ATA November / December 2020

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020 $4.95

TWO N.B. BOYS & THEIR CLASSIC CARS (PAGE 16)

DESIGN & RETROFIT YOUR CARWASH (SEE PAGE 22)

NEVER SLEEPS!

BOB ASKS: IS YOUR BIZ DIVERSIFIED? (SEE PAGE 30)

WIN PRIZES!!!

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VOLUME TWENTY • ISSUE 6 • NOVEMBER / DECEMBER • 2020

Call us: 1-902-452-0345 E-mail us: rob@autoatlantic.com Mail us: 608 - 56 Jacob Lane Bedford, NS B3M 0H5 Canada

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AN ELECTRIC PRESENCE – Ontario auto manufacturing rebounds with an electric gift from Ford.

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RUST NEVER SLEEPS – Nova Scotia’s rightfully been called the “rust capital of Canada” for a lot of good reasons. But there’s stuff that can be actually done about that. By Carter Hammett

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THE NOT-SO-QUIET REVOLUTION – That Carter guy’s back again, this time on how gas stations can stay relevant in the coming years: pay attention to the generation-next of vehicles: electric.

EDITOR Carter Hammett carter@autoatlantic.com

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A TALE OF “TWO NB BLUE COLLAR BOYS” AND THEIR CLASSIC CARS - What happens when a couple of amateur mechanics decide to restore a pair of classic cars and take to the road? Why, plenty, writes Kristen Lipscombe.

SALES MANAGER Dan Hillier dan@autoatlantic.com

Page 20

2020 ATA/RGDA AWARD WINNER – Grace MacDonald is this year’s winner!

Page 22

CARWASH DESIGN AND RETROFIT FIRMS - Expect Stellar Support and Quality Products From Brush Manufacturer – Consulting frms that design and remodel aging carwashes are in high demand as washes across the continent work to keep pace with industry and technological advances.

Page 26

NEWS OF THE WEIRD – A seven-year-old South Asian kid enters the books by identifying 150 car logos in one minute, plus More!

Page 28

THE FLOW FACTOR – Some people identify “pain” as unrealized potential buried deep within our bodies. Naysayers need to “go with the flow…” By Dana G. Smith

Page 30

IS YOUR BUSINESS DIVERSIFIED? – Does your business have the right balance it needs? Diversification can add much to your service infrastructure writes Bob Greenwood.

Page 32

THE ATLANTIC ROAD REPORT – PEI introduces video road test for Islanders.

Page 36

FIRMLY IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT – Operational agility is the key to business survival in a time of COVID, says one NB-based Fix Auto operator.

Page 42

HOME AGAIN! St. Stephens NB is the new spot for a NAPA location with a bit of history, writes contributor Kristen Lipscombe.

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WIN BIG! Rust Check Jacket, hat, touque and winter package, or a Stanley 123-Piece socket set from NAPA in our contests!! autoatlantic.com

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4 AN ELECTRIC PRESENCE . . .

Letter from the Editor

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By Carter Hammett

HERE WAS A TIME WHEN ONTARIO PREMIER DOUG FORD WAS STAUNCHLY OPPOSED TO ELECTRIC ANYTHING. Fast forward several months and $295 million later and things have changed somewhat. That’s because the governments of Ontario and Canada, as of this writing, are putting the final touches on a deal that will see each contribute $295 million to help Ford upgrade its Oakville assembly plant to start the process of making electric vehicles. This was a significant part of a $1.8-billion deal between Ford and its largest union, Unifor—a decision arrived at hours before a strike deadline--to start producing five new electrical models at the Oakville plant.

When all is said and done, the Ford plant will become the company’s numero uno electric vehicle factory in North America. Ford’s position is that electric vehicles will eventually bypass their fossil fuel-powered equivalents within the next decade.

The Oakville plant’s current head

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count is about 3,400 employees. The feds state that the plan will secure over 5,400 jobs nationwide including the supply chain.

Ontario, meanwhile, has stated that “by making this investment in Ford Canada, we are ensuring our province continues to lead North America and the world in automotive manufacturing and innovation while boosting competitiveness in this key sector,” Doug Ford said. “We are also securing thousands of good-paying jobs, not just at the facility in Oakville, but across the province. This project will help support our auto parts sector and other suppliers and service providers.”

Previously announced by the feds was a $300 million investment to create a charging station network for EVs across the country. This was in addition to the $239 million Trudeau et al have coughed up to the 56,000 Canadians who have already purchased an EV. A little number crunching and the figure works out to an average of $4,000 per vehicle.

Trudeau described the venture as a “win-win,” before going on to state that Canada was a “destination for clean technology…Companies like Ford are helping accelerate our transition to a low-carbon,

clean-growth economy, which will help protect our environment, drive innovation and create many good middle-class jobs.”

Ford echoed this by adding that a partnership with the feds meant that “rather than bickering and arguing and pointing fingers at each other, when we’re all pulling in the same direction, this is the result we get.”

That statement stands in sharp contrast to the $30-million pledge to fight the federal carbon tax only two years ago.

That battle included kyboshing a cap-andtrade scheme established by Ford’s Liberal forerunner Kathleen Wynne. Killing that program included killing rebates of up to $14,000 for a primo Tesla and payouts to retrofit older buildings which would have made them more energy-efficient.

Perhaps this is the beginning of a sea change for Ford, the premier. Under the current agreement, the factory upgrade won’t start until 2024, with vehicles scheduled to start being rolled out in 2025, although at press time it was unclear exactly what vehicles would be produced at the Oakville plant.

Interestingly enough, Quebec, in partnership with the feds, also stated their goal of producing batteries in Canada.

Quebec has supposedly set aside $1.4 billion for battery production. So, while all of this sounds like good news with the country on track to reduce emissions by 30 per cent during the next decade, along with unionized positions being resuscitated, nobody has said exactly where these cars and batteries are going to be sold yet.

It’s a given that Canada is perceived as a smaller market so in order to achieve profitability, we have to determine where these bad boys will go.

It seems Canada has finally established a strategy that positions itself as an eventual leader in the clean technology sector. There’s a lot of ramifications implied and a lot more questions to be answered, but for now the commitment suggests that Canada is finally learning how to march forward into the 21st century.

RUST NEVE 6

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ER SLEEPS! 7

(WITH APOLOGIES TO NEIL YOUNG!)

WITH A NASTY MIX OF SALTY AIR, ABRASIVE ROADS AND UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER, NOVA SCOTIA’S BEEN CALLED “THE RUST CAPITAL OF THE WORLD” FOR GOOD REASON. NOW’S THE TIME TO CONSIDER THE PROS AND CONS OF CORROSION PROTECTION AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR YOUR VEHICLE.

by Carter Hammett

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F YOU’RE READING TH I S, YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED A HIT OF THE WHITE STUFF ALREADY. YES, IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHERE DRIVERS ALL OVER THE MARITIMES AND THE REST OF CANADA ARE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT CHANGING THEIR TIRES TO WINTER AND WONDERING HOW MUCH SALT AND SNOW WILL AFFECT THEIR CARS. Canada spends an average of $1billion on snow removal annually and according to Environment Canada, the Atlantic region clocks in with three of the heaviest snow falls in the country, a dubious achievement if ever there was one. In fact, between 1981 and 2010, 10

of Canada’s largest cities were walloped with over two metres of snow annually.

St. John’s NF logged 335 cm and two cities in New Brunswick—Moncton and St. John—clocked in with 112.8 cm and 94.3 cm respectively.

But it actually snows most often in Saguenay Quebec, where snowfall averages 93 days in total, while the country’s 10 snowiest places register an average of 55 days per year. But with climate change looming over our lives weather patterns are growing increasingly more difficult to predict, making municipal snow cleaning budgets a crap-shoot at best.

Indeed, in January 2020, Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital endured a weeklong state of emergency after a January 17 blizzard pummelled the area with 76 centimetres in a single day. The $17.5 million set aside for snow removal was blown by over $5 million, raising costs to just over $22 million.

Newfoundland wasn’t the only Atlantic area hit hard either. Snow-removal budgets across the entire region were blown out of the water. Cape Breton was hit particularly hard with its budget blown by a staggering 60 per cent, inflating by an additional $1.5 million. Over in Charlottetown, half that city’s snow plow

equipment actually broke down after 21 cm blanketed the city.

“Some of that damage was related to metal fatigue as well,” says Pierre Legere, president of Krown Halifax. “Trucks today are so specialized they’re highly connected to computer systems. Electronics rule all those trucks but electronics are highly susceptible to the invasion of salt and corrosion. Eventually what happens is they lose their ability to maintain any kind of tightness. Electronic connections are failing left, right and center. “ “All snow removal products contain some corrosive properties in it,” says a spokesperson for Rust Check, who asked not to be identified.

There’s a plethora of products available on the market, from tar-based spray to dripless oil and everything in between.

With such a range to choose from it can sometimes be difficult to know what’s best for a vehicle and which products to choose from.

And if you think the damage to snow removal equipment caused by winter is bad enough, just think of the damage that can be done to your vehicle.

Back in 2015 Transport Canada issued a recall of 3,000 BMWs and Minis that had been innocently parked at the Port of autoatlantic.com

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All about Rust . . .

Halifax during an ice storm that year. Ice however, wasn’t the problem. Salt de-icing had rendered the cars damaged so badly they couldn’t steer properly.

Because of its salt air, coarse roadways and temperatures that swing faster than mood, that make metal sweat, Nova Scotia is, not accidentally, known as the “rust capital of the world.”

“The east coast is a very corrosionprone market,” says Pierre Legere. “The climate is much like a horrendous tropical storm, with a freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw pattern. It’s that fluctuation in temperature that makes it more challenging to plow.”

Snow and ice both contain carbon dioxide and oxygen. Road salt meanwhile, contains free radical ions that mix with the snow and ice. After continued exposure to oxygen, iron oxide forms and this is what accelerates the rusting process.

Because of ongoing exposure to road salt, the potential threat of harm faced by a vehicle is a continuous threat and due diligence is required. Road salt can affect a car’s paint, in turn causing corrosion.

Rust then starts forming beneath, and the metal becomes fragile and eventually breaks free. This leaves a damaged area and holes can form as a result.

Multiple areas of the vehicle’s undercarriage can be affected as a result and it behooves due diligence on the part of the driver. Furthermore, unless located by a trained eye, affected areas can be difficult to detect and thus safety can be caused in

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the process when you realize that everything from brake lines, fuel tanks, exhaust systems to the body panels can be negatively impacted.

COMBATTING THE INEVITABLE As the pundits say, “the best way to stop rust is to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

Many municipalities, Halifax included, have turned to brine to wage war on snowy roadways. These have been gaining traction because they have a lower freezing point and can melt precipitation water more quickly.

The downside to this however, is that because the chemicals remain in liquid form over a longer period of time, they are more likely to exacerbate corrosion by seeping into cracks and coating undercarriage components.

“Brine is magnesium chloride,” says Legere. “It adheres to the road in very cold conditions that we live in. Unfortunately it also adheres to the chassis, brake lines, fuel lines of plows and cares and they become adversely affected.”

“Undercoating is on the rise in part because of road brine corrosion,” says our Rust Check guy. “Brine is used and builds up on the undercarriage. Applying a layer of Rust Check prevents the build-up of brine on the undercarriage.”

New-car buyers have invariably heard sales pitches for extended warranties and protection packages that have become the

bread-and-butter of many dealerships.

The most commonly recommended add-on is rust-proofing, but its value is heavily debated.

“Today’s vehicles are manufactured with good corrosion protection … rust problems have almost vanished in modern vehicles,” Consumer Reports says in its annual auto surveys show. “Standard rust-through warranties for most domestic and imported vehicles run five years or more.” But with consumers often opting for extended-term car loans that can last up to 96 months, a small investment to keep rust away may be a worthwhile consideration. This is especially true if you live in Central or Eastern Canada, where winter salt is a major cause of corrosion.

Not all rust-proofing methods are the same, and prices vary from about $100 to more than $1,000. The key to avoiding a scam is to understand your options and to ensure you are getting a fair price. Here is a rundown of the most common methods:

ELECTRONIC MODULE The technology that’s au courant in rust-proofing for the past few years is a small device in your car, known as an electronic module, which sends a mild electric current through the metal and in theory stops it from rusting (corrosion is an electrochemical reaction).

A large number of car dealerships have been leaning toward selling these modules because they’re typically easier

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All about Rust . . .

to install and can fetch anywhere from $500 to $1,000 at a dealership. You can however, easily obtain similar products elsewhere for far less. Canadian Tire, for example, offers a module for about $300 plus installation for $60.

“The technology of the electronic module is that it could work as an enhancement to liquid spray,” says a Rust Check manager who wishes to remain anonymous. “These devices only work when they’re immersed in water. It has to be conductive through the body of the vehicle.”

Reception for the product has been decidedly mixed. Reviews of Canadian Tire’s product give it a fairly negative standing of 2.7 stars out of five on its website.

BUT WAIT…THAT’S NOT ALL! The module is just one product out of several currently on the market and competing for your hard-earned dollars.

But before we go any further let’s take a short detour and discuss the pros and cons of rust-proofing.

Even that term’s stale-dated says our Rust Check representative.

“Rust-proofing and undercoating are expressions considered dated in the industry,” he says. “There’s really no such thing as rustproofing. The correct terminology should be ‘corrosion prevention’” he says.

It’s a sentiment that Pierre Legere agrees with.

“Undercoating’s a bygone term,” he says. “It’s not utilized in the car industry much more.”

PROS AND CONS So now that that’s settled let’s move to some pros and cons of corrosion reduction. There are some persuasive arguments both for-and-against rust protection. Some of the pros include, not limited to: Undercoating extends the life of a vehicle. When properly applied, your car’s best-before date will be extended exponentially. Corrosion can get into your cables and wires and have a devastating impact on any part that’s made of steel or aluminum. Your transmission and engine are at risk too.

It can be applied to damaged areas – Taken over a period of time, your car is bound to encounter chips and scratches when it comes into contact with debris while driving. In the very old days when components like animal fat were used, modern methods create a true protective layer because it can spread to into the different areas where micro damages can occur.

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Reduction of interior noise. Applying a layer of rust protectant creates a barrier against sound, which therefore creates an interior that is quieter. This can be great news for lightweight vehicles where noise pollution can sometimes be overpowering for some drviers.

And now some of the cons, which can include…

Anti-corrosion works best on new cars. For owners of secondhand vehicles, the cost of preparing the undercarriage against corrosion can be cost prohibitive.

The best time to have a protectant applied is when the vehicle is new, because it simply offers a better level of protection.

It makes your car fat. Weeeeellllll, okay, not really. But it does add extra weight (up to 9.072 kg for most cars) which in turn affects fuel economy. The amount of kilometers lost per cubic metres has the potential to be pretty expensive over a prolonged period of time.

Many vehicles can make it to five years before corrosion starts to kick in. For those who can afford a new car every five years, rust protection may not be the best investment. It can be several years before any corrosion starts to actually show and a few years more before the car is actually negatively affected.

“Many manufacturers are producing better vehicles today” says Legere. “Today’s cars are much more rust-resistant,” he says.

How long rust-proofing lasts is based on the environment, says Mr. Rust Check.

“If there’s no snow your vehicle will last

potentially for years” he says, recommending at least an annual visit to an anti-corrosion specialist. He recommends getting the undercarriage sprayed at least twice a year for residents of Halifax.

Both Rust Check and Krown are known for superior anti-corrosion products and service and both offer a diversity of products that can be customized to meet your needs. The most common of these is a drip oil spray, which is flexible enough to have a greater reach to various car parts than the dripless version. Some holes still need to be drilled in specific spots on the vehicle to ensure this application makes it all areas.

Ultimately, the final verdict might be just how long you plan on keeping your car. If you are one of those drivers who stay on the road until your vehicle falls apart, a little rust-proofing will go a long way, depending of course on the cost of both the maintenance and the vehicle itself. On the other hand, if you lease, the car can always be turned in before the rust warranty expires.

Either way, some common sense, an awareness of your environment and a healthy relationship with a trusted service provider can go a long way in maintaining a healthy vehicle.

TIPS FOR COMBATTING ROAD SALT DAMAGE TO YOUR VEHICLE Wash your car as soon as possible after each snow or ice storm. At maximum every 10 days. “ When you get home check to see if there’s salt residue,” cautions Legere. “Car wash products don’t address the salt side of the equation,” although some are starting to move in that direction.

Wash your car when temperatures reach 4.4C or higher.

Washing your car in daylight hours gives it a better chance of completely drying before temperatures drop at night.

Make sure to open and close all the doors, hatch and trunk after washing the vehicle, and lock and unlock doors multiple times. This should be done as soon as possible to prevent freezing shut.

Avoid driving in deep snow; it packs against the bottom of the car.

This can contribute to rusting and cause driving hazards.

12 THE NOT-SO-QUIET REVOLUTION

Future Technologies

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By Carter Hammett

ITH PUNDITS PREDICTING TRADITIONAL GAS STATIONS GOING OUT OF BUSINESS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO DECADES, THE INDUSTRY IS UNDERGOING A MASSIVE SELF –ASSESSMENT AND DISCOVERING THAT THE FUTURE JUST MIGHT BE ELECTRIC. There’s a “disruptive revolution” slowing making its way across Canada and it’s being felt by gas stations coast-to-coast.

With an energy shift driven by leaps in electric vehicle (EV) technology as well the growing recognition that climate change is indeed real, charging networks are rapidly ushering in a new era in refuelling the vehicle.

This is proving to be worrisome for the gas industry overall as some pundits predict the traditional gas station could

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become nearly obsolete within the next 20 years.

Gas stations are a natural choice for charging stations, and yet study-afterstudy demonstrates that there’s a severe charger shortage and doesn’t meet current demand. Smaller more affordable EV chargers, suitable for everyday use are now being sold at some gas stations.

Owner-Operators also have the choice whether or not to install single EV pedestals as stand-alone units or having them installed on pre-existing lighting poles where hydro is ready to go.

Once installed, the final decision remaining is what level of charger units to offer. There are currently three choices: 1, 2 or 3.. For EV drivers who plan to “go the distance,” DC fast charge networks are an important component to their peace of mind. Fast chargers can deliver full range charges in less than an hour. Therefore, the location of a fast charger becomes of the utmost importance. Level 2 chargers meanwhile, while typically taking a few hours to fully charge are also important because they allow drivers the convenience of going about their business while the vehicle charges.

These levels also determine the length of time needed to reach full charge. Level three for example takes about 30 minutes to complete and that time can be used to make spontaneous purchases at the Cstore located on the premises.

Furthermore with consumer range anxiety gradually subsiding, more and more purchasers are gradually turning to EV which, on a life cycle basis, has dem-

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onstrated that they are far more economical than their internal combustion counterparts. Competition and rapidly evolving technology combine to reflect a gradual decline in price points as well.

There is a parallel response from some of the more progressive and visionary gas and oil companies who view themselves as transport fuel providers. Already the wheels are in motion as companies move forward with plans to install electric chargers across the country. Examples of this include Petro Canada, Canadian Tire and Tesla.

For example, in January of this year, Canadian Tire partnered with the federal government and announced a $2.7 million investment to build 54 EV fast chargers at Canadian Tire locations across central and western Canada. When combined with the previously announced $1.3 million awarded to AddÉnergie in 2016 for the installation of 28 fast chargers, The Canadian Tire EV Network becomes one of the country’s largest with over 104 stations across the country.

At the end of 2019 the feds awarded $4.6 million to Suncor’s Petro-Canada brand to build 92 EV fast chargers, the first of which was launched in Stewiacke, NS. Additionally, Petro-Canada had previously announced that they would be installing over 50 chargers along the TransCanada highway at gas stations situated from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. The final outcome will span strategic locations across 7,821 km across Canada.

A Canadian government press release states, “The new funding for Petro-Canada is part of the Government of Canada’s

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$182.5-million investment to build a coastto-coast charging network for electric vehicles. More than 500 fast-chargers are built or planned this year, with hundreds more expected over the next two years.

Through this Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative (EVAFIDI), the Government supports not only charging stations for electric vehicles but also natural gas stations along key freight corridors and stations for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in metropolitan centres.

This investment also includes support for the demonstration of next-generation charging technologies, as well as the development of binational (Canada and the United States) codes and standards for low-carbon vehicles and infrastructure.

More so, Canada operates a sales target of 100% zero-emission vehicles in 2040 with interim goals of 10 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. “ Not to be outdone, Volkswagen has jumped into the fray as well. A new subsidiary company, Electrify Canada, is planning a DC charging network. For starters, 32 charging stations, some of them capable of high power charging, will be installed near highways and in metropolitan areas around British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec with four charge points and performance between 50 and 350kW on average.

Additionally, there are now several provincially –backed and local charging networks allowing EV drivers to connect in a plethora of different areas.

Perhaps most relevant to readers are the 14 fast chargers backed by Newfoundland Hydro along provincial highways by

the end of 2020.

The cumulative output of all this activity narrows the gap between urban and rural drives, which in turn becomes a boost to drivers still concerned about range. It could (and should result not only in increased consumer confidence but a gradual shift towards electric in the coming years)

NEXT STEPS Generally all stakeholders agree that despite the surge in interest in EVs much work remains to be done. Infrastructure remains the biggest issue.

Other problems exist as well. For starters, having enough power at the right locations is proving to be somewhat complex. A suite of EV chargers on full power uses as much power as an office tower and that might mean that some rural areas will literally be left in the dark.

Another significant hiccup to contend with is the fact that many people who currently refuel at the gas station will now be able to recharge from home. That of course, puts another nail in the potential gas station coffin. Canada has established a goal that by 2040—a mere two decades away—all new light-duty vehicles will be zero-emission. It goes without saying that having a sophisticated and growth-oriented charging network will remain a given.

That said, it will take decades of substantial leadership and a continuous flow of monies to implement and nurture the care and feeding of a fully integrated Canadian charging network. That just might mean that conventional gas stations are going the way of the dodo.

16 A TALE OF TWO “BLUE COLLAR BOYS”

Classic Cars

AND THEIR CLASSIC CARS . . .

NEW BRUNSWICK-BORN BUDDIES REUNITE TO RESTORE 1955 BELAIR, 1967 MUSTANG - AND DRIVE THEM HALFWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WITH PLENTY OF CAR ADVENTURES ALONG THE WAY

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By Kristen Lipscombe

AVEYOUEVER WATCHED THE SHOW ROADKILL GARAGE, WHICH STARTE D OFF AS A YOUTUBE PRODUCTION FEATURING A COUPLE OF “GEARHEADS” BUT BECAME SO POPULAR AMONG CAR REBUILD ENTHUSIASTS THAT IT LANDED A SPOT ON MOTOR TREND ON-DEMAND STREAMING SERVICE? Well, 27-year-old buddies Josh Black and Dallas Mclatchy of New Brunswick sure have.

They attended Moncton High School together and spent some of their spare time watching the show that describes itself as “two guys behaving badly with cars,” featuring expert hosts David Freilburger and Mike Finnegan of Hot Rod Magazine, who show viewers “how to do the wrong thing the right way.” What that actually means is demonstrating how to fully and safely restore “worn-out gassers, hot rods and muscle cars – and then push

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them to their limits.”

When they weren’t watching car shows, the self-described “blue collar boys” became amateur mechanics, learning every part in the car, every tool in the box and everything they needed to know about how to take vehicles apart and put them back together again.

Black also learned many of his skills while growing up in Shediac, N.B., helping out his family business, Zwicker’s Boiler Services Ltd., which specializes in welding and boiler repair, so working on cars and trucks in his spare time became an easy, fun hobby that resulted in “tackling bigger and bigger projects.”

Black has since moved out of the Maritimes, spending some time working out west in the oil fields before falling in love with a small Saskatchewan village called Perdue, located about 60 kilometres west of Saskatoon, where he has spent the past year and a half working at Prairie Fire Farms, and about four total working in agriculture in the province, with tasks ranging from grain farming to mechanical work on farm equipment.

“I mostly repair semis and tractors, and sometimes small vehicles like onetonne trucks,” Black said. “I do some welding and what not. I work on quite large equipment here; we do a lot bigger

farming here than we do out east.”

Black adores his job as a farm foreman despite working long shifts. But when he’s not on the job, he’s still on the hunt for ideal vehicle rebuilds. In late May, he finally stumbled across his dream project– a 1955 Chevrolet Belair that had been untouched for decades and clearly needed a lot of work.

“I was working out here and it was seeding time, and I was working day and night shifts,” Black said. “I had worked the day and slept a few hours, and then worked the night shift to do mechanical stuff. And I was going to bed around 2:30 a.m. or 3 a.m., and for a couple of hours I was looking on Facebook Marketplace, like I always do, and this car popped up.

It was a ’55 Chevrolet and I always wanted one.”

Black said it was being sold for just a few grand and that it was described online as “an original gasser, so an old school race car; a little modified.” The owner agreed to sell it to him in “as is” condition.

“It’s a retired race car,” Black said. “I believe it was a circle track car from back in the late 60s, early 70s, and it wasn’t in any kind of pristine shape, and it had a lot of modifications to it. Like at one point somebody had a roll cage in it, and it had

VISIT YOUR LOCAL ATLANTIC NAPA STORE FOR PRICING & INFO

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Classic Cars

all been cut out.”

“It’s got old sponsorship numbers on the side of the car,” Black described, “and you could see where the old lettering (had been).”

But the biggest challenge became that his dream race car rebuild was located in Maple Ridge, B.C., a community nestled in the affluent northeastern section of Greater Vancouver, two large provinces away.

And so began a cross-country summer adventure that saw him reunite with his old high school pal Mclatchy, who now owns a trucking company called Andy’s Towing in Valleyview, Alta., just northwest of Edmonton. Mclatchy agreed to meet up with Black to help him fix up the ol’ Chevy gasser in British Columbia.

“We thought about hauling the car home,” Black said. “And then we got talking and we were like, you know, we’ve been watching people do this stuff on TV for years; like do this crazy car stuff, so why don’t we just do it ourselves? Like, let’s drive it home.”

The self-taught but extremely skilled mechanics decided if the dudes on the show can put old-as-dirt, barely-hanging on vehicles back together again and then

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get behind the wheel to drive them long distances, that they could just as easily do the same.

“We started putting a bit of a plan into place and realized that we could actually do this,” Black said. “We both have decent mechanic skills and we had the time off… so we sourced some used parts. I had some stuff and he had some stuff; we loaded up my truck and drove out there.”

The determined buddies ran into some troubles on the road, even on their way to B.C. They faced the difficulties of crossing provincial borders during the COVID-19 pandemic and had to wait for seven hours in Jasper, Alta., after the highway there had been completely washed out by severe weather and had to be cleared in order to make the road safe again.

When Black and Mclatchy finally arrived in Vancouver after almost a week

on the road, they found the ol’ ’55 was in rougher shape than expected. “There was no glass in it, no seats, no wiring to speak of, no gears, no engine, no transmission, no fuel cells, no fuel tank – nothing.”

“It was literally just a shell on a frame with four mismatched wheels,” Black said.

So the boys rented a welder “and we just started throwing her together.”

The blue collar boys hit up nearby junkyards, picking up whatever parts

they could, including a newer Ford trunk “and slapped it on there.” Any parts they couldn’t find nearby, they put together themselves “with the welder and some scrap metal.”

“We slept a few hours in the morning, we got up at about 4:30 in the morning, slept for three hours, and then worked until like 2 a.m. and we kept that going for about five days.”

After a long week of pouring sweat into Black’s personal passion project, “we tested the brakes and fired up the motor and checked it out and it seemed okay.”

“By the time we were done, it had new brakes, new shocks, new suspension for the most part, and everything worked pretty much on it and it actually drove really good.” So they threw on a Saskatchewan licence plate to ensure everything was legal, “and yeah, we just drove it.”

One of the primary issues on the road was the “racing exhaust, which was extremely loud,” Black recalled with a chuckle; wearing headphones and ear plugs helped on the 1,700-kilometre trek back to Saskatchewan.

Meanwhile, Mclatchy fell in love with another beater race care discovered while the boys were in B.C., a 1967 Ford Mustang, which was in total disrepair in its own right. So they picked that up and put additional work into that before hitting the road for the long journey home.

“He was driving his car and it hasn’t run in a lot of years and we didn’t really know why it was parked (for so long), so we’re assuming the engine’s good, but we get to the summit of Coquihalla Pass in B.C. and pull off and it’s just blowing antifreeze all over the parking lot,” Black said.

“We were down in the ditch in the river with a jug trying to get mountain water from this river and put it into the radiator,” he described. The guys also had to take the hood of the ’Stang to keep it cool en route.

“Then almost to Kamloops his front tires, which were ancient, started disintegrating and blowing apart, so we threw a spare one on, and then when we got there, we each got new front tires.”

Meanwhile, Black’s girlfriend, whose parents live in Coquitlam, B.C., and had offered up their driveway as a working space for the blue collar boys, followed behind the Belair and Mustang the entire drive back to the Prairies in the truck, a 2008 Ford he’d bought from a junk pile and rebuilt last spring. “The real MVP is my girlfriend for dealing with me,” Black admitted. When they reached Alberta, the car buddies parted ways, with Mclatchy heading north back towards Edmonton

and Black and his girlfriend making their way home to Saskatchewan.

“After that, I had some gaskets come loose and leak a little oil in Alberta,” Black said. “And the only problem I had after that is I got to North Battleford, Sask. – about an hour form where I live – and my battery started cooking because we forgot to hook up a voltage regulator, so my bat-

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tery was going to explode. So I had to get a battery at the last minute before Canadian Tire closed and throw it in and then continue the last hour of the journey.”

Everyone made it home safely and while Black describes it as an “awesome” experience, he admits “you’re allowed to be a bit stressed before you’re going to do a highway that a lot of good cars don’t

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Classic Cars

make it on, in a 65-year-old car that hasn’t run in probably 30 years, and was put together in a week.”

“We kept saying to ourselves, ‘so this is fun right?’ he said with a chuckle.

Since arriving back in Perdue, Black is back working full-time on the farm while spending his spare time working on his Chevy Belair, which has been a bit easier since finding an old four-door Chevy parts car at a nearby junkyard.

“I actually spliced the trunk and rear quarter of my parts car onto it last week,” Black said. “I wanted to get ready for the car show weekend here in town in Saskatoon.” “We actually cut the back half of my parts car, so now it’s pretty rust free.

It’s in great shape, and we just did a few mechanical upgrades, fixed the charging issue and made a couple things safer and less temporary,” Black said, adding he’s also getting a new engine built by a friend

out east. Classic cars are a lot easier to come by and maintain in Saskatchewan than in the Maritimes, according to Black, partially due to fewer rust issues and a keen cultural interest in small Prairie communities.

The long-term plan for the 1955 Chevy Belair, however, is not just to put it her on display at local car shows; it’s to turn her back into a legitimate race car.

“The plan was to finally have a car that can compete,” Black said, “and I figure this is the one that will be the right one.” Black still hasn’t come up with a proper name for his new Belair beauty.

He and his girlfriend have been trying to find old information about and photos of her from past racing days, which according to their research so far, appears to have mostly happened in Mission, B.C. during the 1970s.

“I was hoping it would kind of name itself, and I was kind of holding out hope that I’d find the original name of the car,” Black said. “We’re hoping to find something that’s kind of 70s and cool to match it, but haven’t quite got it yet.”

2020 ATA/RGDA AWARD WINNER

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HE AUTOMOTIVE TR ADES ASSOCIATION IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT GRACE MACDONALD IS THIS YEAR’S A.T.A. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNER. The annual scholarship is for $2000.00. Grace is the granddaughter of retailers Jackie & Bruce MacEachern of D.B. MacEachern’s Service Station Ltd in Antigonish. Grace is currently attending Saint Mary’s University with the intent to major in chemistry. She is a member of the rugby team. Her future goal is to attend dental school. She was very excited to win the award.

Congratulations Grace!

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At The Carwash

CARWASH DESIGN AND RETROFIT FIRMS EXPECT STELLAR SUPPORT AND QUALITY PRODUCTS FROM BRUSH MANUFACTURERS

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By Del Williams

PECIALIZED BRUSH EXPERIENCE, SIMPLIFIED ORDERING, AND QUICK RESPONSE ARE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE With new carwashes being built across North America joining the approximately 80,000 professional carwash locations already in existence, according to estimates from the International Carwash Association, consulting firms that design and remodel carwashes are in demand.

These companies essentially serve as resellers for carwash tunnel equipment.

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But on top of that, they provide expert consultation services for owners building new carwashes as well as necessary installation and maintenance for existing locations. This includes helping to implement best practices and designs involving architects, engineers, and other industry professionals.

To do this, the consulting firms not only design and specify the original equipment in new construction, but also the equipment for remodels and upgrades. In this regard, they often work with specific manufacturers of tunnel wash equipment as well as suppliers of replacements parts such as dedicated manufacturers of the brushes – cloth, foam, tire/wheel brushes

and detailing brushes.

Spurring interest in such services is the fact that many existing locations, built decades ago, are aging and in need of upgrade. Failing to keep up with technology and industry advances inevitably means falling further behind the competition.

“Owners of established washes are competing with a growing number of new competitors so they need to refresh their operations and sometimes even rebrand,” says Dennis O’Connell, president of Hoffman Services, a company that builds and remodels carwashes. “Tunnel wash technology has also improved dramatically so cars can get cleaner, shinier, and drier than previously possible.”

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At The Carwash

O’Connell adds that a major factor in the carwash industry is the current trend toward promoting club memberships, which often drive retrofits and the implementation of modern technology.

The extent of a remodel depends on the age of the equipment, number of carwashes, and the budget. In some cases, small incremental improvements can be made. In others, all new equipment may be required.

However, since providing a good, efficient cleaning is the heart of any carwash operation, “one of the first things that gets replaced are the brushes, such as cloth or foam, which is very noticeable to customers,” says O’Connell. “Changing out the cloth or foam is one of the easiest ways to spruce up the look of a carwash.”

The visual upgrade is all the more striking when all the items are changed at the same time, which can give customers the impression that you have invested in brand new equipment to enhance the wash. Even if this means switching out some materials before they are fully worn out, the cost is nominal in comparison to the benefits which can include new customers, return visits and more club mem-

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berships. When this is the case, the choice is to purchase cloth and foam from the manufacturer of the tunnel wash equipment, or to purchase it from dedicated brush suppliers in the industry.

In selecting a dedicated brush supplier, O’Connell looks for deep industry knowledge, quality, ample options, reasonable costs, and quick response.

“We need a brush manufacturer who understands the equipment, how the brushes fit the equipment. We rely on them to get it right because we are not necessarily the cloth experts. So, they need to be available to look at the installation even if through photos because sometimes these are very old units. And they need to make it simple for us to order,” says O’Connell.

In this regard, Hoffman Services works with Erie Brush, a supplier to the carwash industry since 1948. The brush manufacturer provides carwash consultants and owners with a variety of supplies for conveyor tunnels, rollover, express drive-through, and self-service washes for all major equipment OEMs. This includes cloth, foam, hog’s hair brushes, tire/wheel brushes, detailing

brushes, etc. Although standard brushes, cloth and foam are offered, the manufacturer is also known in the industry for providing customized brushes and a broad assortment of materials, designs, and colors.

Erie Brush was run by carwash legend Dan Pecora, who was inducted into the 2020 International Carwash Association (ICA) Hall of Fame shortly before his passing. Now the company is run by his son, Robert Pecora, who is continuing the family tradition of innovating some of the industry’s highest quality brushes as company president.

“Robert is modernizing the way Erie is operating to make it easier for his distribution partners to do business with him,” says O’Connell. “He is simplifying the ordering process, revising his pricing for distributors, and stocking the more commonly sold cloth to expedite delivery.”

Because the carwash equipment and consumable supply industry continues to innovate and evolve, O’Connell looks for deep product expertise in a brush partner than can help to improve cleaning and operational efficiency.

“There are a lot of new products out

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there. With a company like Erie Brush with decades of expertise, we can talk about the different types of cloth, different patterns and material compositions

that result in better performance for our carwash customers. That is the kind of support we need,” says O’Connell.

Of course, cost plays an important

role in any decision.

“If you examine the costs, you also have to figure in your time. If I call a brush supplier, give them an equipment model, and ask for the appropriate cloth and they say, ‘this is what you need and this is the cost,’ I’m finished. I want a quick, simple transaction,” says O’Connell.

“On the other hand, if I have to make the same call and spend time working with the supplier to figure out exactly the right type of cloth that is much more costly than a single phone call transaction.”

Finally, O’Connell seeks immediate responsiveness in a supplier so he can respond in kind to his car wash customers.

“If I need something, I place a call, send an email or text, I want my supplier to get back to me quickly. We are competing for business, so if it takes us three days to get back to a customer instead of one day, we could lose the sale. So, working with a supplier that responds quickly is a competitive advantage that can win us more business,” concludes O’Connell.

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California. For more information, e-mail sales@eriebrush.com or visit www.eriebrush.com.

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Carter’s Corner

NEWS OF THE WEIRD BITS AND BYTES OF THE BIZARRE, AND THE STRANGE GATHERED FROM AROUND THE WEB SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . . YER WELCOME! BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER? In life, there are bad days, and then there are extra-bad, “you just caused $2 million in damages” days. A train engineer experienced the latter when he lost an ambitious battle against a low bridge.

Footage posted on YouTube shows freight cars slowly getting decapitated one at a time as the train gradually comes to a full stop. Oddly, one of the railcars is already severely damaged before it goes under the bridge, which suggests that it was likely taller than the rest and that it fell victim to a different bridge. Two additional wagons lose their roof before the convoy stops moving. Keep in mind trains often need a mile or more to come to a full stop. If that’s not bad enough, it looks like some of the new cars aboard the railcars are a total loss. We see a mangled Ford Explorer, and a crumpled Lincoln Nautilus, among other carcasses. The incident happened earlier this month in Memphis, but we don’t know how the train ended up under the bridge. Was there a communication error? Were the warning signs removed? What’s certain is that the damage done to the cars, the freight train, and the bridge amounts to approximately $2 million, according to the account that posted the video.

SOUTH ASIAN KID ENTERS ASIA BOOK OF RECORDS AFTER IDENTIFYING 150 CAR LOGOS IN ONE MINUTE

R. Kevin Raahul (image below) from Chennai, Tamil Nadu has entered the Asian and Indian Book of Records. Raahul has achieved a great feat of being a world record holder at a tender age of just seven years. The kid from Chennai recently became a world holder for being able to identify and name 150 car logos in one minute.

The world record attempt was made on the 27th of June 2020 in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and was confirmed recently. Raahul now has his names in both India and Asia Book of Records.

Studying in the second standard at the Doveton Oakley Nursery & Primary School in Chennai, Raahul is said to be outstanding and brilliant at school as well.

Born on the 2nd of May, 2013 Kevin Raahul is the only child of Mr Raju and Mrs Shakila Raju. His parents describe him as a multi-talented young achiever.

With a world record under his belt, Kevin has managed to bring laurels to his family, school and nation.

SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT A Swedish consortium aims to launch commercially by 2025 a wind-driven car carrier that will emit 90% less carbon dioxide than a conventional roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo ship, it said on Thursday.

The 200-meter-long carrier will have a capacity for 7,000 cars and have a maximum height of 105 meters when its five

80-meter upright “wing sails” are fully extended — bringing to mind a futuristic version of the wings of a 19th-century clipper. “This will of course challenge our habits, and when this vessel will be in the ocean sailing, it will be an odd bird,” consortium partner Wallenius Marine Chief Operating Officer Per Tunell told an online news conference. “We are on track to make it possible for launching and putting this vessel in operation for late 2024.”

The consortium said in a statement a North Atlantic crossing would take the ship around 12 days, against eight days for conventional vessels.

“The technology of the wing sails is quite similar to airplane wings,” Wallenius Marine architect Carl-Johan Soder said, adding that the 90% emission reduction estimate was based on a North-Atlantic crossing at an average speed of 10 knots.

The vessel will have a fuel powered engine for operating in ports and for support when wind is very weak.

Tunell said the vessel would be slightly more expensive than a traditional RoRo carrier of comparable size.

AND FINALLY . . .

This story is from 2019 but better late than never…A 22-year-old Indian man gave a master class on how not to act on your birthday by pushing his brand-new gifted BMW into a river. The stunt was captured on video by the young man, who was apparently choked at not having received a Jaguar from his father. Yeah, that’ll teach him—?

He later tried to fish the Bimmer out of the water with the help of some onlookers, but with no luck. We sincerely hope this guy did not, and never does, get that Jaguar.

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28 THE FLOW FACTOR

The Mindful Trucker

By Dana G Smith

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O M AT TE R W H AT I N DUSTRY YOU WORK IN, STRIVING TO BE YOUR BEST SELF IS A LIFE LONG

JOURNEY. It involves, not only your career, relationships, health, and finances, but an inner journey into your values, morals, and your overall reason for being. This affects all areas of your life.

DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU ARE UNDER STRESS, YOU ARE NOT IN FLOW? When we are under stress, our immune system reduces, not only affecting us physically, but emotionally as well.

Mental health issues are the number one crisis in the twenty first century. On any

given day, 1 in 5 people will personally experience a mental health issue, and is costing the Canadian economy billions of dollars a year in lost productivity (*source).

We all struggle from time to time with various things and are reluctant to reach out for help, but it’s important to note that there is always someone who will listen and is there to help you.

WHAT KEEPS US FROM REACHING OUT? Fear, doubt, shame, are a few reasons.

It took me many years to reach out myself. Like a lot of people, I too struggled with mental health issues over the years.

Everything from divorce, depression, 28

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failed businesses, bankruptcy, to injuries and chronic pain, all while working in the trucking industry.

With over 30 years trucking throughout North America, I was privileged to be able to see some interesting sights and meet some cool people. Would I change that, not a chance! During those 30 years, I became a tractor trailer training instructor, and also owned & operated my own trucking company. The last 11 years of my driving career were spent operating Long Combination Vehicles (LCV’s) and through that time, faced many challenges. I love the trucking industry, meeting the people, and being able to see this beautiful country, we call Canada.

During the last few years of driving, the experience of chronic pain was increasingly frustrating and was making me unhappy everyday. There are many avenues to choose to deal with pain, but nothing seemed to give me any long term relief. It wasn’t until I discovered about flow and found what my true gifts, strengths, and passions really were, that things started to change.

The realization that pain is really buried potential stored in our bodies, made me think differently. Pain was the message to tell me to stop ignoring what matters most. This was an opportunity to set me on a path of self discovery.

It was then that I set out to find those gifts, strengths, and passions.

This led me to discovering Roger Hamilton and his Wealth Dynamics program which helps people find their flow. I knew there were other people having the same issues out there in many different careers, and wanted to share what I had found with everyone. Being called to do this, set me on a mission to do just that. Through that experience and becoming a certified relationship coach through Robbins Madanes Training, trucking and coaching were brought together. This is where The Mindful Trucker Institute came in. To help the driving force have better connection, communication and flow in the transportation industry.

Everyone is a genius. We all have gifts, strengths and things we are naturally good at doing. One persons’ strength

is another persons’ weakness. The things that you dislike doing, might be something that someone else loves doing. Imagine having all the tasks that you dislike doing handled by someone on your team and that person absolutely loves and is skilled at that task. This takes your stress away, freeing up your time to do the things you love. You may think that’s not possible. But that is actually the mindset that needs to shift. (See below for how to make that shift).

This mind shift will enhance relationships, health, finances, and even your career. Whether you are one person, a couple, a team, or a company with multiple teams, The Mindful Trucker Institute and Wealth Dynamics can show you how to communicate, connect, and get into flow, with whom, or whatever the driving force is in your life.

SO, LET’S EXPERIENCE A MIND SHIFT: Remember a time in your life when you were in flow?

Flow is experienced when we find a challenge that drives us with excitement.

Like driving in a vehicle that we love, on a road that we like to drive on, in the way we like to drive. Time passes in the blink of an eye. This is the flow state.

HERE ARE 3 TIPS TO HELP FIND FLOW: Discover your gifts and strengths.

There are many resources such as: Strengths finder, Myers Briggs, Disc, and GeniusU as examples.

Keep your destination in mind: If the world was ending today, what would you invest your time and energy into that would be of value to you? Keep a journal.

At the end of the Road: Who are you when you arrive? Better or worse for the mileage? Imagine what life would be like if you arrived valued for using your gifts, strengths, and passions. What would that be like for you?

Give it a try! You may be surprised where it will take you. It might just upshift your life.

Following these 3 steps will help you, just like they helped me. If you would like to know more about how The Mindful Trucker Institute can help you, your team, or your company, please reach out.

The Mindful Trucker would love to hear from you, tell us your story and why you do what you do, info@themindfultrucker.com.

30 IS YOUR BUSINESS DIVERSIFIED?

Bob’s Business Development

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By Bob Greenwood AMAM

ITH SERVICE INTERVALS CHANGING IN THE INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF INCREASED VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY, HOLDING ON TO THE OLD STANDARD METHODS OF DOING BUSINESS CAN BECOME A MAJOR MISTAKE. Today management must look at their business and where it is going based on its current business model.

Consider that to have the right “balance” of business is critical for bottom line performance. What I mean here is ensuring you have a business that is diversified between retail consumer business and small fleet commercial business. Both are different and both have to be managed properly on behalf of the client.

Diversification can provide stability to the “volume” of business required so that the peaks and valleys are not so big. Being too busy misses net income. Being too slow destroys net income.

How are you executing a plan to attract the right

WASTE OIL FURNACES THAT BURN HOT & SAVE MONEY!

S NLES STAI EL!!

STE

Tel: (506) 458-9322

Fax: (506) 459-6110

360 Route 10, Fredericton, NB E3A 7E1 idealequipment@outlook.com www.idealequipmentltd.com Still have Cleanburn parts and service for our customers!

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amount of commercial business to your store? Have you got a solid plan that differentiates you in the marketplace so when you are talking with a fleet owner or manager you can point out what you do in a unique way that saves that fleet money? It’s not just about price, so that isn’t a key differentiator.

It’s about how you can manage their fleet properly for safety, reliability and efficiency based on “how they use their fleet vehicles” and their expectations from each vehicle.

This means you must do your homework on that fleet by asking the right questions in order to prepare a professional proposal for them. It also means face-to-face discussions, so now your time must be properly planned to seek out new business. Consider setting aside a minimum of one morning or afternoon a week to set up appointments to go after new business. You are not in the shop for that time; you are out promoting your business and setting up appointments. You are going over a proposal that day with a new potential fleet client.

You are making valuable use of your time because you are working “on” the business, not “in” the business.

Another aspect that must be studied and set up properly before meeting with any new potential client is your payment policy. You cannot afford to be dictated to as to “how” they are going to pay you and you end up with an account that pays every 45-to-60 days. That is not good business.

That doesn’t work for you, so coming up with a solid plan to be discussed in a professional business manner is critical to completing the presentation package. Of course, you accept credit cards or cheques, but you must establish a proper payment policy. Is it going to be weekly, or twice a month, i.e. 15th and 30th of each month until the account is paid in full.

Remember you are not someone else’s bank and you require the cash flow in order to service the fleet with your professional technicians who are under continuous training to ensure their knowledge base is at the top of the industry so no client is let down. On top of that, the software and equipment requirements today consume a lot of cash and your client must understand that cash flow is critical to ensuring their fleet is managed to the level of their expectations.

Take ownership of your business and your processes when diversifying your company. You won’t get them all and quite frankly you don’t want them all, but the ones you do get will, I’m sure, become great clients because they respect how you approached them and how you do business to ensure they are not let down.

Bob Greenwood can be reached at greenwood@aaec.ca or Toll Free 1-800267-5497 autoatlantic.com

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32 THE ATLANTIC ROAD REPORT

East Coast Road Report

NEWS YOU CAN USE GATHERED FROM AROUND THE ATLANTIC REGION

NEWFOUNDLAND

Labrador Bridges Named in Honour of Innu Leaders The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced July 30 that four bridges in Labrador will be named to commemorate four leaders of the Innu Nation.

The four bridges are located on the Trans-Labrador Highway. The designated bridges and the names are: Penote Michel Memorial Bridge Manatueu-shipiss (Traverspine tributary), approximately 42 kilometres south of Happy Valley-Goose Bay; Tanien Ashini Memorial Bridge, Manatueu-shipiss (Traverspine River), approximately 42 kilometres south of Happy Valley-Goose Bay; Kanikuen Penashue Memorial Bridge, Tshenuamius-shipu (Kenamu River), approximately 75 kilometres south of Happy Valley-Goose Bay; and Munik Pone Memorial Bridge, Uapushkakamau-shipu (Pinus River), approximately 80 kilometres west of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Names for the bridges were proposed

by Innu Nation and accepted by the Provincial Government. Signs will be installed near each of the bridges to commemorate the lives of the Innu leaders, beginning this week. “It gives me great pleasure to join with the Innu Nation in announcing that four bridges on the Trans-Labrador Highway will proudly display the names of four Innu leaders. The people being honoured with this distinction have made significant and long-lasting contributions throughout their lives in the areas of governance, preserving cultures and traditions, and standing proud and tall for the Innu people and the Innu way of life,� said the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

NEW BRUNSWICK

Transportation, infrastructure key issues for rural areas of southern N.B. As leaders of the five political parties campaign to be elected Sept. 14, two rural voters in southern New Brunswick are hoping some of their concerns are addressed by the winner.

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East Coast Road Report

Denise Miller of the Kingston Peninsula said she can’t speak for everyone in her area, but she believes most are concerned about roads and infrastructure, including bridges and ferries, and the lack of internet and cellphone service.

“The pandemic has really heightened the lack of internet service in that area, when children had to work from home or go to school from home, we had to work from home,” Miller told Information Morn-

ing Saint John on Wednesday.

“A lot of us don’t have access to it. This has really highlighted the needs for it in our region.”

Miller, who served as a member of the local service district advisory committee, said she hopes to see changes to the local governance system and how that serves the people living in rural New Brunswick.

“I wasn’t impressed with the whole layout of it. You’re not even a conduit. I was hoping to help and shed some light on the issues.”

NOVA SCOTIA

Driver Licence Renewal Now Available Online Nova Scotians can now access a new online service to make it easier and faster to renew regular driver, motorcycle and farm tractor licences.

Drivers can use the new service if they: have a licence that expires on or before Dec. 31 do not have outstanding fines or suspensions have not recently changed their address online or do not need to change their address have a regular (Class 5), motorcycle (Class 6) and farm tractor (Class 8) An electronic or printed renewal confirmation will be provided so people can continue to drive with their previous licence until their new card arrives in the mail.

“With the impact of COVID-19 on our daily lives, Nova Scotians have been provided different ways to access services while following new public health protocols to help keep themselves and others healthy and safe,” said Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services Minister Patricia Arab. “The new online driver licence renewal service will be faster, easier and more convenient for thousands of people with licences that will expire soon.”

Driver licences can still be renewed at Access Nova Scotia centres by calling to make an appointment or waiting in line.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

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The Highway Safety Division is using technology to provide safe, contactless driver testing.

During the June 11th sitting of the Legislative Assembly, Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Steven Myers informed members that the Highway Safety Division will be piloting the use of 360 dashboard cameras and Bluetooth or radio communication devices to allow for contactless driver testing for Class 5 passenger vehicles.

This same technology is currently used for motorcycle road tests, and was piloted for commercial tractor trailers last month. It allows for instructors and participants to keep a safe physical distance.

“Highway Safety plays an integral role in keeping our people and Island roads

safe. The past couple of months have given them the opportunity to find flexible and innovative ways to adapt their work

and implement safe, contactless services to Islanders,” said Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Steven My-

ers On March 17, passenger road tests were suspended as part of government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Highway Safety Division has rescheduled all appointments that were postponed during this time and beginning next week, they will schedule new testing.

Some of the benefits of using dashboard camera testing include: it is safer for clients and staff because it is contactless; the person being tested is more comfortable in the vehicle they have been using to practice instead of a test car; the instructor has a video recording of the test to aid with further instruction and learning; it provides the opportunity to perform driver testing when the old method is not possible or does not serve every purpose. autoatlantic.com

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FIRMLY IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

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OVID-19 MAY HAVE FORCED MANY BUSINESSES TO RETHINK THEIR OPERATIONS, OR EVEN HEAD FOR CLOSURE.

But David ‘Scott’ Trites, Fix Auto Saint John East in New Brunswick, believes that operational agility is key to business survival – in an interview with Auto and Trucking Atlantic Tough times call for tougher actions.

We’ve all grown up listening to this inspirational quote. However, for some strongminded entrepreneurs, the secret to their survival lies in redefining their business operations with an eye on the future.

It is undeniable that Covid-19 has played havoc across the world over the past few months and the repercussions have affected small and medium businesses in a major way. Many names, big and small, in the business world have either shut down shop or curtailed their opera36

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tions. Still others prefer to adopt a waitand-watch attitude till the situation improves. But, entrepreneurs such as David “Scott” Trites are made of tougher stock.

The owner operator of Fix Auto Saint John East in New Brunswick has seen the ups

and downs of the region’s automotive industry over the past 32 years and has managed to remain ahead of peers when it comes to keeping abreast of the latest automotive trends. Despite the challenging times, Scott remained determined to-

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Carter’s Corner

wards completing the major facelift of his collision repair facility. The upgradation will boost its current repair capabilities by three times and will include high-performance technologies and systems designed to meet the huge demand for quality collision repairs in the region.

“The automotive industry is evolving faster than ever before, and today’s vehicles are increasingly incorporating sophisticated systems, components and materials to make them more efficient. It is therefore very important that our team stays on top of current trends,” says Scott. “While we have grown exponentially over the years, the latest expansion reflects our keenness to invest in technologies, training and processes that can meet the most demanding international repair standards.” Over the

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past few years, Fix Auto Saint John East has been witnessing an impressive yearon-year growth – a key factor of its rise as the latest New Brunswick success story.

Scott says the upgradation of the facility was imperative and he was determined to push the boundaries to meet the increasing demand.

Previously spread over 5,000 square feet, Fix Auto Saint John East has now added a 13,000 square foot production facility, which includes an extended paint booth and double preparation station, 3M dustless sanders, Spanesi frame measuring unit, aluminum welder, resistance welder, silicon-bronze welder, fusion plastic welder and a chassis-liner frame machine.

A Fix Auto franchisee since 2012, Scott points out that the expansion will further

underline his facility’s reputation as a onestop destination for advanced collision repairs and demonstrates his commitment to implement operational best practices.

Scott points out how aligning businesses with an established global network like Fix Auto can help independent repairers. “It is during challenging times such as these that you realize the power of the network,” he says. “From receiving operational support to training to deploying best practices in all your processes, we could elevate our game with the backing of Fix Network’s best-in-class support.”

Recently, Fix Auto Saint John East achieved recognition under the Canadian Collision Industry Accreditation Program (CCIAP). With the accreditation, the facility joins an elite group of Canadian collision repairers who are equipped with the necessary expertise, skills and equipment to properly and safely repair the latest vehicles. For Fix Auto Saint John East, earning the CCIAP certification means that they can now demonstrate to customers and insurance partners that the team has been trained to manage the most complex collision repair requirements and that the shop has the latest equipment to ensure all repairs and services completed on vehicles are to manufacturer specifications.

With such achievements under their belt, Scott and his team believe that they still have many more miles to go on. “As I always tell my customers, we’re just getting started,” he laughs.

42 HOME AGAIN!

Around the Atlantic

N

By Kristen Lipscombe

APA STORE MANAGER GREG FARRELL AND STAFF THRILLED TO WELCOME CUSTOMERS INTO SPARKLING NEW SHOP IN HEART OF ST. STEPHEN COMMUNITY “He was a wrench turner, but he didn’t know much about the business side.”

NAPA St. Stephen store manager Greg Farrell recalled his father’s risky but ultimately rewarding decision in 1973 to go from running a single gas station in Woodstock, N.B. to taking ownership of four franchised auto parts stores across the province.

“He had good people around him,” he said of his father, George Farrell, who was

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approached by one of two original owners, Malcom Carter, ready to pass on his successful business to someone he trusted when it came time to retire.

The original business, Creighton-Carter, Ltd., had been started by Carter and his partner, Frederick Creighton, in 1932, starting with a small shop in Woodstock, where they worked on everything from cars to farm equipment but also served “as a sort of general store,” explained Farrell, which meant the shop also sold cars, televisions and various odds and ends for automotive and mechanical enthusiasts.

“He inherited some of the business, like staff that were there and stayed,” Farrell said of his father.

“They kind of held his hand for the first number of years until he got on his feet and knew what he was doing.”

“It was a good move for him.” It was also a good move for the junior Farrell, who followed in his father’s footsteps and fell in love with the family business.

Farrell started working in his father’s shops,

which at that time fell under the UPA banner, at age 13, “sweeping the floors and stocking the shelves after school, Friday nights, Saturdays, summer holidays – so it has been most of my life.”

“There was always the odd occasion when we didn’t agree,” Farrell said with a chuckle of spending 47 years working alongside his father.

“We butted heads a few times, but I enjoy the business. I enjoy working with the customers. I’ve always enjoyed working with the staff that we have. It’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that has rewards that you can feel every day for a job well done.”

Nevertheless, just like Creighton and Carter before them, there came a time when business decisions must be made, and in March 2019, the elder Farrell decided to liquidate the majority of his NAPA locations, including the original Woodstock head office and shops in Florenceville-Bristol, Nackawick and Perth-Andover, N.B. NAPA St. Stephen, which had previously been located in McAdam, N.B., but moved to its new spot in the early 1980s, is now a corporately-owned store, a choice the Farrell family made as Greg, at age 60 himself, starts to edge closer to retirement.

But don’t let that fool you. Farrell won’t be staying away from the business he loves for too long. In fact, his idea of “retirement” is really more like semi-retirement, or perhaps even sort-of retirement, as when he’s ready, he’ll simply step down to assistant manager “so I can maybe have a day off!”

Farrell made the move from Woodstock to St. Stephen to run the relocated shop in summer 2002, not knowing what to expect of his new community.

“It’s a nice little town,” he said of St. Stephen, located about 180 kilometres

44

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south of his Woodstock hometown, right next to the Maine border.

“Moving here, to a new town, there was the challenge of building relationships with customers that you didn’t know yet,” Farrell said of the major life change for a born-and-bred Woodstock boy, “but I’d like to think that I’ve done a pretty good job.”

“One of the first things I noticed when I moved here, even though I didn’t really know anyone outside the people I worked with, was that I could be thinking about crossing the street downtown and people would stop their cars when I was just thinking about it!”

“People here are very friendly, and when there is a crisis, like say, a house fire or something like that, everyone seems to be right there to help people. So I have landed in a very good community.”

“I mean, I have customers even invite me out!” Farrell added of quickly making new friends. “ ‘Oh, we’re going to have a skating party at the pond; were going to the hunting camp out on the weekend and we’re going to sit around and tell stories, so come on out!’ ” Farrell even found his true love in St Stephen; the not workrelated kind. He met his wife in his new town.

“My wife, I had her car out to one of my customer’s shops for an inspection and an oil change,” Farrell explained. “When my wife went to pick it up and she was going to pay the bill and the owner’s wife, she does the booking and the bill and things, and she said ‘oh no, we’re not going to charge you for this or that because Greg has always treated us very fairly.”

“And you know, I do try,” Farrell said. “I try to treat everyone fairly and be honest and if you make a mistake, just say you made a mistake, I forgot to do this – and fix it. Most people will at least appreciate your honesty.”

Finding fair and honest fixes for customers seems to be Farrell’s speciality, again taking after his father, as after almost 40 years in a rented downtown St. Stephen building, he moved the town’s staple NAPA shop from an aging brick building to a sparkling new location just down the street.

“NAPA had a crew of people who had done this before and when they moved from the old location, they didn’t just throw it all into the boxes, they did it in an organized fashion,” Farrell said.

“So when they brought it into the new store, it was almost still all in numerical order. They did a very good job.”

New amenities at NAPA St. Stephen include “a huge parking lot” with upwards of 50 spots, “a nice loading dock” with proper height, everything located on one accessible level and “a beautiful, bright, clean store.”

“NAPA, as far as I’m concerned, spared no expense – beautiful lighting, finished floors, high ceilings.”

The new St. Stephen NAPA will continue all of its previous services, which include sourcing auto parts, mixing paint and a little bit of everything in between, most importantly, leading with integrity and treating customers with respect.

For Farrell, the new shop feels like “being home again.” He hopes customers feel the same warm welcome when they walk into the shop for service.

“Come on in and check us out,” he said, “and stay tuned for the grand opening!”

“All of my staff; if they can’t figure out what the customer needs, they’ll ask me,” Farrell said. “If we can help them, we will.”

But the best part of his work day isn’t managing; it’s being on the floor himself interacting with customers.

“Whether they’re people walking in, phoning in or the big shop customers,” Farrell said. “I just like dealing with people… in a meaningful way.”

45 CROSSWORD

Crossword Contest

(ANSWERS IN THE NEXT AUTO & TRUCKING ATLANTIC)

Steve Nixon of Musquodoboit Harbour, NS is our latest Crossword Puzzle winner! Congratulations on winning your new Rust Check package of goodies.

Deadline for entry is December 31st, 2020

YOU COULD WIN THIS SWAG BAG OF GOODIES FROM RUST CHECK THAT INCLUDES A JACKET, BALL CAP, TOUQUE AND TWO RUST CHECK PROTECTION PRODUCTS. ENTER WITH YOUR CORRECT PUZZLE ENTRY, AND IT COULD BE ALL YOURS!

IT’S SO EASY TO WIN! Fill out info below and send your Crossword to us at 608 - 56 Jacob Lane, Bedford, NS B3M 0H5, or Email us at: info@ autoatlantic.com

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CROSSWORD BY MURRAY JACKSON - THECROSSWORDGUY.COM

SEPTEMBER 2020 WINNER!

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NAME: ADDRESS:

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