Phil Strong has been an entrepreneur for as long as he can remember. He came to Canada at 17, delivered newspapers as his first job and never stopped looking for the next opportunity. Even when he held a salaried position, there was always a side business running in the background. In fact, for Strong, that is the hallmark of entrepreneurship – finding opportunities in any given situation. Since his arrival in Edmonton in 1978, it is this ambition, combined with genuine care for people and their safety while on the road, that has helped him build tappCONNECT.
An umbrella brand combining Greater Edmonton Taxi Service, Prestige Transportation, Prestige Limousine, Asyst Transportation and J&P Automotive Repair & Bodyshop, tappCONNECT has grown and changed over the years to consistently meet the needs of drivers, passengers and corporate clients alike.
“The name tappCONNECT, ” Strong explains, “speaks to how we connect all of our companies with technology and one shared goal – to keep moving people forward.”
One way he ensures tappCONNECT upholds this vision is to continually embrace the technology, including AI, that improves operations, streamlines process and promotes safety and accountability.
In March 2026, tappCONNECT implemented AutoCab, a state-of-the-art dispatch system.
“It’s been a game changer,” Strong says. “It’s really improved our app and the functions for the public to be able to book a taxi, for corporate clients to have booking portals and more.”
Technology has also strengthened communication with the public across the legacy Prestige Limousine and J&P Auto side of the business through the company’s websites.
For Strong, technology has never been optional. When Uber arrived in Edmonton—chosen, of all Canadian cities, as the testing ground—Strong watched friends in the taxi and chauffeur business panic. He took a step back and asked himself what he was going to do about it. The answer was to beat the newcomer at its own game. His supplier developed an app that outperformed the competition, letting users book a taxi in under 10 seconds, estimate fares, pay in-app and track their ride on a live map. More and more like-minded companies across Canada are now following the same path.
“We’re always looking at technology,” Strong adds. “We’ve had a couple of people come and coach us and explain to us how AI works and how it might help our company. So, we’re embracing AI technology now to see how we can make ourselves better. You always have to look at getting better, because if you don’t, people will pass you and take over. That’s my personal motto. If you don’t keep moving forward, you’re going to get left behind.”
Part of moving forward has meant making choices about what to leave behind. In late January 2026, tappCONNECT divested Cliffs Towing, a brand with more than 70 years of history on Edmonton streets, so the company could concentrate on what it does best: moving people and taking good care of them.
However, “Cliffs is still going,” Strong smiles. “A group in Edmonton bought a significant number of trucks and soft assets. It’s still on the streets, and I’m very happy about that. I hope it continues.”
Another way Strong is helping people move forward is through its newest offering, Asyst Transportation.
Asyst is built for people who need significant help getting around, such as those in wheelchairs. It aims to fill a gap that too often falls to emergency services.
“We’re hoping to work closely with health services and the different retirement facilities, all the way to the little communities within two hours of town, to bring people in for their special appointments,” Strong says. “No disrespect for ambulances, but they’re needed for emergency work, not for transporting people to appointments.”
The service isn’t limited to organizations. “You have parents who need this transportation, and you can rely on us to get it done,” he adds.
When it comes to internal processes, the technology and the level of care continue.
“Every vehicle in the fleet is equipped with cameras for the security of both the customer and the driver. It takes the drivers out of difficult situations. New cameras and Samsara technology let us review footage remotely, from anywhere, rather than calling people in to examine recordings the way the old systems required. It can be reviewed in real time and stored in the cloud ” he says. “That’s probably one of the biggest changes we have made, recently.”
For all the innovation, Strong is candid about the challenge that keeps him up at night—and it is not technology. It is the simple question of whether his drivers can make a living. The Greater Edmonton Taxi Service fleet has decreased somewhat, down to roughly 450 cars, not because demand has fallen, but because the market has been flooded.
“There are too many TNCs,” Strong says, using the industry term for Transportation Network Companies like Uber and Lyft. “It has caused all drivers—taxi, Uber, Lyft—to not be able to make a living wage. Their wages are so diluted that no one’s really doing well.”
Strong sees history repeating itself.
“Many years ago, there was no regulation in the vehicle-for-hire industry, and it became so bad that people couldn’t make a living wage. So, the authorities decided to regulate it. We’re back to that now.”
Strong’s response is to help improve conditions for all drivers, not just the ones in his fleet but also those on Uber and Lyft. This is why tappCONNECT is lobbying municipal and provincial governments, and has teamed up with taxi companies in Calgary—with plans to bring in partners in Red Deer and more in Edmonton—to push for change and regulations.
The stakes, Strong stresses, go beyond the balance sheet. tappCONNECT provides a living for roughly 620 drivers who face the same inflation and cost escalation as everyone else, on top of diluted earnings. There’s a safety dimension too. Drivers (taxi & TNC) stretched thin may defer proper vehicle maintenance, and the financial pressure inevitably affects temperament and customer service.
He says, “We’re really lobbying hard to make a difference so all drivers can make the living wages they deserve.”
Speaking of deserving drivers, ask Strong what drives the company’s success, and he points immediately to his people. Currently, tappCONNECT has 102 staff dedicated to looking after the drivers and keeping the shops running, and the relationship between them is one of mutual appreciation.
“Our staff is a huge part of our success,” he says. “The drivers appreciate them a lot. We are very fair and try to help them however we can, from getting the newest technology and so on, and they appreciate that. If I could tell my team one thing, it would be ‘thank you for all the hard work you’ve done, and I’m thankful you’re with us.’”
The corporate culture reflects the stability and accessibility of its ownership.
“We’re a very steady, established company, and ownership is available to talk to,” Strong emphasizes. “Myself and Marjorie, are always available. We have some excellent leaders and managers now, and our COO is doing a fantastic job. That translates to people wanting to work for us. Our main strategic pillar is to provide world-class customer service, and I think that’s translating into all divisions—taxis, limousine, paratransit and now Asyst.”
That standard is already drawing new business to the company’s garage and body shop operations, which Strong expects to expand nicely in the near future.
Charitable giving is woven into the corporate culture, and the philosophy behind it is straightforward.
“We believe you have to give charity at home first. Look after your family, which in this case is Edmonton. You must look after Edmonton first.”
Strong and his team personally support a range of organizations, like Special Olympics Edmonton, the food bank and the SPCA among the main ones.
Doing business in Edmonton since 1978, Strong has a clear view of what makes the province special for people like him.
“A true entrepreneur finds advantage anywhere, but in Alberta there’s always a culture of ‘let’s make things happen,'” he says. “Entrepreneurs are like that. They like the culture of getting things going. Opportunity is anywhere — seeing it is what makes a good entrepreneur.”
He is equally clear about what could hold the province back.
“Alberta needs to get over this separation talk, because it’s going to affect us negatively. Entrepreneurs might move their head offices, similar to what happened in Montreal years ago, when things moved out and Toronto got the boost. I don’t want to see that happen here. We’ve got to solve that.”
What Alberta gets right, he says, is working with the federal government and showing what the province can contribute.
“There are tons of things we can do to help the country, but we have to stop squabbling and get moving in the right direction. Everybody’s got their interests, but we all have to look at the bigger picture and do what’s better for Canada. There are more barriers between provinces than there are trading with other countries—it’s ridiculous, in my opinion. This should all be a team effort, and I think we’re slowly moving in that direction.”
As tappCONNECT continues to move people forward, Strong is quick to acknowledge those who helped him along the way, from his personal mentors, to TEC Canada, a group of business owners who meet monthly to work through challenges together.
“As they say, ‘It’s lonely at the top,’” he notes. “It helps to have people who also own businesses to have a fresh set of eyes on solving problems and discussing solutions.”
After 16 years, his departure from TEC Canada was impactful enough that the organization honoured him with a lifetime achievement award. Other successes of note include the company’s work with Global Affairs Canada on numerous projects, providing security-cleared equipment and drivers for the recent G7 Summit in Kananaskis and being the official transportation service for the Pope’s visit to Edmonton—work that showed the respect and reputation of tappCONNECT and its drivers.
The path ahead is defined by the two priorities that dominate Strong’s vision: building out Asyst, which has only recently been launched, and pressing the lobbying effort to restore a living wage across the vehicle-for-hire industry.
“You’ve got to keep moving forward,” he concludes, referencing the philosophy that has carried him from delivering newspapers at 17 to leading one of Edmonton’s largest transportation enterprises.
The name on the door has changed. The drive behind it has not.
Learn more online at tappconnect.ca.