QUEBEC

Canada invests nearly $30M to deliver 1,500-plus EV chargers across Québec

The federal government will invest nearly $30 million to deliver more than 1,500 electric vehicle chargers across Québec, including over 400 fast chargers, as part of its project to build a coast-to-coast-to-coast network of charging stations in Canada.

The announcement was made by Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, on August 30; he had completed a zero-emissions vehicle tour from Montréal to Trois-Rivières and Québec City.

“Today, I announced federal investments to deliver over 1,500 new chargers across Québec, from Rimouski to Gatineau and beyond. This will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a prosperous net-zero future,” said Wilkinson in a statement.

Investments were provided to Hydro-Québec ($21.7 million) to install 1,194 chargers (385 fast chargers included), the Canadian National Railway Company ($4,4 million) to support 62 fast chargers at train stations across the country (with 12 in Québec), and $1.3 million was provided to Les Pétroles R.L. Inc. to deploy 57 chargers across the province.

Bell Canada received $375,000 to install 75 Level 2 chargers at workplaces in Québec, while the Syndicat des copropriétaires Lowney sur Ville received $300,000 to install 60 Level 2 chargers in multi-use residential buildings — known as MURBS — in Montréal. The Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais and the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport also received financial support.

“Canadians are making the switch to EVs because it is a great way to save money while ensuring clean air in our communities and fighting climate change,” added Wilkinson in a statement. “It’s also, overall, a better driving experience.”

BRITISH COLUMBIA

NCDA calling for support to help those affected by BC wildfires

An urgent bulletin from the New Car Dealers Association of BC (NCDA) is calling for support from dealers to help people affected by wildfires in the province. The NCDA said it will match member dealer donations up to $20,000.

“In light of the ongoing wildfires across (British Columbia), as well as the Okanagan and the Shuswap, the NCDA has worked with the BC Red Cross to set up a donation portal for BC New Car Dealers,” said Blair Qualey, the association’s President and CEO in an update to members.

The NCDA  also thanked the Harmony Auto Group for its $100,000 donation, along with the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) for its $10,000 contribution. The donations will help provide shelter, basic needs, recovery assistance, and emotional support for people in the province facing this disaster.

According to a Red Cross update, “Thousands of people are under evacuation orders or on high alert due to the risk of new fires. Heatwave warnings add to the stress, and the ongoing drought makes things even tougher.”

Dealers can learn more about the situation and/or donate at https://secure.redcross.ca/registrant/donate.aspx?eventid=384907&langpref=en-CA

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William Trainer, President and CEO, Vicinity Motor Corporation and Farid Ahmad, President and CEO Dealer Solutions Mergers and Acquisitions (DSMA) at an event to promote electric truck opportunities.

Dealer Solutions Mergers and Acquisitions (DSMA) is buoyant about its partnership with Canadian-based Vicinity Motor Corporation (VMC) to retail its medium-size electric truck to dealers in North America.

DSMA President/Founder Farid Ahmad told Canadian auto dealer the arrangement began in January when he was contacted through a third party. VMC, which is based in B.C., is Canada’s leading electric truck manufacturer. It was founded in 2008 and is led by William Trainer, President and CEO.

“I really loved them, loved their technology, loved their vehicle and we proposed the first of its kind relationship between an M&A firm and a manufacturer to help set up a distribution network across North America,” said Ahmad. “It’s never been done before, and the reason we did this is they were debating whether or not to go the Tesla model and sell direct or create a dealer model. After our meeting it was felt the dealer model is much more sustainable.”

VMC unveiled its Class 3 1200 truck in 2021 and began retailing it late in 2022 in B.C. through Pioneer Auto Group. The truck has a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,990 kilograms, a load capacity of 2,734 kilograms and a range of 241 kilometres.

VMC is looking to find dealers to broaden distribution of the truck in Canada and subsequently in the U.S. within the next two years.

“We’re a Canadian company and we’re building out in Canada,” said Brent Phillips, VMC’s Senior Director of Sales. “We’re going to be selecting dealer candidates that are going to be a partner with us because we’re still in the front-end of the technology. It’s going to be absolutely imperative we bring solutions to the table to the customers.”

VCM turned to DSMA because of its expanding business buying and selling dealerships in North America. DSMA has sold more than 400 dealerships, and Ahmad said it is on pace this year to set a company record for revenues. Last year it rose 118 percent from 2021, and so far it is tracking 127 percent above the 2022 numbers.

“Our company offers a wide variety of services to the automotive industry, and this is another vertical that ties in very well,” said Ahmad. “We’ve got the skill set in our firm to be able to be able to provide this level of service, which is very unique. Our commitment to VMC was that we will find them the best-in-class retailers that VMC could sustain a great sales rate, promote the vehicle ethically and that they are advanced in technology.”

Ahmad also said the plan is to find partners with experience in the commercial fleet industry.

“The dealers we are selecting are the ones that can prove to VMC that they have the financial liquidity and their track record is such that VMC would attach its name to that business,” said Ahmad.

Ahmad added the partnership with VCM is another example of the 12-year-old company’s growth.

“I aways knew that if we added the right team members with a diverse background, anything would be possible,” said Ahmad. “In the back of my mind I knew that this would one day be an avenue that would really benefit a manufacturer.”

Rick Kingdon, DSMA’s Director of Distributors’ Contract Acquisitions, said there is a strong appetite among dealers to be associated with VMC and its electric truck expertise.

“Dealers being entrepreneurs want to get into this side and to be leading edge and innovative and sometimes the electric manufacturers are going to the online model versus this,” said Kingdon at a three-day DSMA/VMC event in Vaughan that introduced the vehicles to potential dealer partners.

Kingdon said the plan is align with 10-12 dealer locations in major metropolises for which the 1200 trucks are best suited.

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If the measure of a person is the respect gained from others, Don Durst has certainly made his mark in the Canadian automotive industry.

Durst retired in July after 51 years in the auto industry, working the last 18 years with Subaru Canada, most recently as Vice President. He began his career with American Motors Corporation, then moved to Volkswagen.

He was honoured at a monthly meeting of the Global Automakers of Canada (GAC) with a plaque and it was announced the GAC has set up a bursary with his name at Georgian College’s Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC).

It is called the Don Durst Award of Excellence. The initial commitment is for five years and will start in the fall. A first-year student will be given $3,000 and the criteria will be high academic achievement, financial need and underrepresented groups.

Durst had been a 35-year member of the GAC board, including 30 as Treasurer.

Jean Marc Leclerc, President and CEO of Honda Canada, praised Durst for his career longevity, which he said is “iconic,” and added the bursary is a testament to that.

“People who we’re trying to attract to the industry will know his name because of the bursary and will also understand his legacy,” said Leclerc in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. “I think that’s what the scholarship means in terms of bringing more diversity to our industry, which is something we’re working hard to achieve.”

Mazda Canada President/Chief Executive Officer David Klan noted Durst helped Subaru win the Canadian Automobile Dealership Association Dealer Satisfaction Index Award the last 10 years consecutively.

“The fact Don and his team have won for 10 years is unbelievable,” said Klan. “That speaks volumes of his character, personality, leadership style, the culture that he’s created and that true family relationship and deep partnership with his dealers. I don’t think that will ever be matched again.”

Leclerc also noted Durst’s role in Subaru winning the CADA DSI Awards so many times.

“I know how difficult that is, especially when your business goes through ups and downs and dealer sentiment is sometimes difficult to control, if you will, for lack of a better term,” said Leclerc. “But he was able to do that and he was the face of the dealers.”

Larry Hutchinson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Canada, described Durst as a bridge builder in the way he builds rapport with people. He also said Durst was always willing to share the knowledge he gained working with multiple OEMs in Canada and internationally.

“He’s very generous with his time and his knowledge and his friendships, he’s just a great guy,” said Hutchinson.

He added that collectively Canadian OEM leaders were happy to present Durst with a plaque and the bursary to give him the respect he deserves for commitment to the industry and GAC.

“I think it is a wonderful thing for someone who has given as much of his life to an OEM as he has to his family and everything else,” said Hutchinson.

GAC President David Adams, who was hired for his current role by Durst in 2004, credited him for Subaru’s growth and market share. He also noted Durst’s longtime involvement with Subaru.

“To be in a role like that (with one company) for that length of time is almost unheard of,” said Adams.

Durst said he was “honoured” to receive the plaque and the bursary named after him. He came into the meeting thinking he would receive a handshake and a photo of a car, which he said is typical when somebody retires from the automotive world.

“This beautiful bursary they gave me is absolutely amazing,” said Durst.

Durst will be teaching in the graduate program of the ABSC in the fall. The award had been in the works long before he decision to retire from the day-to-day automotive world.

Canadian auto dealer wishes Don a happy retirement and also recognizes his tireless work representing the industry, and in particular advocating for the ABSC.

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BRITISH COLUMBIA

Marv Jones Honda celebrates 50th anniversary

Marv Jones Honda is celebrating 50 years of operation, though the founder has retired and passed the reins to his son while the original dealership has long since been replaced by a newer one.

The New Car Dealers Association of B.C. (NCDA) recognized the Maple Ridge dealership’s anniversary with a special presentation from President and CEO Blair Qualey to Ryan Jones, who is the store’s General Manager and succeeded his father in day-to-day operations 13 years ago.

Ryan Jones has great memories of things his father said when he began the dealership. Marv took out a loan to purchase the franchise and worked in the showroom as salesman, accountant, and receptionist, while a family friend handled parts and service and another person worked as the technician. Ryan said his father bought all the inventory from Honda Canada and parked the vehicles around his lot to showcase them.

“He was always a big marketer,” said Ryan in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. But Honda was new to the market and consumers were lukewarm to purchasing the Japanese product. Marv did not have a single customer in more than a week and was wondering if he made a mistake.

But shortly thereafter a worldwide oil embargo started, though Canada had excess fuel reserves. Suddenly, customers started scurrying for the Honda product because it had small but powerful engines. Marv couldn’t keep up with the demand.

“I’m telling you that story because, for sure, timing played a big part in that, and obviously the Honda franchise has continued to build on its name and reputation,” said Ryan. He said his father has ingrained in him the importance of making people a priority.

“We’re really fortunate to have a group of long-term employees,” said Ryan. “We have a really low employee turnover (rate) on the sales floor and in the shop. That’s our number one asset. We really believe in taking care of our people and personally developing them through the business — providing them with opportunities. That’s a value that we have and that really lends itself to retention and longevity with the employees.”

He said community involvement is another pillar of the dealership, notably partnering with a foundation to raise money to buy equipment for the local hospital and sponsoring sports teams.

“Things that really grow and support the community are where we really focus our marketing dollars,” said Ryan. “Between (getting involved) with the employees and the community, (this) has really been a real key thing in helping us with the longevity of the business.”

The 41-year-old decided to seriously look at a career in automotive in his 20s, which then kicked off a plan for succession. “It’s his baby, he’s grown it from a three-employee store with little inventory to being the size we are now with about 50 employees,” said Ryan.

In 1991, a new store was built next to the original one to handle the rapid growth in the company.

Dilawri, Volvo Canada open sustainable experience retail facility

Dealer group Dilawri and Volvo Car Canada announced the opening of North America’s first Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience (VRSE) facility, the OEM said in a news release.

Known as Volvo Cars Richmond (formerly Volvo of Vancouver), the VRSE facility is located at 338-10700 Cambie Road in Richmond, B.C. The store is described as LEED-certified, runs on renewable energy sources, and boasts a range of environmentally-friendly features — such as solar panels on the rooftops and the use of sustainable building materials.

“We could not be more pleased to have opened North America’s first Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience facility,” said Ajay Dilawri, Dilawri Co-founder, in a statement. “At every stage, we met or exceeded provincial standards for environmental sustainability, and have built a store that reflects our ongoing commitment to deliver unparalleled customer satisfaction through continuous innovation.”

The 20,383.4 square-foot facility is situated on a 2.1-acre site, just off the Vancouver-Blaine Highway (Highway 99). It is also about a 10 minute drive from Vancouver International Airport. Inside, consumers can browse a six-vehicle showroom and take possession of a new purchase in a dedicated new-vehicle delivery bay. The facility also includes nine service bays and two wash bays.

“In addition, the dealership is ready to welcome visitors in sustainable comfort, with furniture and flooring made from recycled, non-toxic materials and a VRSE clean water and coffee bar that provides beverages in ways that eliminate the use of single-use plastics,” said Volvo Car Canada in its news release.

QUEBEC

Canadian tire distributor Groupe Touchette acquires Fastco Canada

Well-known Canadian tire distributor Groupe Touchette just acquired Fastco Canada, a large manufacturer and distributor of alloy and steel wheels and accessories. Fastco Canada has facilities in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué., and Airdrie, Alta.

The acquisition means Québec-based Groupe Touchette can expand its service offering to its customers, while Fastco Canada will be able to benefit from greater access to new markets. “Our collaboration opens new avenues for both companies and allows us to expand our product offering as part of our strategic plan,” said Nicolas Touchette, Co-owner and CEO of Groupe Touchette, in a statement.

In a news release, the tire-distribution group also said it has enjoyed steady growth for four decades, and experienced massive growth and expansion over the last 10 years. Fastco Canada, too, has been growing rapidly.

“Groupe Touchette and Fastco Canada have cultivated common values of excellence that motivate our respective employees. While remaining independent, both companies will continue to operate with common objectives to provide our customers with the best experience in the tire and wheel categories,” Touchette added.

The company said Fastco Canada’s operations in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué., and Airdrie, Alta., will continue as usual thanks to the details of the acquisition agreement, which allows Fastco Canada to maintain its brands and management team.

“Both businesses and their respective teams will remain independent while leveraging their strengths together,” said Groupe Touchette.

ONTARIO

Finch Auto Group President donates $5M for mental health research

The President of Finch Auto Group personally donated $5 million to a London, Ont.,  hospital for mental health research. Ryan Finch, whose company is headquartered in London, recently made the landmark donation to St. Joseph’s Health Care because he feels mental health is an important part of society and the workplace.

The donation is the largest to support mental health care research in Southwestern Ontario. Some 10 years ago, Finch put in place an employee assistance plan, providing round-the-clock access for anyone in the company battling mental health issues. “It really opened my eyes to just how many people are struggling among us,” said Finch in an interview with Canadian auto dealer.

His company subsequently sponsored a program called Breakfast of Champions that has raised about $1 million every year for mental health.

“If you’ve got mental health issues, you should be able to receive the same treatments as someone who was bleeding badly and needed stitches…and yet mental health still has the stigma around it,” said Finch. “I kind of wanted to stay on the right side of that issue and I want to help the community.”

In recognition of the donation, the hospital named its mental health care building the Finch Family Mental Health Care Building.

“I was happy to be somebody that was pushing (for) mental health support, and it felt really good,” said Finch. “It was a great decision when I made it a year or two ago. Leading up to the event, (it) was a bit nerve-wracking. I don’t usually have a problem with public speaking, but this one was very personal.”

He said mental health is a real opportunity for employers to help their company overall. “It’s about helping people first and foremost, but from a business-person’s perspective, maybe you could get something in return because your team is happier and healthier,” said Finch.

“I see mental health as a real opportunity and that’s kind of why I connected my wagon to it ten years ago. That evolution from then until this donation has been incremental steps, and then eventually we saw the light and said, ‘Let’s do this.’” Finch said the money that he has donated will go to research to develop more ways of helping people who are struggling with mental health.

“Mental health affects every family, I don’t think you could find a family that escapes it,” he added. “In my immediate family, we haven’t had any significant mental health hurdles, but to say that it hasn’t touched my family — it certainly has. It’s touched everybody’s family.”

Ontario’s Digital Dealership Registration to include used cars

Ontario is expanding the online Digital Dealership Registration system to include used cars, which means that DDR participating dealerships can register their new and used vehicles online.

The provincial government provided the information in a news release published on July 12. In it, Kaleed Rasheed, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, said that providing self-serve vehicle registration to auto retailers is a win-win — for dealers’ businesses, and for consumers.

“Our government created Digital Dealership Registration to help businesses save time and money by making it easier to sell and purchase a vehicle in Ontario – and now used cars are included with this new, exciting expansion to the system,” said Rasheed in a statement.

The DDR system launched in March 2022 and was made available for new car registrations. It was meant for trade-ins at the time. Now, with the ability to register used cars, participating dealerships will have to complete an online registration of passenger vehicles with ServiceOntario — and issue permits and licence plates “immediately to the purchaser.”

“The Digital Dealership Registration initiative is an example of how technology can assist modern Ontario dealerships in business,” said James F. Hamilton, Interim Manager and Legal Services Director at the Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario (UCDA), in a statement.

He added that allowing car dealerships to register vehicles online and issue permits and licence plates, directly to purchasers, cuts down on paperwork, delays, and red tape for both dealers and consumers.

“The expansion of DDR to used vehicle dealerships is a milestone the Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario is proud to be part of,” said Hamilton.

The post Cross-Canada snapshot appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

A founding board member of Accelerate Auto, Jerry Chinner discusses new research the not-for-profit commissioned to study the Black consumer experience shopping for cars, and whether the auto industry was an attractive industry for Black talent to pursue careers.

Chinner is a well-known figure in the auto industry, having worked for taq Automotive Intelligence (formerly SCI Marketview) for many years, which had him working with dealers, OEMs, lenders and other suppliers.

This story features excerpts from a video interview with Senior Editor Todd Phillips:

PHILLIPS: Let’s talk a little bit about Accelerate Auto. Why did it get founded, and what has the organization been doing?

CHINNER: We officially got our not-forprofit status in February 2021. Accelerate Auto is made up of Black professionals (and allies) that work in the automotive industry, and what we want to do is increase Black representation within the automotive industry at all levels.

PHILLIPS: Take us through some of the third-party research Accelerate Auto commissioned to look at the Black car buying experience.

76 per cent of Black Canadians surveyed reported having a negative experience in a dealership compared to 64 per cent of white respondents.

CHINNER: Our research partner surveyed just over 1,100 people. We wanted to over index on the Black consumer side of it. Let me tell you, there’s some, there’s some great positives — everyone’s super excited about buying a car. But what the survey did find is that there are some distinct differences from different communities, specifically in the Black community when it comes down to the car buying experience. 76 per cent of Black Canadians surveyed reported having a negative experience in a dealership compared to 64 per cent of white respondents. Some things that came up that definitely raised some eyebrows in that the Black community is putting in strategies to be more accepted.They dress differently, they dress for success. They do more research, just because they want to bring the impression across that they know what they’re talking about. And 22 per cent of the time Black car shoppers thought the dealership assumed that had a bad credit score, or they assumed that they couldn’t afford the car that they were looking at and try to move them into a different type of car or a cheaper car. What we’re trying to say here, and I think what the community’s trying to say is that perceiving when I walk into the dealership, that those things are evident for me. It’s a bias and I think from dealerships and from OEMs, we really start need to start looking at that type of experience and trying to eliminate those biases.It’s not good for business.The community’s very loyal and, and are probably more apt to write positive reviews. They’re also more apt to leave a brand as well for negative experiences.

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We’ve sped right past the days when potential auto retail industry hires would be lining up to work in fixed ops departments all over town. It would seem a lack of enthusiasm for the trades by Millennials, possibly caused by stagnant wages, and demographic evolution where more people are retiring than coming into the workforce, have combined to make hiring talented and motivated technicians one of the most challenging aspects of running a dealership.

Canadian auto dealer reached out to a couple of educational institutions to ask, “How can you make your company attractive to young technicians?” Some of the answers are more obvious, like “offer higher salaries and good benefits,” while others are more subtle, such as changes in your company culture to make it more welcoming to women, as well as people from more diverse backgrounds.

Brett Griffiths is Vancouver Community College’s Dean, School of Trades, Technology, and Design, a program that was just recognized by the Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion and Advancement (CADIA) with a certification for the Transportation Trades program. CADIA is an organization based in Detroit that aims to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) tools for groups in the automotive industry. Accelerate Auto is another organization, based in Canada, that is working to “advance career opportunities for Black talent in car dealerships, manufacturers, the aftermarket and suppliers—while tackling the systemic racism that is hampering progress.”

Dealerships would do well to look into this kind of certification, said Griffiths, as the competition for qualified technicians becomes more intense.  “It’s already very hard to recruit and retain people. Oftentimes my observation has been if people can’t see themselves in that role or they aren’t represented in it, and there’s no examples of people like them, they aren’t interested in that company. If you fill these roles with people that are different from the traditional automotive technicians, service advisors or managers, you will attract more qualified workers, and you will keep them.”

Creating partnerships with local technical colleges, and creating a “learning organization” within your own company are important steps toward making sure you have access to young talent, and retain your qualified employees, says Andrew Shepherd, who is the Senior Director of Industry Programs for the Automotive Industries Association. 

In an interview with Canadian auto dealer he said, “I think that shops should be looking to be a partner of the local college. In Canada, there are a lot of efforts being made to boost that kind of preparatory and apprenticeship training. Your local college is connected to the local industry and will have the best sense of where people are and how to attract them. So that’d be my first recommendation.”

Continuing the educational opportunities once you have hired technicians not only trains them better to fix the cars of both today and tomorrow, but it creates an environment where people feel valued and invested in, says Shepherd. 

Creating a learning organization within your shop also helps retain people, he said. “Today’s repair shops and fixed ops departments can only survive with technological change by really spending a lot of resources and energy on learning and adapting.

“Fostering a learning culture helps your company in the current environment, and the second thing it does is give technicians a career path, a learning path, and we know that beyond working conditions and pay, the ability to grow, and to to develop your career is one of the most important things for young people.” 

Attracting a more diverse group of people into the trades will be important for the future success of the industry, said Shepherd, and this may mean changing what most people think of the auto technician industry as a whole. “The image of auto repair has not been conveyed to people accurately. The amount of computerization, and of diagnostic stuff. I don’t think the average student knows that. There is some solution in doing some basic PR work about modern day mechanics and collision repair technicians.” 

Until there is an adequate supply of local graduates, Shepherd believes that recruiting in overseas countries like the Philippines can bridge the hiring gap. “The answer in the short term, certainly has to include going overseas, I think.”

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Not-for-profit aims to recruit more Black talent to the auto industry—while working to ensure there are brighter opportunities for them when they arrive.

Edith Pencil

More than a year after the launch of the not-for-profit organization Accelerate Auto, which strives to increase Black representation in Canada’s automotive industry, the team continues its engagement at the educational and corporate level.

So far the organization was able to grow its membership—which is key to driving its vision forward—by more than 100 per cent, according to Edith Pencil, Director of Employee Services at Performance Auto Group in Ontario. Like others in the organization, which includes members from industry associations, OEMs, dealerships, and industry suppliers, Pencil volunteers as a founding member of Accelerate Auto.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” said Pencil in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. “We’re pleased to see diversity in our membership. We have over 40 per cent female identifying members, and 35 per cent non-black identifying. We’ve seen a lot of interest and hand-raisers to join and support the various committees within our organization.”

During its first year, Accelerate Auto was primarily focused on raising awareness to educate people around anti-Black and systemic racism, while also aiming to boost the representation of Black people within the industry. Pencil said they engaged with thousands of students to raise awareness about the numerous career paths and opportunities that exist for them.

“We’ve partnered with some of the (high school) school boards; so we’ve had events at Peel District School Board high schools,” said Pencil. “We’ve also recently partnered with the Toronto district school board and we have an upcoming event where we’ll be speaking. They have a Black alliance group as part of their school board.”

Accelerate Auto members will be meeting with high school students to feature some of the career paths in the automotive sector. A few members from the organization will join, as well as key features from partners such as Nissan Canada. Furthermore, the Automotive Business School of Canada will join them and speak to the various courses and programs available to students in high school. 

“So again, the goal and the aim is to raise awareness on the educational aspect—the educational programs available at the post-secondary school-level—as well as the various career paths, so that Black students can really see people that look like them. This is critically important for students to be inspired,” said Pencil. 

She anticipates that membership in the organization will continue to grow. In the meantime, they already have a number of committees and partnerships, and they plan to continue to have “important conversations and discussions” with organizations in the automotive space—including on the provincial level.

Christopher Nabeta

Spreading the message to dealers

While work is being done at the school level, members are also in contact with dealer associations to spread awareness at the automotive retail level, according to Christopher Nabeta, another founding member of Accelerate Auto who works as the National Manager for Fleet, CPO and Remarketing at Volvo Car Canada. 

“The second area of focus, when it pertains to partnerships, has really been at the OEM level,” said Nabeta. “We’ve met with the OEM associations, the GAC (Global Automakers of Canada) and the CVMA (Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association). And we’ve also held individual conversations with several OEMs, with an effort to actually engage their dealer networks.”

However, Nabeta notes that there are more dealers than OEMs, and Accelerate Auto is made up of a group of volunteers. Their bandwidth is only so wide. 

As a result, when considering the culture that the organization is looking to develop and the initiatives it is currently working on with OEMs, Nabeta said the goal is for these elements to trickle down to the retailer level—“to better permeate within the automotive ecosystem, on the retail side of the business.”

He adds that “there is not one Black car dealer in Canada.”

Accelerate Auto wants to create a sustainable pipeline of Black talent and put in place solutions to ensure that this issue—the underrepresentation of Black people within the industry, due largely to anti-Black and systemic racism and conscious and unconscious bias—will not be repeated. 

“When we ask the question, whether it’s talking about Black representation or diverse representation, what does that really mean? The spectrum is so vast that the opportunities are specific to each market,” said Nabeta. “We’ve focused our efforts on Ontario as a microcosm to ensure that we have an incubator for the initial strategies that we’re putting in place.”

Nabeta said the engagement they have with their corporate partners at the OEM level, which at this point is the Nissan Canada Foundation, aims to have them work with the dealer development team to identify and develop Black talent, and to create solutions so those people can grow within the industry and the dealership. 

Jennifer Okoeguale

Messages and solutions

When the organization first launched, Toyota Canada’s Jennifer Okoeguale, a co-founder of Accelerate Auto, said they cast a wide net in terms of getting their message out. And although the focus was on awareness, education, and partnerships—all aspects of the organization’s guiding principles (which still stand today)—they also drilled deeper.

“We’ve been having a ton of engagement in conversations, both in and outside of the industry, at the corporate level, at the retail level, at the association level, as well as with our education partners,” said Okoeguale. “Part of that listening was really to figure out what actual challenges our industry is facing, and what solutions can we come forward with under those guiding principles.” 

This includes looking at the career opportunities that exist within Canada’s automotive industry and then amplifying them, as well as tackling and alleviating the barriers that Black students face in pursuing this type of career path. 

“So you think about education—how can we connect them with scholarships and bursaries that will help them actually pursue higher education?” said Okoeguale. “At the same time, when they’re graduating from school, what does the job market look like? How do we connect those students with internships and co-op opportunities, which are active programs that we’re currently working on?”

And then, when looking at Black representation within the workforce, including leadership positions, Accelerate Auto is also working on solutions to help bridge the gap and develop Black talent so they are better prepared to take on those leadership roles in the future.

“There are a lot of tasks on our to-do lists, and unfortunately diversity isn’t always top-of-mind for everyone,” said Okoeguale. “However, just seeing what’s happening across our industry, in terms of the innovation that’s happening and the positioning of our industry as being so pivotal throughout society, we know that there’s going to be a need for diversity as we move forward.”

She said Accelerate Auto is there to provide solutions and have those conversations, and to be a resource to try and improve the situation across the Canadian automotive industry. For more information visit: www.accelerateauto.ca

Universus, the parent company of Canadian auto dealer, is the organization’s first official partner.

The post Accelerate Auto celebrates first year anniversary appeared first on Canadian Auto Dealer.

Dave Cantin, founder of the automotive mergers and acquisitions firm Dave Cantin Group, has started a not-for-profit fund called DCG Giving to support state of the art research and treatment for children with cancer in communities throughout the United States.

 The 42-year-old businessman and philanthropist was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011 and was declared cancer-free after five years of chemotherapy. 

 He said he started the fund because more than 17,000 children ages 19 and younger are diagnosed with cancer each year. He added cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease past infancy among children in the United States.

 “The automotive and financial sectors are among the most generous when it comes to charitable donations,” said Cantin. 

 “While pediatric cancer research and new therapies are increasing, it’s not enough. I want to do something groundbreaking and rally the automotive sector specifically, along with other industries and individuals, to channel their charitable contributions so treatments can advance and save millions of youthful lives, transforming adolescent cancer patients into thriving adults.” 

 Cantin has assisted in raising more than $100 million to cancer research personally and through a percentage of the proceeds from every DCG acquisition. 

 Cantin said that with DCG Giving it will further harness and focus the charitable spirit of the automotive industry to fund critical research for pediatric and childhood cancers.

“This is a cause very close to my heart,” said Cantin. “I believe children are the way of the future, and I won’t stop until the day when no child has to hear the words: ‘You have cancer.’” 

Cantin was involved with pediatric cancer philanthropic initiatives years before he was diagnosed with leukemia.

He has chosen Dr. Michael Weiner, professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, as Chairman of the Board of DCG Giving. 

 Weiner said the time is long overdue to increase the amount of funding channeled to childhood and pediatric cancer research.

 “He is the best of the best,” Cantin said of Dr. Weiner. “There was no better person in my mind that I wanted to lead DCG Giving than Dr. Weiner. He has dedicated his life to pediatric cancer research and treatment initiatives.”

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A charity drive, co-started by Vaughn Wyant, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Wyant Auto Group in Western Canada, to support emergency rescue helicopters in Saskatchewan received $1 million following the record sale of a 1968 Ford Shelby Mustang 427 at the recent Barrett-Jackson’s Auction in Arizona.

The winning bid came from Gord Broda, who owns a road construction business in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and is the President of the Board of Directors of Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Junior Hockey League. 

The money will go toward the Pegasus Project, which Wyant helped to start in 2019 to financially support the STARS helicopter fleet, which is active in emergency rescue in Saskatchewan, including the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018. 

It resulted in 18 deaths and 13 injuries, and the driver of the truck that caused the accident was sentenced to eight years in jail. The Pegasus Project has raised almost $3 million.

The car has an original 1968 Mustang body and frame and a modern high-performance running gear.

Wyant said he had been talking to Broda, a friend and customer of Wyant for many years, for a year about bidding for the Mustang. In 2014, Broda purchased a Snakebit F-100 car at a charity auction for $450.000.

“I knew he would bid on the Mustang and I kind of had a feeling he would bid up to $500,000, but I’ve also been pushing him to make a statement on behalf of STARS, and he and his family did that,” Wyant said.

The $1 million is a record for a 1968 Mustang. The car that was auctioned is classified as a restomod, meaning it is a restored modern car. The car has an original 1968 Mustang body and frame and a modern high-performance running gear.

Last December, Wyant was appointed the Order Of Canada for his contributions as a business leader in the auto industry in Western Canada and for his community philanthropy.

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