board of the Canadian Bus Association (CBA). The regional associations advocated that the CBA should be involved in charter and tour issues not just the scheduled carrier segment as it did. The CBA chose not to change. Without national representation for charter and tour carriers and to represent all its members, OMCA had to be involved in national issues and in fact was being asked by the federal government to get involved. But OMCA did not get formal recognition by the federal government because of a federal government policy of them working with ‘national’ entities only.

In 1995 OMCA members voted unanimously to form Motor Coach Canada to represent at the national level all segments of the bus and coach tour industry in Canada. The intent of OMCA was to create an umbrella organization made up of the three regional/provincial associations and the CBA. The Western Canada Motor Coach Association supported this concept but the Quebec association and CBA refused to accept MCC as an umbrella organization. A short time later the western association went out of business. This left OMCA as the only entity to fund MCC.

While numerous attempts were made by MCC to involve the other associations, all failed. Because of this lack of support from the other associations MCC went from its intended ‘umbrella’ role to a full association. It has coach operator, tour operator and supplier members (hotels, attractions, DMO’s, manufacturers, services, etc.) Because MCC filled a demand, represented all segments of the coach industry and worked on issues and services related to the overall industry, it grew and became recognized by governments, media, and tourism/travel stakeholders. It is being constantly invited by federal and provincial governments to represent the industry. For example, it was the only bus association to be part of the government’s committee that rewrote the hours of service rules over an eight year period.

MCC has established working relationships with other national and international associations to achieve more for our members and the industry in general. Examples: TIAC, CTC, ABA, NTA, See America, ACTA, CITC. It has recently created a formal alliance with the ABA. With WCMCA going out of business in western Canada it left a void for regional representation. The BCTA opened it’s membership to coach operators and many joined.

Current Status and Relationship

MCC is a separate legal entity with a Board of Directors. Ten Directors are elected by the members and has one tour operator and one coach operator member from each of five regions across Canada. The OMCA appoints 6 representatives and the BCTA appoints one member of the Board. The Board approves a business plan, directs staff and recommends policy. The OMCA funded MCC to start it up and continues to underwrite some of its expenses. MCC’s head office is in Toronto and has satellite offices in Calgary and Fredericton. The long term plan for MCC is to have an office in Ottawa. It contracts administrative services from OMCA as well as other contractors. MCC and OMCA share the same President and with the consent of the two Boards all issues, projects and services identified by members or government are categorized as national or regional. Those national are handled by MCC and those provincial (Ontario) by OMCA. Shared staff allocate their time based on time spent. Non-shared staff and contractors are directly allocated to MCC. Office overheads are allocated accordingly. From a membership perspective members of BCTA and OMCA are members of MCC in addition to the operators that join MCC directly.

• It is estimated that there are over 4,000 highway coaches in Canada. Thousands more coaches from the United States enter Canada each year and are a boon to local economies.
  
• Each motor coach on an overnight tour generates about $10,000 to $15,000 per day in economic activity, including spending on accommodation, meals, entertainment and souvenirs.

For more Information please contact the MCC office at 416-229-9305 or email: info@motorcoachcanada.com

Community and Camaraderie

By joining MCC, you have the opportunity to get to know other MCC operators from across the country and exchange ideas, best practices, and create business. These connections can be a benefit when operating in other jurisdictions and help keep you accountable to operate by the highest standards.

These connections can be nurtured through direct connections (every member has access to the directory of MCC Motor Coach Operators) and through gatherings at industry events, such as the Ontario Transportation Expo.

Events

Members of MCC get exclusive access to industry events, including member pricing at the nation’s largest bus equipment show, the Ontario Transportation Expo.

MCC also offers online events by way of webinars that provide pertinent information on issues that are affecting the industry.

Emergency Support

In the event of a business or industry crisis, we provide support for members facing challenges with crisis communications, media relations, and communications support and advice.

Exposure

Finally, member of MCC get exposure through listings in the MCC Tour and Travel Guide – a publication used by over 1,000 north american readers to learn about road travel in Canada and access the resources to plan their next motor coach trip. Advertising opportunities are also available to members in our publications and on our website.