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REGIONAL NEWS
REGIONAL NEWS | COAST TO COAST
WEST COAST WELDING
One lucky Canadian is going home with a brand-new PR 220 MV Synergic Welder from ProSpot, thanks to the company’s Big MIG Giveaway promotion.
Jamie Crowther from Victoria, British Columbia is one of three lucky winners of the ProSpot promotion. For their prize, Crowther chose the company’s brand new 200-amp x 35 percent duty cycle PR 220 MV Synergic Welder.
“We wanted to add some fun for everyone out there this year, so we developed this Big MIG Giveaway Contest”, said ProSpot sales director, Lorinda Teague.
“We thought this would interest just about every repair tech and welder in North America.”
Jamie Crowther was the lucky winner of Pro Spot’s Big MIG giveway, winning themselves a 200-amp x 35 percent duty cycle PR 220 MV Synergic Welder.
STEERED WRONG
Less than a year after buying a $160,000 new Mercedes-Benz, a Vancouver couple said they are now scared to get behind the wheel because last time, the steering wheel seized.
The Vancouver couple brought the issue to the attention of the dealer who refused to repair a steering defect and now the couple’s Mercedes-Benz has been parked in their garage since 2018.
According to Yang’s wife, Guifang Huo bought the car new in the spring of 2017 and they only drove it for roughly 6,500 km, and then in less than a year, the steering wheel seized while they were driving. The Mercedes-Benz Richmond dealer said it could find nothing wrong. The leader in Dustless Sanding Systems
The Mercedes-Benz is a 2017 was recalled in the U.S. for steering problems, including the S-class models built between 2015 and 2017, but no vehicles in Canada were covered. With no one to cover the expensive repairs, the couple filed a lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz Canada in early 2019 in a B.C supreme court, for unspecified damages.
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To begin 2021 with its second addition of the calendar year, the company added CSN Northline to its roster of collision centres on the West Coast. The 7,000 sq. ft. facility in Smithers, BC has been in operation for 25-years providing the driving public of their community with best in-class customer service and high-quality collision and auto body repairs they can trust.
Smithers is a town of just under 7,000 people set against the Hudson Bay Mountain Range in Northern BC. Despite being a smaller facility in a town with a trading area of no more than 15,000 people, CSN Northline Owner Dave Onderwater knows the importance of completing high quality repairs. “Even though we may not be as big as other shops or have the gross they do we take care of our customers by doing repairs properly and that’s why being part of CSN was so important to me,” Onderwater said. “Repairing vehicles is about having industry leading support and that’s what CSN offers.” The quality of work completed by the expert staff and experienced technicians at CSN Northline has received industry recognition. They are a Certified Aluminum Collision Repairer with the Automotive Retailers Association and Accredited with ICBC for Collision Repairs and Valet Service. They also have OEM certifications through the Certified Collision Care program administering the requirements and recognition for automakers Ford, FCA, Kia, and Nissan. “We know they have the capability, training, and equipment to complete repairs at a very high level and with CSN’s marketing support and vendor programs, we believe they can really elevate their business.” CSN Western Sales Manager, Kari Barton said.
With a regular influx of recreational visitors in addition to their active residents, Smithers has consistent traffic that will now receive the market leading support of the CSN repair network. Providing outstanding customer service and a truly hometown care to all its patrons, CSN Northline does everything you’d expect from a high-profile facility but on a smaller scale. “It’s’ what our customers expect when they come here, quality repairs, trained technicians, and friendly staff and they trust us because of that.” Onderwater said.
BRINGING IN BRENNANS
CSN Brennan is the latest CSN Collision Centre to join the network under the ownership of Lift Auto Group.
Located in Stettler, Alberta a town with a population just over 11,000 people, CSN Brennan is well established as being on of the best repairers in the area, CSN in its online press release.
“The CSN Brennan facility is the best repairer in the region and that’s what attracted us to them,” said Lift Auto Group President & CEO, Mark Reineking. “The staff are exceptional at what they do, which allowed for a seamless transition into the Lift family, and we are committed to preserving the culture of excellence created by the former owners, Murray and Christy Brennan.” Reineking said.
With more than 40 years of operating
CSN Brennan is the latest CSN Collision Centre to join the network under the ownership of Lift Auto Group.
history in Stettler, fondly known as the Heart of Alberta, the staff at CSN Brennan are well known to every customer they see. The friendly and familial approach to business in addition to their high-quality of repair work makes them the preferred repair facility for anyone in need of collision and auto body repair in the region.
STORM RUNOFF
“It was the worst storm I’ve ever seen in my career,” said Cassie Rossen, manager of Dilawri Collision Centre, recounting that June day that managed to make the spring of 2020 even worse for the city of Calgary.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released a report outlining the most costly severe weather events of the past year with the June 13 Calgary hailstorm totalling more than $1.3 billion in damages and easily dwarfing the other events by comparison. The storm caught the city off-guard, as many Calgarians are accustomed to hail season occurring over the summer in July and August.
“People were running out of their rental maxes way before their vehicles could get worked on due to backordered parts. Windshields were smashed out; panoramic roofs were smashed out. We had vehicles where every lamp on the outside was smashed out,” said Rossen.
This unexpected storm early in the season, combined with a COVID-19 lockdown that had only just begun to lift, caught Calgary collision centres by surprise and they still continue to feel the effects of that devastating storm to this day.
“Things were swamped here and COVID caused me to only have half the staff here to take care of things. I’ve been backlogged for the last eight months, still doing hail repairs,”
A June 13, 2020 hailstorm, combined with a COVID-19 lockdown that had only just begun to lift, caught Calgary collision centres by surprise. They still continue to feel the effects of that devastating storm to this day, said Cassie Rossen, manager of Dilawri Collision Centre.
said Sasha Butts, production manager at Country Hills Collision.
It’s a common lament among Calgary repairers at this point. The storm is more than half a year past and yet the repairs don’t seem to stop.
“It began with a slow process, I guess because it was very difficult for the insurance companies to get a handle on how fast everything was coming across their desk. But, once they were able to have that direction of where they were sending the work and how fast they were able to get it out, I think all of the shops started to see quite an influx of work, probably lasting to the end of November,” said Al Giga, manager of All Makes Collision Centre.
The bureaucratic side of working with insurance companies, and the delays that result, are nothing new to collision centres, however, what no one had a clear answer to was how to address the concerns of customers of how their vehicles would be serviced safely, in regard to COVID regulations.
“[COVID] definitely made it a little more challenging due to the fact that people were a little more apprehensive to leave their cars here or bring their cars in because of the possibility of things getting shut down again. Luckily enough, we’re considered an essential service so that never happened and we were able to put our clients’ minds at ease,” said Rossen.
KEEPING TABS
The government of Saskatchewan has introduced legislation with the aim of tightening up regulations surrounding scrap metal theft in the province.
The legislation includes an update to the Pawned Property Amendment Act and the requirements for reporting for scrap metal dealers.
The changes would require that dealers obtain and record the identification and transaction information of the client from whom they are purchasing scrap metal, as well as the imposition of further restrictions on cash transactions in the attempt to curb the anonymous sale of stolen scrap metal.
As well, changes to the Traffic Safety Act will give police the ability to press charges for numerous actions commonly associated with auto theft, such as falsifying documents for the sale or registration of a vehicle or altering a VIN.
Currently, police have to investigate and charge someone under the Criminal Code. The proposed changes will give police the ability to issue a summary offence ticket without requiring Criminal Code proceedings.
PANDEMIC PADDING
A new report from Saskatchewan sheds additional light on the money saved by insurance companies during the pandemic, with firms in the prairie province holding onto an impressive $169 million in savings.
“With most people stuck at home, their cars have inevitably stayed in the garage,” said Antoine Fruchard, editor-in-chief at HelloSafe, the price-comparison website responsible for publishing the report.
“Indeed, customers are inevitably questioning why they continued to pay such high insurance premiums while they weren’t able to drive,” Fruchard said.
Collision claims were down about 27 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the report, however, spokespeople from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) have a different perspective on HelloSafe’s findings.
“SGI did see approximately 20 per cent fewer claims related to auto collisions over the past nine months. We also saw an increase in the severity of some injury claims which may be related to, in part anyway, to more severe accidents resulting from less congested roads,” said SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy.
However, for shop owners, the reality of running a business during lockdown speaks for itself.
“As far as business goes there was a lot less business in 2020 than in 2019,” said Monty Heiser, owner of Superior Autobody in Saskatoon.
Drivers in Manitoba have already been issued two rounds of rebate cheques from Manitoba Public Insurance totalling $240260, however, no plans for rebates have been made in Saskatchewan as of yet.
POOF GO THE PREMIUMS
Manitoba drivers are projected to see auto insurance premiums drop by an average of 8.8 per cent in the coming months.
In early December 2020, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) approved MPI’s request, which averages out to a savings of more than $100 per policyholder.
Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) stated that it can deliver savings because the Crown corporation met its capital target — the minimum amount the company should hold in reserve to protect against market volatility. The corporation had begun turning over more money to ratepayers last year. MPI has received approval from PUB for a second round of rebates due to the plummeting number of claims during the pandemic.
The new agreement reached by MPI and the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba (IBAM) over the future of online sales, will keep auto insurance sales in the hands of private brokers, even in online transactions.
The decision settles a long-running feud between MPI and IBAM over the future of online sales. MPI had questioned whether brokers should still be involved in every transaction, while IBAM said the role of its members in the insurance process shouldn’t be sidelined.
The five-year agreement will take effect in April of this year, said MPI expects additional online transactions on or about April 2023. A spokesperson said online renewal will generally be offered to all passenger vehicle owners, except those with a history of defaulting on their payments.
In early December 2020, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) approved MPI’s request, which averages out to a savings of more than $100 per policyholder.
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INDUSTRY INVESTMENTS
ANOTHER ACQUISITION FOR THE D’ALESSANDROS
The Government of Ontario, eager to attract a new plant from automakers in China, has created an agency to act as a “one-stop-shop” for manufacturers scouting places to invest.
The company, Invest Ontario, was created in July of 2020 and is viewed by the government as the “central agency for businesses to discover what others from around the province and globe have already realized, which is that Ontario is a top-tier destination for investment and strategic growth.”
The agency has been designed as the goto place for companies looking for places to invest, particularly ‘anchor’ investments that could lead to major hiring.
Chinese automakers have been eyeing the North American market for years. In that time, industry stakeholders, including Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), have been touting Canada as a place for them to build vehicles they will sell in North America.
Invest Ontario could prove to be crucial to attracting a Chinese auto manufacturer to Canada, which is a key goal for Volpe and other industry stakeholders in recent years.
The D’Alessandro family is at it again with their most recent acquisition of a third CSN collision centre in the GTA. The newest location, formerly known as CSN Heartland B&B—now renamed CSN Heartland, brings the D’Alessandro family into the busy Mavis Road and Britannia Road West intersection of Mississauga.
The acquisition allows the Mississauga communities of drivers, dealerships, and insurers to have access to the trusted CSN brand, not to mention the innovative and experienced work that the D’Alessandro family is known for throughout North America.
“We’ve had two locations for a long time and now adding a third in a high-traffic area is a great opportunity for us,” said CSN 427 and CSN Avenue President, Lorenzo D’Alessandro.
The newly acquired facility is an impressive 18,000 square feet and already equipped with tools, equipment, and technician training that meets the requirements for the OEM certification of BMW and MINI.
The D’Alessandro family is at it again with their most recent acquisition of a third CSN collision centre in the GTA.
AURORA OPENING
CARSTAR has announced the opening of CARSTAR Aurora. The location of the new facility is located at 226 Edward St. Unit 2A, Aurora Ontario L4G 3S8.
The owner of CARSTAR Aurora, Amir Seif, has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Growing up with a passion for cars, Seif understands the need for quality collision repairs due to the recent advancements in automotive technology.
“Having the support of CARSTAR helps us keep up with industry advancements and stay ahead of the curve,” said Seif. “We want to ensure our community can count on us for a premier collision repair experience and the resources CARSTAR provides us will only further enhance our capabilities.”
CARSTAR Aurora is a brand new 7,000 sq ft. facility., equipped with tools to provide quality collision repairs to all makes and models. Eager to deliver excellence in its customer service, the team is also looking to pursue industry certifications so the Aurora community can feel confident in entrusting their vehicles to the team.
MEET MARIANNE MATICHUK
The newest appointment to CAA North & East Ontario (CAANEO) board of directors is one Marianne Matichuk, a Greater Sudbury resident with an extensive background in health and safety.
CAANEO provides emergency roadside assistance to over 300,000 residents in its designated region, and is part of a wider network of clubs across Canada that provide the same great service to more than six million Canadians from coast-to-coast. The clubs also continually advocate for road safety, mobility, infrastructure, the environment and above all consumer protection.
“Working with the dedicated team at CAANEO is truly an honour and a privilege,” says Matichuk. “I look forward to making a difference in the communities that the Club serves, and ensuring exceptional service to all of our members.”
With over 30 years of experience in health and safety, business, and politics throughout a variety of roles, including the first female elected as mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury, Matichuk has her fair share of expertise under her belt.
The newest appointment to CAA North & East Ontario (CAANEO) board of directors is one Marianne Matichuk, a Greater Sudbury resident with an extensive background in health and safety.
Drivers in the GTA pay higher insurance rates than other areas of Ontario.
HIGH INSURANCE RATES
Drivers in Brampton, Ontario pay the highest insurance rates in Ontario coming in at an average of about $2,698 per year, according to an interactive map produced by Rates.ca.
Closely following Brampton at the high end of results is Mississauga at an average yearly rate of $2,372 followed by Vaughan ($2,334); Richmond Hill ($2,286); Markham ($2,222); Toronto ($2,201) and Ajax ($2,141).
Population is not the only determining factor of insurance rates, however, as London ($1,509), Windsor ($1,412), Kitchener ($1,341) and Ottawa ($1,213) all reported numbers below the provincial average which currently stands at $1,616, a 9.7 percent increase since 2018.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that more than half of every dollar received by auto insurers goes toward claims settlements.
Proposed Bill 42, currently before Ontario Legislature, intends to prevent insurers from basing rates on factors primarily related to postal codes or telephone area codes, however, there is no timeline on the bill as of yet.
GENERAL PROBLEM
General Motors became the latest automaker hit by the global shortage of semiconductor chips as the U.S. automaker said it will take down production at four assembly plants in February.
GM said it will cut production entirely during the week of February 8 at plants in Ingersoll, Ontario; Fairfax, Kansas; and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It will also run its plant in South Korea at half capacity that week.
GM said the focus has been on keeping production running at plants building the highest-profit vehicles — full-size pickup trucks and SUVs as well as the Chevrolet Corvette sports car. AutoForecast Solutions estimates GM’s combined lost volume would total almost 10,000 vehicles in one week.
“Despite our mitigation efforts, the semiconductor shortage will impact GM production in 2021,” GM spokesman David Barnas told Reuters in a statement.
“Semiconductor supply for the global auto industry remains very fluid,” he added. “Our supply chain organization is working closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impacts on GM.”
Affected GM vehicles include the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Cadillac XT4 SUV, Chevy Equinox and Trax, and GMC Terrain SUVs and the Buick Encore small crossover vehicle.
The chip shortage has led several automakers, including Volkswagen, Ford, Subaru, Toyota, Nissan and Stellantis, to cut vehicle production.
The chip shortage is expected to cause production in the global auto sector to be 672,000 vehicles lower than anticipated in the first quarter, IHS Markit said. The forecasting firm expects the shortage to last into the third quarter.
AutoForecast Solutions said announced lost production globally so far due to the shortage has totaled 564,000 vehicles and estimated the total impact this year could be 964,000 vehicles.
TRULY MAGNANIMOUS
Sheridan College has a big boost coming in the form to a $2 million donation from Magna International.
The donation from the Aurora, Ontariobased automotive technology supplier is earmarked for updates to equipment in the Skilled Trades Centre at Sheridan’s Davis Campus in Brampton, Ontario.
As well, part of the money will be used to create scholarships and additional training resources.
As a result, Sheridan has renamed their facility to the Magna Skilled Trades Centre, in honour of the gesture.
“I want to thank Magna for this incredibly generous gift. It’s a direct investment in the labour force of tomorrow that will benefit our local economy by supporting the manufacturing sector,” said Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s president and vicechancellor.
“Our skilled trades programs embody the best of Sheridan, bringing students together with industry for applied, hands-on learning guided by the best instructors. One of Canada’s leading manufacturing companies, Magna has a longstanding reputation for innovation, entrepreneurship, and a commitment to excellence. Sheridan is honoured to have Magna’s name associated with ours.”
For Magna, this investment functions not only as an act of generosity but an investment in the future of the Canadian automotive industry.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to support Sheridan and address an important issue not only for businesses and industry but also for the communities where we live and work,” said Aaron McCarthy, Magna’s chief human resources officer. “Working together, we can provide students with opportunities to learn the skills needed, bring out the best in themselves, and help strengthen our society overall.”
Aurorabased Magna International recently donated a hefty sum to Sheridan College’s skilled trades centre.
Ontario’s minister of labour, training and skills development has a bold new strategy for re-energizing the province’s economy, and the first step is bringing skilled trades recruitment right into Ontario high schools.
Barring potential COVID-19 disruptions, “I’m sending dozens of recruiters into high schools across Ontario to compete against universities to get kids to go into the trades,” said Minister Monte McNaughton.
This comes as part of what the Ontario government considers to be their “ambitious agenda to build infrastructure right across the province, whether it’s broadband, natural gas expansion, transit projects and hospitals, and we need a skilled workforce to build all of this,” said McNaughton.
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BUGATTI, WHY NOTTI?
AutoCanada has a new shop under its belt as the dealership group welcomes Auto Bugatti into the network.
This latest acquisition capitalizes on Auto Bugatti’s more than 20 years in the industry as well as their 30,000 sq.-ft. of production space at its Dorval, Quebec facility.
“Our goal is to complement our dealership network by aligning our collision consolidation strategy with the OEMs. It has been proven that certified collision repair not only improves brand loyalty but also increases both parts and vehicle sales,” said a spokesperson from AutoCanada.
Auto Bugatti is certified to make repairs on a number of luxury car brands, including BMW, MINI, LandRover, Jaguar, Tesla, Aston Martin and McLaren.
CSN Collision Centres has added Charles Boivin as the new sales manager for Quebec.
Boivin joins CSN after spending six years as an Account Manager with Audatex Canada. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Laval University, Boivin takes an investigative approach to his profession.
Leveraging his industry contacts and deep knowledge of the province of Quebec, means that Boivin will not need much time to make an impact. In his previous role he was responsible for providing softwarebased solutions for independent and banner collision repairers in addition to many of the top insurance carriers in the province.
Forging new connections with prospective clients typically takes a lot of time, it can mean slowly creating rapport and building trust but with that hurdle already cleared Boivin expects to see immediate traction within the province. “My first priority is to make it known to the industry that I am with CSN to establish a network of high-quality repairers in Quebec,” said Boivin.
This latest acquisition capitalizes on Auto Bugatti’s more than 20 years in the industry as well as their 30,000 sq.-ft. of production space at its Dorval, Quebec facility.
BRING ON BOIVIN
Charles Boivon has been appointed CSN’s new sales manager for Quebec.
QUEBEC
ISLAND TIME
Drivers on Prince Edward Island will be given the option to set their own pace when it comes to auto insurance rates.
CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) will begin offering the MyPace insurance policy next month, an option that is expected to adjust rates to fit with the driving habits of customers.
“You have a base rate, and then for every certain number of kilometres you use, you pay a little bit more,” said Gary Howard, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the CAA.
The base rate covers the first 9,000 kilometres driven as well as the location of the driver.
The company’s website notes: “At 9,000 kilometres, there is no longer a savings benefit with CAA MyPace and a traditional auto insurance policy may suit you better.”
A Newfoundland auto recycler is in the hole for $8,000 worth of scrap auto parts after thieves cut their way into a metal shipping container to grab the items.
Leaving a square hole making that looked as though it were cut by an oversized can-opener, thieves managed to make off with copper wire, car batteries and catalytic converters from Newco Metal and Auto Recycling in Marystown, Newfoundland.
The theft occurred in the early morning, according to the RCMP, and they are asking anyone who may have information relating to the incident to call Marystown RCMP (709-279-3001) or Crime Stoppers (1-800222-TIPS).
STRAIGHT TO THE VAULT
Newfoundland auto recycler Newco is in the hole for $8,000 worth of scrap auto parts after thieves cut their way into a metal shipping container to grab the items.
