Atlas® Van Lines is not the only one celebrating an anniversary this year. A bit north of the U.S. border and a little south of Toronto in Oakville, Ontario, Atlas® Canada is popping champagne to mark 60 successful years in business.



“It is pretty terrific when you think about it,” says Fred Haladay, President and COO of Atlas Canada, “all the leadership and Agents and people throughout the years who believed in a common cause to move our company forward to where we are today.” Haladay has been with Atlas® for 33 years—a longevity that is a common theme. Of the original small group of Canadian Agents who founded the company in 1963, King’s Transfer in Montreal, Quebec, is still going strong with Atlas, which gives Haladay endless gratitude.

“We have been so fortunate to have King’s Transfer since the beginning. They recently celebrated 100 years, and it was so nice to see because it is such a family. One of our original slogans in Canada was ‘Families Moving Families,’ and that is still true today. It is the original reason I came, and have stayed, at Atlas, because we treat each other and our customers like family,” says Haladay.

To honor its 60th anniversary, Atlas Canada has spent much of 2023 hosting monthly celebrations for its teams. Haladay says he has greatly enjoyed this period of merriment because it was not just a marketing effort but rather a way to engage and celebrate his people including those who have retired and were invited back to fête their legacy contributions. 

“We had an Atlas Appreciation Day and handed out sweatshirts,” says Haladay. “It was just a black sweatshirt with our 60th anniversary logo on it. But everyone had them on. Everyone. We took a group photo, and I was in the middle, and I felt so proud. It was this simple thing, but to see that truly made my day because it showed me that everyone was a part of the same team, and we were all happy to be there together.”

Today, a network of 135 Agents provides coverage for all 10 provinces and three territories in Canada—growth Haladay credits to strategic decision-making throughout its history. Atlas Canada was one of the first companies to adopt an internal online system that enabled Agents to work directly with headquarters, creating a culture of technological innovation and efficiency.

Another milestone was signing AMJ Campbell™ in the late 1980s, a move that transformed the company from a small military provider to a corporate-booking leader and allowed it to draw in other marquee Agents such as Jay’s Transportation Group and Premiere® Van Lines. 

“We have been very lucky to have these Agents and countless others fly our Atlas flag over these years,” says Haladay. Celebrating the past is appreciated, but Atlas Canada is never one to rest on its laurels. As for what comes next, Haladay says he has no hesitations that the company will not continue to excel. “I know this company is going to go the distance,” says Haladay.

“We are going to continue to grow in ways we cannot imagine today because that is what we do. That is why Atlas will always be around because we are adaptable and always moving forward. And we have an amazing bunch of people that are going to help us get there.”