KINGSTON, Ont. (Aug. 3, 2001) — Dick Baker, owner of Oshawa-based Can-Truck Inc. and one of Canada’s most ardent supporters of motorsports, died Wednesday in a Kingston hospital following a heart attack. He was 63.

Baker founded Can-Truck, a truckload, expedited, and warehousing business, in 1993. The company traces its roots to the former Canada Transport Group, a truckload and less-than-truckload carrier Baker and two partners acquired in 1976. Can-Truck has 215 full-time employees and operates a fleet of 240 tractors and 1300 trailers. It ranked 26th on the Today’s Trucking Top 100, a list of Canada’s largest for-hire trucking companies.

Baker was passionate about motorsports. He was chairman of the board of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame, and with his sons raced a variety of cars, including vintage racers. He was vice-president of the North American Monoposto Register of open-wheeled racing cars.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Bridge Street United Church in Belleville, Ont. Visitation is at John R. Bush Funeral Home, Belleville, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday.

Baker is survived by his wife, Janet, two sons, Brad and Dean, and one daughter, Karen. Another son, Duncan, passed away in 1999 in an auto accident.