Retirement Celebration for Gary Rodrigue
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Gary Rodrigue made a memorable entrance at his retirement party on Thursday night, arriving blindfolded and donned in red underwear.
The blindfold was a playful way to keep him guessing about his location, guided by his wife, Marilyn. As for the red underwear, well, that’s a question for her, although it’s worth mentioning he was dressed appropriately above the waist.
Approximately 125 guests attended the dinner, a commendable turnout, especially for a surprise celebration that couldn’t be announced beforehand. Organized by the Delta Nu Alpha Transportation Network, the planning took months. When Rodrigue’s blindfold was finally taken off, he was visibly touched by the crowd.
Rodrigue expressed his gratitude, stating, “What an amazing sight this is for me, to look out over this group of people who have been my friends, my mentors, my teachers and my cohorts.”
Bill Clark from Apex/Western Canada Express took the floor first among the formal speakers, reminiscing about Rodrigue’s extensive trucking career which began as a teenager in Montreal. Rodrigue joined Kingsway Transport in 1967 for 26 years and then briefly worked at Manitoulin Transport before spending 21 years at Thomson Terminals, where he concluded his career.
Jim Thomson, founder and president of Thomson Terminals, remembered their first encounter at the Ontario Highway Transport Board before deregulation, noting how he was opposing Rodrigue’s employer’s application at the time. He thanked Rodrigue for his substantial contributions to the company.
Other speakers included Art Sills from McKevitt Trucking, Stacey Jenkins from Thomson Terminals, and Margaret Hogg from J.G. Drapeau. Emcee Mike McCarron remarked, “The reality of being in the business and chasing skids for 50 years is frankly mind-boggling.” Rodrigue shared his plans for retirement, mentioning a potential job at a local golf course and volunteering with the Humane Society. He humorously concluded, “I thought I’d like to give back to the animal community… since I’ve lived with the animal community for so long.”
