TORONTO — Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada emerged as a standout at the 2025 Canada’s Safest Employers Awards, held Thursday night at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in a celebration of achievement, innovation, and leadership in workplace safety.
The company’s CEO, Frank Voss, was recognized as Canada’s Safest CEO of the Year, while the Toyota team capped the evening by winning the WSIB Award for Canada’s Best Health & Safety Culture — one of the most prestigious and eagerly anticipated honors of the night.
Accepting on behalf of Frank Voss, Phil Sadler, vice president of administration and quality, emphasized the company’s commitment to felt leadership.
“For us, it’s not just about the things you say or the rules you put in place, but what you embody in your daily actions. Our team members are involved in the safety culture—they’re the ones who identify the issues and help find the solutions, and we do it together as a team,” Sadler said.
Erin Buchanan, vice president manufacturing, reflected on the significance of the culture award:
“To improve our safety KPIs, it wasn’t about top-down policies. It was about transforming the culture—making sure everyone genuinely cares and looks out for each other. We’re honoured, but this is just the start.”
The night also saw Larry Jones, vice president of corporate health, safety, and environment at Ledcor Industries Inc., named Safety Leader of the Year. Jones, visibly moved by the recognition, said:
“Recognition isn’t the goal. The real highlight is seeing people grow and building everything around a culture of caring. That’s what makes the difference.”
Valard Construction LP was honoured as Canada’s Safest Utilities and Electrical Employer. Executive vice president of health and safety, Shilo Neveau, offered a humble perspective:
“This is not the end goal. This is simply a reflection of what our men and women are doing out in the field to keep the power on for the communities in which we work. This is really for them. Safety is something that we share openly and we learn from each other. Most importantly, we learn from our mistakes. We all have the same mission—we want everyone to go home.”
Finally, the Women Building Futures Society was recognized as Canada’s Safest Non-Profit Employer. President and CEO Carla Madra spotlighted psychological safety as well as physical safety:
“Our work is supporting women transition to careers in the transportation and trade sectors, so safety is at the foremost. That culture of safety, both physically and psychologically, is critical as women make those moves into sectors where they’re really underrepresented.”
Madra encouraged organizations to recognize weaknesses and focus on real change at the work site, not just in corporate offices.