Toronto Shops Attend lively R2R Meeting!
Published by Canadian Technician in August 2007!!
Call your Member of Parliament... send a letter to the Government of Canada..... sign a petition....just make your voice heard.
That was the predominant message in a Right To Repair information evening held in Toronto last month. About 160 independent shop owners, technicians, and jobbers gathered to learn more about private member's bill tabled in the House of Commons designed to guarantee them access to automotive repair information.
Organized by Bento de Sao Jose, owner of Bento's Auto & Tire Centre in Toronto (pictured on the right), the event featured a number of high profile speakers, including two MPs, and the chairman of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada.
"Some of you may think coming here tonight is a waste of time,"Bento said as he kicked off the eveninh at a cultural community centre in North Toronto. "I can assure you, my friends, tonight is not a waste of time. It is start of our future."He said he was alerted to a growing threat to his business when he had to start sending customer's cars to dealerships.This was against my will" he said, "so I decided to fight for my rights."
The fight has been picked up in the House of Commons by Windsor-West MP Brian Masse, the NDP's industry critic. he sponsored a private member's bill, Bill C-425, which would amend the Competition Act and the Canadian Environmental Act to ensure carmakers allow independent shops to have the information, training, and tools they need to fix today's sophisticated cars.
"If this were a football game, we'are right now starting on the 30 yeard line, and we have to carry this right to the finish," Masse said. "You (independent shops) have been part of the history of the automotive industry for years and years. I tghink it would be a shame if you would disappear from the competitive landscape because we didn't address this issue."
He believes his private member's bill has a good chance of succeeding,since all parties have expressed support for it.
"What you are really asking for here is fairness," he said. "That's all you'are asking for. You want set of rules that is uderstood by industry, by yourselves, and the customer, so you can compete to service their vehicles." The message appeared to be very well received by the audience.
"It's good to get together to talk about things we all face," said technician Victor Esteves of Inline Automotive in Toronto. "If we don't get the information, we'll be out of loop." "If we don't get this, we might as well close our doors," agreed technician Pater Gomes. "I mean, if you are only going to loose money tomorrow, you might as wellclose down today." Chris Borson, co-owner of Castle Auto Collission and Mechanical Service, said the Right to Repair initiative is good, but the challenge is to get industry insiders to actively work for a solution.
"A lot of people want to keep turnng wrenches, let the chips fall where they may, and then complain about it after the fact," he said. "They need to be proactive. Start researching this issue on the internet, draft a letter to their MP, talk to their customers. getting the involvement of shops is difficult.