Serving auto dealers from coast to coast to coast
One of the greatest pleasures working in the auto industry is witnessing the industry’s growth first-hand and seeing how far the industry has developed over the years.
To a large extent, the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) has been instrumental in this growth, and this year on its 75th anniversary, we continue to recognize them for the role they play in advocating for dealer interests over the past three-quarters of a century.
In 1941, only 40 directors attended the first ever Federation of Automobile Dealers Association of Canada board meeting in the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. In 1944, there were 585 delegates and by 1948, there were more than 1,000 delegates in attendance.
From those original 40 directors, the organization grew into the significant Association it is today, representing over 3,500 member dealers across the nation who employ over 140,000 Canadians.
CADA is the national advocacy group, at the intersection of government and industry that is represented in nearly every community through its provincial members, representing dealers’ interests as the industry grew over the years.
As the demands from automotive manufacturers and government changed over the past 75 years, CADA has continued to be the national voice of automotive dealers, protecting the interests of dealers while highlighting any new ideas and solutions in the industry.
In a country as large as ours and, from my experience, coming all the way from the west coast of British Columbia, having a strong and unified national voice to advocate for dealers’ interests is paramount to being heard.
Each province has its own particular challenges, and having advocates for new car dealers is exceedingly important as the industry continues to change and evolve.
Every province is unique in size, geography, demographics and economy, often making it difficult to pinpoint certain challenges.
CADA has a proud history promoting the collective interests of member dealers, and their continued work with the federal government and vehicle manufacturers ensures an exceedingly strong representation in the industry’s future.
The New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia, for example, is comprised of 380 new car dealers who employ directly and indirectly more than 36,000 high paying jobs in 55 communities throughout the province.
Through CADA’s continued work in improving relations between dealers and other stakeholders such as manufacturers and government, dealers from all over the country are moving more cars and trucks out of their lots and into the garages of Canadians.
And Canadians simply love their cars. It’s even been cited in the Canadian Encyclopedia — Canada has one of the world’s highest ratios of automobiles to inhabitants and is often regarded as “automobile-dependent.”
New car dealers are a key sector in Canada’s economy and the reality is that today’s automotive dealers are a number of businesses in one. From new vehicle sales to used vehicle sales, parts and service, Canadians often regard the dealership as a one-stop shop for anything car-related.
Spanning across Canada from the east coast to the west coast, there’s no denying the value franchised new car dealers bring to their communities.
As we celebrate this remarkable 75-year milestone, we recognize and commend CADA for their unparalleled commitment and dedication in advancing dealer interests and remaining proactive on industry issues.
Whether it is pushing back on changes to leasing under the Bank Act, helping resolve issues on the taxation of finance income, working with OEMs around Dealer Sales and Service Agreements and providing our sector’s perspective on a federal zero emission vehicle (ZEV) strategy, every day CADA is making a difference for Canada’s dealers and their customers.
CADA has been an extremely valuable resource for dealers in the past decades. CADA has a proud history promoting the collective interests of member dealers, and their continued work with the federal government and vehicle manufacturers ensures an exceedingly strong representation in the industry’s future.
