Signals Magazine, Winter Issue, Jan-Mar 2022

A PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE NEW CAR DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF BC

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WINTER 2022 ISSUE

AUTO COMMUNITY STEPS UP

BC Flood Relief Campaign SKILLS TRAINING PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY

Andrew Mercier Tours Langley Collision Shop

› Trends: Weakest Links in The Chain Threatens Sales Resurgence › Car Buzz: Light Trucks, EVs and Ferrari’s “Feral” 812 Competizione › CleanBC Go Electric Updates NEW CARS SOLD IN BC

2021

OCT 13,361 DEC 12,375 NOV 11,638 YTD 185,637

Unveiling a fresh look for the NCDA! See page 20

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CONTENTS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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We’d love to hear from you!

Our vision is for member dealers and the dealer franchise system to be seen by the public as the best choice to fulfill all their automotive needs.

We are a small but dedicated and hardworking team of individuals serving all members of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. Should you have any questions, concerns or issues, or if you have any ideas for our organization to pursue, our staff is available to listen and help. Get in touch with us by phone or email at our Langley office.

Signals is THE flagship publication for the NCDA, the industry association that represents over 400 new car and truck franchised auto retailers in BC. #380–8029 199 Street, Langley, BC V2Y 0E2 Tel: 604-214-9964 // Fax: 604-214-9965 newcardealers.ca // info@newcardealers.ca

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NCDA Staff Blair Qualey President & CEO bqualey@newcardealers.ca Shakira Maqbool Manager, Finance & Administration smaqbool@newcardealers.ca Joshua Peters Manager, Member Services jpeters@newcardealers.ca

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Ofir Sapoznikov Membership and Operations Coordinator info@newcardealers.ca

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Roni Sapoznikov CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program Administrator goelectric@newcardealers.ca Duy Le CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Coordinator goelectric@newcardealers.ca

Vancouver International Auto Show Blair Qualey President & CEO bqualey@newcardealers.ca 604-214-9964 Have a topic or story suggestion? Email us!

And for article and ad submissions and rate card details, please contact: Joshua Peters | 604-214-9964 EXT 225 jpeters@newcardealers.ca

COLUMNS

FEATURED ARTICLES

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President’s Message

9

For subscriber inquiries, please contact: info@newcardealers.ca

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New Members

New VSA CEO Announced Ian Christman takes the driver’s seat

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Member Resources

12

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Government Advocacy

Trends: Weakest Link in the Chain Auto industry resurgence threatened

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Industry Roundup Luxury tax delayed, Order of Canada inductee

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It’s A Wrap 2021: A roller coaster year of ups and downs

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Funding For Flood Relief BC car dealers step up in a big way

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Honda CR-V...As A Recording Studio?

Band gains momentum with help from a car

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CleanBC Go Electric Program Updates 2021 hits record

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BC Paid Sick Leave Eligibility, cost and other questions

Penny Sakamoto, Group Publisher 818 Broughton Street, Victoria BC V8W 1E4 psakamoto@blackpress.ca Published in Canada The contents of Signals, such as text, articles, opinions, views, graphics, images, and the selection and arrangement of information (the “Content”), are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws under both Canadian and foreign laws. Unauthorized use of the Content may violate copyright, trademark, patent, and other laws. You must retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the original Content on any copy you make of it. Disclaimer: Information contained within Signals is for general information purposes only and may not be entirely complete or accurate. Use of Signals’ content is done so at your own risk.

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Car Buzz Light Trucks, EVs and Ferrari’s “Feral” 812 Competizione

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Legal Line Social Host and Employer Host Liability

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Special Olympics BC

Cover design by Harv Craven Design / harvcravendesign.com

newcardealers.ca

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

News From the Front Seat

BLAIR QUALEY PRESIDENT & CEO, NCDA

“When folks ask me why I have worked with the dealers for over 13 years, this is one of the main reasons.

Whenever there is an urgent need in the community, dealers come together to help, without hesitation. It’s part of their DNA and who they are and it’s a privilege to work with them every day!”

Welcome to 2022 and year three of the COVID-19 pandemic! My thoughts are with all those who are currently battling this virus, and the many families and friends of those who have been taken by the pandemic.

As I finalize this message, I am in isolation recovering from the Omicron variant, but I am so very grateful to be double-vaccinated and experiencing relatively mild symptoms.

I encourage everyone to get their vaccines and boosters, wear their masks and stay safe!

COVID-19 and its various variants of concern continue to shape our world. The various waves of infection over the past two years have stretched our health care system to the edge, yet our amazing health care workers continue their important work and superhuman efforts to keep us safe.

While on the topic of gratitude, I wanted to extend from the NCDA our sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to all who helped those impacted by the devastating floods at the end of 2021, particularly first responders, volunteers, Canadian Forces and the many others who helped with flood relief and rebuilding our infrastructure.

Of note were the herculean efforts by roadbuilding and engineering crews to repair the Coquihalla and other main highways, in addition to our rail and pipeline networks.

They deserve special mention!

Exemplary community support The tremendous outpouring of support for flood relief and recovery efforts by people from across BC and Canada was a highlight of last year.

When the extreme flooding event occurred, BC’s car dealers knew that we had to rally our sector to help raise muchneeded funds for the Red Cross Flood Relief campaign—in the same way they’d done earlier in the year to aid those impacted by wildfires. It started with an email from one of our members, Harmony Honda in Kelowna, which committed a significant donation and asked the NCDA to match it. Our board was unanimous in its support, and we then asked all of our members to join in the effort.

Our national association, CADA, stepped up immediately to match the NCDA donation, but then the big news came in. The iconic Wheaton family, with dealerships and businesses across the west, including First Canadian Insurance, made a commitment to match all dealer donations up to $500,000!

Talk about priming the pump!

By the end of the campaign, donations were received from other provincial dealers’ associations, including Ontario and Quebec, and from dealers all across BC and Canada— with more than $1.2 million raised. As a result of matching contributions from the BC and federal governments and the initial donation

2022 New Car Dealers Association of BC Board of Directors

4

Blair Qualey President & CEO

James Carter Chair

Anthony Lunelli Vice Chair

Peter Heppner Past Chair

Ben Lovie Treasurer

NCDA

CARTER GM N. SHORE

KELOWNA SUBARU

PRESTON GM LANGLEY

OPENROAD AUTO GROUP

Mike Hacquard

Joey Prevost

Peter Sia

Peter Trzewik

WOLFE AUTO GROUP SURREY LANGLEY

MACCARTHY MOTORS TERRACE

NORTHLAND NISSAN PRINCE GEORGE

GAIN GROUP VANCOUVER ISLAND

Signals Magazine January–March 2022

Ann Marie Clark

Justin Gebara

STEVE MARSHALL FORD

COLUMBIA CHRYSLER RICHMOND

Jared Williams

Erik Jensen

Darren Johnson

JACK CARTER NORTH STAR CHEV BUICK GMC

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA

FIRST CANADIAN FINANCIAL GROUP

Member at Large

Member at Large

from the Harmony Auto Group, it translated into a total of almost $3.6 million!

When folks ask me why I have worked with the dealers for over 13 years, this is one of the main reasons. Whenever there is an urgent need in the community, dealers come together to help, without hesitation. It’s part of their DNA and who they are and it’s a privilege to work with them every day!

And a recent example of outstanding community service to Canada was reflected in the latest Order of Canada appointments— congratulations to BC dealer member, Vaughn Wyant (Wyant Auto Group) on this prestigious award!

Fresh new look for the NCDA Rolling into the new year, the NCDA has a new look for 2022! The new branding and website refresh improves the overall look of the brand and keeps the website platform current and secure. Changes also allow for easier navigation of resources and material for members, and offer a compelling presentation of the story of BC’s new car dealers and the important advocacy work of the association. Thanks to the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) for its support in making the project possible. Visit the new site at newcardealers.ca

Looking down the road in 2022 As we begin 2022, our sector continues to face significant challenges, including the ongoing supply chain issues affecting microchips and other parts, and contributing to

a restricted supply of new vehicle inventory.

While we anticipate the situation will improve in 2022 and into 2023, dealers are also meeting other challenges in the sector head-on, from improving the customer experience online to new sales models as new disruptors enter the sector every day.

Electric vehicles continue to be a huge focus of BC dealers and we are proud partners with the BC government in achieving the highest adoption of EVs in North America, on a per capita basis. Anytime you can beat California on this, it’s a big deal!

Last fall, the BC government updated its Climate Action Plan entitled the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030—which now includes a new, 100 per cent zero-emissions, light-duty vehicles sales target by 2035—and added additional interim targets that are the most aggressive in North America: 26 per cent by 2026 and 90 per cent by 2030.

If government wants to meet these aggressive new targets, it remains critically important that they continue to stick to the proven strategy of providing EV rebates to stimulate demand, invest in charging infrastructure where British Columbians live, work, play and travel (including rebates for home and business charging stations) and invest in education so BC consumers can learn or increase their knowledge around the many benefits of driving an EV.

Auto Show disappointment leads to exploring other opportunities

ucate consumers about the benefits of EVs over the past decade has proven to be the annual Vancouver International Auto Show.

However, because of the pandemic and concerns around Omicron, we made the very disappointing decision to cancel the 2022 show, the third time we’ll be without our signature event of the year. But we are not deterred. It’s important for us to connect with BC consumers and share the latest offerings from global manufacturers, and our team will be exploring ways we might do this, on a regional basis, around the province. Stay tuned for developments as the health situation improves (we hope!).

Never a dull moment In this job, there is never a dull moment, and I am blessed with a multitude of opportunities to find solutions and create opportunities to support our members. In the coming months, we will continue our focus on addressing several issues and opportunities, some of which include: • Improved skilled trades training and certification in BC (read more on this issue about the tour of a collision repair shop with Parliamentary Secretary Mercier); • New HR tools for members, including the first ever collaboration with WorkBC to help dealerships find qualified talent; • The luxury tax on pickup trucks and luxury super taxes in BC; • The proposed Federal Luxury Tax; and

One of the important opportunities to ed-

Continued on page 6

2022 New Car Dealers Foundation of BC Board of Directors

John Wynia Acting Chair

Heather Headley Past Chair

Marnie Carter Founding Chair

Anthony Lunelli Treasurer

Blair Qualey President & CEO

HARBOURVIEW VW NANAIMO

PACIFIC HONDA N. VANCOUVER

CARTER AUTO FAMILY

KELOWNA SUBARU

NCDA

Ryan Jones

David Jukes

Moray Keith

John MacDonald

MARV JONES HONDA MAPLE RIDGE

FIRST CANADIAN FINANCIAL GROUP

DUECK AUTO GROUP VANCOUVER/RICHMOND

ADESA RICHMOND

James Carter

Amanda Chrinko

CARTER GM N. SHORE

WESTWOOD HONDA COQUITLAM

Joey Prevost

Sharon Rupal

Peter Sia

MACCARTHY MOTORS TERRACE

OPENROAD LEXUS PORT MOODY

NORTHLAND NISSAN PRINCE GEORGE

newcardealers.ca

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NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to Our New Members BC Dealers

NORTHSHORE MITSUBISHI This is your North Vancouver Mitsubishi dealer. This is a comprehensive Mitsubishi dealership with a full department of brand new Mitsubishi vehicles, fresh from the factory, as well as a used-vehicle department with a variety of quality brands to choose from. northshoremitsubishi.ca

VAN ISLE FORD Van Isle is your mid-Vancouver Island Ford dealership, offering many automotive products and services to Port Alberni-area

customers. From quality new Ford vehicles to used cars, anyone looking for a vehicle near Port Alberni will likely find what they want here. Van Isle is the proud recipient of the prestigious President’s Award from Ford Motor Company the last three consecutive years. vanisleford.com

STEVE MARSHALL GROUP: CAMPBELL RIVER HONDA Established in 1979, Campbell River Honda has grown to become a premier Honda auto dealer in the Western Canadian region. Over the years, Campbell River Honda has grown in its current location, and now offers a stateof-the-art showroom, parts and service centres and a finance department. crhonda.com

President’s message Continued from page 5

• Improved efficiencies and more appropriate labour rates at member collision shops with ICBC. There is no question 2022 will mean new challenges for all of us, but, as we have all learned, out of every challenge comes at least one opportunity! On behalf of our chairman, James Carter, our board of directors and our staff team at the NCDA, I wish you much good health and prosperity in this new year, the Year of the Tiger.

Let’s pounce on those opportunities and to quote the esteemed Dr. Henry: stay safe. be calm. And be kind to one another.

Sincerely,

Blair Qualey, President and CEO New Car Dealers Association of BC bqualey@newcardealers.ca

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Signals Magazine January–March 2022

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MEMBER RESOURCES

NCDA and WorkBC Collaboration Off to a great start!

The NCDA launched its new collaboration with WorkBC Employment Services at the close of 2021, and members have already reached out to get help with their staffing needs. These members were quickly connected with their local WorkBC Centre for support with recruitment.

Members have expressed their enthusiasm for this new option to help them find the right candidates for their open positions. Comments received from dealerships include: “Thank you for reaching out. This is sure to be a valuable tool moving forward,” and “We really appreciate the NCDA’s efforts on this.”

With the start of 2022 bringing continued challenges for businesses right across the province, these types of supports are even more critical now. BC’s automotive industry has continued to operate throughout the pandemic and it offers rewarding and well-paying jobs for British Columbians.

“It is a challenging labour market right now and employers continue to face challenges in finding the right talent. By collaborating with WorkBC, we are able to offer one more tool in their toolkit to help businesses find staff,” said Blair Qualey, president and CEO of NCDA.

WorkBC Centres help employers:

will be shared with the local WorkBC centres.

WorkBC Centre staff understand the local labour market and can help members find qualified job seekers.

If you have job openings you are looking to fill, please contact the NCDA office (by email: info@newcardealers.ca or by phone: 604.214.9964).

• find qualified job seekers with a diverse range of skills and experience; • expand their recruitment efforts with local assistance and provincial connections; • learn about available wage subsidies; • participate in virtual recruitment activities and job fairs; and • access assistive devices and technology for people with disabilities.

To get support with your hiring solutions, NCDA has created a template to gather important details about member job openings in a quick and effective way. This information

WorkBC Employment Services is the largest employment services network in the province with 102 locations providing virtual and in-person services. WorkBC Employment Services works with employers to help them find and retain the right talent to grow their business. WorkBC Centres also help job seekers find jobs, explore career options, and improve their skills. WorkBC Employment Services offers many programs and services, including support for persons with disabilities.

Please visit WorkBC.ca to learn more.

WorkBC is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

Preventing Auto Crime Securing auto malls and dealerships The following information and resources for BC dealer members related to preventing auto crime are made possible thanks to the NCDA’s partners at the BC RCMP and IMPACT. See the following tips for dealerships: • Always lock vehicles left in the dealership lot or parked on the street. Vehicle keys must be stored inside a locked cabinet within the dealership. Do not store spare keys in the vehicle. Likewise, always secure keys to customer vehicles that are in for servicing or repairs.

• Do not leave any property in vehicles. Thieves will even break into a vehicle to obtain a few coins.

• Make sure there is no personal identification—such as driver’s licence, financial documents, credit/debit information or any personal mail—left inside vehicles.

• Utilize the landscaping rule of “two feet/two feet/eight feet,” which recommends that landscaping be no closer than two feet from the walkways or adjacent buildings, that it be a maximum of two feet in

height, and that high canopied trees are trunked at eight feet.

• Maintain consistent lighting around the buildings and the parking lots. For areas with limited natural surveillance, the use of motion sensor lights will help observe suspicious activity.

• Have the premises monitored by a security company via CCTV and motion detection. Consider adding something indicating the area is under video surveillance to further deter thieves. Furthermore, have the security patrol the mall after hours.

• Engrave vehicles’ VIN numbers on the catalytic converter.

• Store valuable vehicles in a secure location and consider using wheel locks on the inventory of vehicles. This will prevent theft of tires and rims.

• Make sure all vehicles have anti-theft devices installed such as engine immobilizers.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessments are available from the BC RCMP, depending on the location.

Contact the NCDA to learn more (email: info@newcardealers.ca / 604.214.9964).

GOVERNMENT ADVOCACY

BC LEGISLATURE WIRE

Late last year, the NCDA hosted the BC Parliamentary Secretary for Skills Training, Andrew Mercier, for a tour of a collision and body shop at OpenRoad Auto Group’s location in Langley. The association shared about the needs of the industry and discussed opportunities to support auto and collision apprentices.

BC’s Dealer Network Advocacy in 2022 Highlights of 2021 meetings The NCDA has established strong relationships over the past year, meeting with many new MLAs, including Megan Dykeman, MLA, Langley East; Andrew Mercier, MLA, Langley; Dan Coulter, MLA, Chilliwack; Pam Alexis, MLA, Abbotsford-Mission; and Brenda Bailey, MLA, Vancouver-False Creek. The association also had a good meeting with newly appointed finance minister, the Honourable Selina Robinson.

In addition, the NCDA hosted Parliamentary Secretary for Skills Training Minister Andrew Mercier and his staff for a tour of the auto body collision and repair shop at the OpenRoad Richmond-Langley location.

A great Signals interview with Parliamentary Secretary for Technology and Innovation Brenda Bailey, and a chance to see Brenda’s 1966 Ford GTO Mustang was detailed in the fall edition of the magazine.

The Signals article that stole the limelight in 2021, though, was an interview with the Honourable John Horgan, Premier of BC, published in the spring edition.

Things to watch in 2022’s legislature The spring session of the legislature started on February 8 with a throne speech, and the BC budget will be presented on Tuesday, February 22. The government will be working to support the economy and business, keep the supply chain moving, and continue to ensure the vaccine rollout with booster shots. As of early January, 92 per cent of British Columbians had been vaccinated under the BC government’s vaccine plan.

Also happening in February, the BC Liberal Party will choose their next leader—currently six candidates are running for the top spot.

Finally, in May, expect the release of the Cullen Report, which will have some considerable recommendations on money laundering.

From the NCDA’s point of view, we will continue advocating for a

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Signals Magazine January–March 2022

limit to any increases in taxes or regulatory measures that negatively affect dealerships’ businesses. Specifically, we will continue to work with government on consumer incentives like the CleanBC Go Electric program. This past year saw a large increase to the CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program of over $40 million for consumer rebates.

Importantly, we have also been advocating to raise the threshold for the luxury tax, remove this tax on work trucks and eliminate the luxury tax on vehicles altogether.

Following its meeting last fall, the 2021 BC finance committee (made up of all new members of the legislature) recommended in its report to the finance minister that the BC government: • continue to incentivize and invest in clean and renewable energy sources to expedite the transition to a net-zero economy; • maintain full funding for CleanBC’s Go Electric program and carefully examine hydro infrastructure to ensure that BC’s electric grid will be able to support the transition to and the charging of electric vehicles; and • review the luxury tax structure, thresholds and policies to ensure it applies only to luxury items.

In personal news, we learned of Premier Horgan’s cancer diagnosis this past fall. While seeking treatment, the Premier is doing internal work only, and public engagement has been taken up by Deputy Premier and Solicitor General, the Honourable Mike Farnworth. We wish him well and a full recovery.

The NCDA’s government outreach was successful this year, and we will continue to build our relationship with government and opposition MLAs. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, MLAs attended our annual EV ride and drive days at the legislature—hopefully, we can kickstart this again soon.

This year we continue to highlight the advantages BC’s dealerships provide in all 87 ridings and why dealerships are good for BC’s economy.

VSA INSIGHTS

New VSA CEO Announced Ian Christman takes the driver’s seat The Board of Directors of the Vehicle Sales Authority of British Columbia (VSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Christman as president and chief executive officer, effective December 9, 2021. Ian was appointed from his current position as VSA registrar and chief legal officer.

“After an extensive search, the board has appointed Ian as the trusted leader for the VSA,” said Mark Bakken, chair of the authority. “Ian has been a key senior executive at the VSA since 2008 and his intimate experience and knowledge of the organization’s operations, its mandate, as well as our stakeholders, will provide continuity.”

Ian started his career with the VSA in February 2008 as the deputy registrar and director of licensing. In March 2012, Ian was appointed as registrar and also became the chief legal officer in 2020. Ian has advised on all operational matters at the VSA and been involved with strategic planning, budgeting and finance, human resources, government relations and stakeholder relations for over

Ian Christman, President and Chief Executive Officer

13 years. Importantly, as registrar, Ian has independently guided the administration of the legislation the VSA administers.

Prior to his career at the VSA, Ian was a lawyer in private practice in the areas of administrative law and commercial litigation,

including class actions and employment law matters. Between the 1980s and the early 2000s, Ian worked in various capacities at Canadian Tire stores in Metro Vancouver.

These included management and other roles in various service departments, such as merchandising, parts and warehousing. Since 2008, Ian has been a member of the USAbased National Association of Motor Vehicle Boards and Commissions and was its vice president for several years.

In 2015, Ian obtained his Master of Business Administration from Royal Roads University with international studies in Grenoble, France. He has a law degree from the University of Alberta, a political science degree (international relations and trade) from Simon Fraser University, and a diploma in criminology from Douglas College.

For further information, please contact Archana Singh, Chief Administration Officer, Archana.Singh@mvsabc.com

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INDUSTRY ROUND-UP

Luxury Tax Delayed in Fall Economic and Fiscal Update News from CADA

Mid-December on Parliament Hill, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland delivered the government’s fall economic and fiscal update. The speech was intended as an update on Canada’s spending and debt levels. As part of the update, the minister formally announced a delay in the luxury tax legislation that was to be in place by January 1, 2022.

The new luxury tax legislation will now be introduced at an undetermined time in 2022.

CADA has consistently opposed and lobbied against the luxury tax as a job killer and as counterproductive to economic growth. Since the luxury tax was introduced by the Liberal leader in the 2019 federal election campaign, CADA has lobbied strongly for the tax to kick in only after $100,000. During the pandemic period, CADA has made the case to Minister Freeland’s office to delay the legislation and eliminate double taxation in those provinces such as BC and Quebec that already

have luxury taxes in place.

The exact language from the update read, “Luxury Tax—Budget 2021 proposed to introduce a tax on the sales, for personal use, of luxury cars and personal aircraft with a retail sales price over $100,000, and boats, for personal use, over $250,000. The tax would be calculated at the lesser of 20 per cent of the value above the threshold ($100,000 for cars and personal aircraft, $250,000 for boats) or 10 per cent of the full value of the luxury car, boat, or personal aircraft. The Department of Finance has undertaken consultations with respect to the design of this measure and is working to incorporate the results of this consultation into the proposed tax framework. Draft legislation, including details on coming-into-force, will be released in early 2022.”

For more information on the tax please contact Huw Williams in CADA’s Ottawa office at huw@cada.ca

Dealer Named to Order of Canada The NCDA congratulates Western Canada auto dealer Vaughn Wyant for his appointment to the Order of Canada.

Sixty-nine-year-old Wyant is the president and CEO of the Wyant Group, which owns close to 20 dealerships, representing 12 brands across BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. He has also been president of the Saskatchewan Motor Dealers Association, held a position on the board of the MDA Co-Auto and has held positions in various dealer council boards.

Wyant was bestowed the Order of Cana-

Vaughn Wyant

da honour on December 29 along with 134 other individuals. He was recognized for his contributions as a business leader in the auto industry in western Canada and for his community philanthropy.

The Order of Canada, created in 1967, is one of Canada’s highest civilian honours, recognizing outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. To date, more than 7,000 people from all sectors of Canada have been invested into the Order.

Over 53,000 Vehicles Scrapped in BC!

Visit scrapit.ca to learn more 10

Signals Magazine January–March 2022

Leader Auto Resources is now facilitating 11 OEM programs and brings new savings to dealers!

NCDA congratulates Leader Auto Resources, and for over 40 years of expansion and growth!

With the most dealers and greatest buying power, LAR negotiates the most competitive prices on your behalf. Everyone wins.

As the largest procurement enterprise in North America supplying new franchised car dealerships with everything they need to run their operation, Leader Auto Resource has been selected to facilitate the OEM programs for some of the top automotive brands.

LAR brings additional discounts to an expanded set of products and services, including paint and body, dealership services, consumable products, tools and equipment, and much more.

LAR now officially facilitates the Dealer Equipment and Services Program on behalf of 11 top OEMs.

Best-in-class pricing and additional discounts add up for BC’s New Car Dealers!

For more information about Leader Auto Resource, please visit larnet.com or contact your LAR Territory Manager lartm@larnet.com

TRENDS

Weakest Link in the Chain Threatens Auto Industry Resurgence in 2022 Microchips are missing in action

BY BRUCE CAMERON, BLACK PRESS COLUMNIST Who would think that a tiny, $1 part used in all automobiles could cause massive worldwide disruption to a $3.8-trillion industry? Microchips have been in short supply throughout 2021, causing continual downward adjustments in the projected number of new vehicles slated to be produced globally.

AutoForecast Solutions predicts that just in the month of January, shortages of microchips have led to a 25 per cent drop in the supply of new vehicles. The tiny microchip has even taken a leading role in high stakes international diplomacy, as the US threatens to cut off Russia from receiving microchips as punishment if it invades Ukraine.

Wait times for microchips have increased in North America from an average of around 10 weeks over the past few years to almost six months in 2022.

The shortage of microchips affecting the auto industry has resulted from a perfect storm of circumstances. First, the pandemic prompted an increase in demand for the chips as the world shifted to remote meetings, and electronics sales soared. Widespread disruptions to supply and shipping hit the sector particularly hard during the worldwide shutdown. And a chip-making plant in Japan that accounted for 30 per cent of global inputs for the auto sector was shut down due to a large fire, although it has now returned to pre-fire production output.

Optimism about the prospects for a resurgence in the supply of microchips is high, but most auto industry analysts predict that

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Signals Magazine January–March 2022

rebound will only happen in the latter half of 2022, meaning the impacts of shortages will continue to be felt far and wide on availability (and prices) for used and new vehicles in 2022.

Despite the fact microchips individually cost a dollar each, there are up to 1,000 of them in an average internal combustion engine vehicle and double that number in an EV. They help control all the numerous on-board features consumers have come to expect.

Microchips are not only a crucial component of new vehicles, they are also essential in computer gaming consoles, refrigerators and smart phones.

Supply chain disruptions are common across many industries as the pandemic enters its third long year, and the shortfalls in global production and distribution of microchips are not the only factor affecting the supply of new vehicles. In some cases, supply chain hiccups have also caused shortages in availability of tires, plastic and seat foam.

As a result, Automotive News Canada recently reported that both Ford and Toyota have significantly reduced their planned output of new vehicles. Toyota has estimated that it will cut its February 2022 production by 150,000 vehicles, with about 30,000 of those reduced numbers occurring in North America.

It is not all doom and gloom, however. The tiny but indispensable microchip is so important that Intel just announced plans to build a $20-billion microchip plant in Ohio, in addition to three other facilities planned for Europe.

But the impact of that new “on-shore” supply of microchips (which until now have mainly been made in China) will only be fully

felt in 2023 and beyond. In the meantime, the market here in British Columbia can anticipate increased wait times for new vehicleorders, and a continuation of historically high used vehicle prices, caused in part by the lack of new car availability.

Wait times for microchips have increased in North America from an average of around 10 weeks over the past few years to almost six months in 2022. But like the short sharp increase in COVID-19 Omicron cases, followed by an equally quick drop in numbers, the microchip shortage, and the disruptions it is causing, may also be short-lived.

Cox Automotive predicts that new vehicle sales in the USA will increase by over one million in 2022. Michelle Krebs, an executive analyst for Cox Automotive, noted that at the end of 2021, the number of available vehicles at dealerships in America reached one million for the first time since August of 2021. If that trend continues in the US and eventually expands to Canada, we can expect to see new vehicle availability increase this summer and perhaps even catch up with surging demand by the fall of 2022.

In the meantime, consumers remain at the mercy of the tiny microchip, in some cases facing long delays for delivery, as dealerships try to channel pent-up sales demand by convincing buyers to book well in advance.

By the end of 2022 the situation is expected to return closer to what we used to call “normal,” with used vehicle prices forecast to drop by up to 30 per cent and new vehicle inventories substantially replenished.

Until then, it is a “wait and see” situation.

PRESENTED BY COX AUTOMOTIVE

CAR BUZZ

Light Trucks, EVs and Ferrari’s “Feral” 812 Competizione Ford F-Series retains top spot in sales as light truck segment increases Empty dealer lots were a testament to the supply-side issues that plagued the Canadian auto industry in 2021. The result was that some models saw sales ebb and flow during the year as companies struggled to keep assembly plants operating.

Among light trucks, the Ford F-Series remains solidly in first place for sales, even though the OEM experienced a sales decline of 9.5 per cent for 2021. In a pattern that has been repeated across many categories and models, Ford F-Series sales rebounded in the fourth quarter, increasing by 17.8 per cent. Ram pickups ended the year in second place after a sales decline of 12.2 per cent, while Toyota RAV4 sales increased by 6.8 per cent, narrowing the gap between second and third place.

Passenger car sales remained steady, while light truck sales increased 8.3 per cent, pushing the light-truck market segment reaching 81.2 per cent of sales versus 18.8 per cent for passenger cars.

Sources: DesRosiers Automotive Consultants and Carina Okedahl of Canadian Auto Dealer.

Top 10 Sales – Year End 2021 Passenger Cars 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Honda Civic Toyota Corolla Hyundai Elantra Kia Forte Volkswagen Jetta Toyota Camry Mazda 3 Nissan Sentra Toyota Prius Liftback Volkswagen Golf

2021

2020

Change

43,556 40,019 26,312 14,428 12,585 11,896 11,804 10,017 6,718 6,438

42,996 33,181 22,000 14,373 10,552 10,178 12,769 6,806 5,754 11,323

1.3% 20.6% 19.6% 0.4% 19.3% 16.9% -7.6% 47.2% 16.8% 43.1%

SUVs: 2022 Audi Q5 Plug-In Hybrid The 2022 Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid is a gasplus-electric combo with an EV range of up to 37 kilometres. The Q5 is one of Audi’s most popular models and the plug-in hybrid model produces 362 horsepower from a combination of a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, enabling a 0 to 60 mph sprint of just five seconds. Higher trim models add Audi’s virtual digital gauge cluster. Despite the concerns expressed by Motortrends’ Frank Markus about the lack of acceleration power in EV mode, CarBuzz called the Audi Q5 Hybrid “a thoroughly wellsorted premium SUV.”

Light Trucks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2021

2020

Change

Ford F-Series 116,401 RAM Pickup 73,477 Toyota RAV4 61,934 GMC Sierra 53,757 Chevrolet Silverado 51,684 Honda CR-V 50,935 Hyundai Kona 31,101 Nissan Rogue 29,926 Mazda CX-5 26,571 Ford Escape 25,960

128,649 83,672 57,972 51,492 52,767 44,495 26,641 25,998 24,946 23,747

-9.5% -12.2% 6.8% 4.4% -2.1% 14.5% 16.7% 15.1% 6.5% 9.3%

automaker will ever sell.” In fact, it is the most powerful unassisted road engine Ferrari has ever built. Horsepower jumps to 819 with peak torque at 510 lb-ft, taking the car from a stop to 100 km/hr in just 2.85 seconds. As it rings in at over $600,000, Motortrend asks the question on many people’s minds: “You may be wondering why we bothered to review a Ferrari whose 812-unit production run is sold out? Because the 812 Competizione is too intoxicating to not share, and because it is a rolling preview of clever advancements… that in all likelihood will make their way into other Ferraris some day.”

TRUCKS: Ram 1500 EV

EVs: Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer

In the continuing battle for the launch of new electric trucks, Ram is now teasing details about an electric truck to compete with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV. The Ram 1500 EV is expected to go into production by 2024, with a range of 800 kilometres based on battery packs offering 159-200 kilowatt-hours, and fast-charging capability. Parent company, Stellantis, is planning to invest more than $40 billion from now through 2025 for electrification and software, with every one of the company’s 14 brands expected to have at least one fully electric vehicle.

Two new EVs are in the pipeline from General Motors. The Chevy Equinox EV and Blazer EV are coming sometime in 2023 and, according to Chevrolet vice president Steve Hill, “Providing an affordable EV option in the industry’s highest-volume segment proves Chevy is going to make EVs available to everyone.” These models will target the growing compact and midsize crossover market, with anticipated range of 400-500 kilometres. These new models are among the 10 electric cars GM has on the horizon, including a GMC Sierra EV, the Hummer EVs and two Cadillac EVs.

CARS: 2022 Ferrari 812 Competizione The 812 Competizione is a stunning example of what Ferrari can do with a large, twodoor GT car front-mounted V-12 engine.

Motortrend points out that “the car may have Ferrari’s last non-hybrid V-12 the Italian

newcardealers.ca

13

It’s a Wrap 2021: A roller coaster year of ups and downs

BY BLAIR QUALEY The year 2021 proved to be another roller coaster ride for British Columbians as the COVID-19 pandemic continued, and severe fires and flooding impacted various areas of the province.

However, if there is a silver lining—it’s how British Columbians demonstrated their resilience and compassion by supporting friends, neighbours and even complete strangers.

In that same vein, a big thank you is in order to road builders, engineers and first responders who worked so hard to restore key highways linking the west coast to the rest of Canada. The efforts of those who restored the Coquihalla to commercial traffic and reopened Highway 3 were remarkable.

NCDA steps up for flooding relief It almost seemed at times last year that the global pandemic was the least of our worries as the province recorded a fire season like we have never witnessed before, an atmospheric river, which caused flooding and destruction to the Fraser Valley and shut down the main highway into the Interior, a heatwave from which 595 people died, a cold snap and even a small tornado that hit the west side of Vancouver.

In December, and in response to these events, NCDA members gave a record $1.3plus million to the Red Cross flood recovery fund (which becomes close to $4 million with government matching).

In a year where numerous NCDA members were impacted by these climate and health events, the industry was there again for the communities it represents.

Auto sector derailed For the NCDA and its more than 400 members, 2021 had its share of ups and downs.

The pandemic continued to hit the auto sector hard, in large part because of the ongoing semiconductor shortage and supply chain disruptions affecting vehicle and parts inventory.

What should have been a period of recovery was derailed—but our industry continues its road to recovery, and we expect that new

14

Signals Magazine January–March 2022

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, James Carter (NCDA board chair), Peter Heppner (CADA chair), Pam Alexis (MLA for Abbotsford-Mission), MJ Wiggins (executive director of the RVDA), and Blair Qualey (NCDA president and CEO) present a cheque to the Canadian Red Cross for BC flood relief efforts.

The NCDA was pleased to share the progress to date of the funds raised in a cheque presentation with MLA Pam Alexis.

vehicle production challenges will improve in the coming year.

2021 electrified 2021 was once again the year of the electric vehicle. More than 60,000 light duty EVs now travel our provincial highway system, placing BC in a leadership position in this country and in North America on a per capita basis: over 12 per cent of new vehicle sales are EVs. The provincial government accelerated its ambitious targets for zero-emission vehicles.

As a result, by 2030, 90 per cent of all new light duty vehicle sales in the province will be required to be ZEVs (with targets of 26 per cent by 2026 and 100 per cent by 2035).

To help meet these targets, the province has established a goal of completing BC’s electric highway by 2024 and installing 10,000 public EV charging stations by 2030.

BC currently has more than 2,000 public Level 2 charging stations, and 200 public fastcharging sites with over 480 fast-charging stations—so we have a significant distance to go to reach the established targets.

This was a year during which the government also committed more funding to fuel EV adoption by adding $94 million to the Clean-

BC Go Electric Program, which enables new car dealers to continue to provide rebates on the purchase of clean energy vehicles.

Funding was also provided to support British Columbians who want to buy and install EV chargers at condo buildings or their place of work through CleanBC’s Go Electric EV Charger Rebate program.

EV maintenance training gears up As vehicles become more technologically advanced, it is vital that the sector trains automotive technicians in a manner that will keep pace with demand.

To that end, the EV Maintenance Training Program is now being offered at three additional BC colleges, providing Red Seal automotive technicians with the skills they need to work on EVs, supporting the growing demand for EVs in BC and preparing British Columbians for good paying jobs in the burgeoning clean-energy economy.

On a broader level, the NCDA continues to support students who are pursuing a career in the automotive industry through its annual CarCareerBC grant program.

Continued on page 15

Funding for Flood Relief BC: Car Dealers Step Up A total of $3.6 million in funding was generated by a campaign driven

by BC’s new car dealers to help the Canadian Red Cross in support of flood-impacted communities, following a period of extreme weather and flooding in BC last November.

When the extreme flooding event occurred, BC’s car dealers rallied to help raise much-needed funds for the Red Cross flood relief campaign—similar to the way in which the sector helped those impacted by wildfires earlier in the year. When a dealer from Harmony Honda in Kelowna committed a large donation, the NCDA matched it and then asked member dealers to join in the fundraising effort.

The campaign included commitments by the Wheaton family and First Canadian Financial Group to match dealer donations up to the first $500,000.

Adding to the coffers were donations from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and Recreational Dealers Association of BC (RVDA) The amount donated to the Canadian Red Cross was over $1.2 million, but with provincial and federal government matching funds, the total amount was over $3.6 million.

The extreme weather event—which caused flooding, landslides, power outages and evacuation orders for some communities—prompted a state of emergency by the province of BC. The fundraising effort brought much-needed support for the Canadian Red Cross, allowing them to get resources and provide emergency support services to people impacted by the disaster.

It’s a wrap...

Continued from page 14

Car show nixed again I had hoped to end this article by writing about my excitement for the return of the Vancouver International Auto Show.

However, due to the constraints on the industry and the realities of the continuing pandemic in Canada, we recently had to make

the disappointing decision to postpone the 2022 show.

We are now turning our focus to a triumphant return of the Vancouver International Auto Show in 2023, as well as new initiatives to connect consumers with the new car industry in 2022.

In spite of ongoing challenges, let’s not lose sight of what is truly important—enjoy-

What’s keeping your dealership compliant?

ing time with family and friends, in a safe and responsible manner.

To all readers, we wish you success, happiness and health—and all the best in 2022.

Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at bqualey@newcardealers.ca

Your system, if you have CADA 360 HR Automation.

CADA 360 HR Automation automates manual, repetitive tasks such as onboarding, health and safety training, and time and attendance management. It also reduces paperwork and human error, and saves time.

CADA 360 also funds CADA advocacy. No other products provide this protection for your business.

Call 1-800-463-5289, or visit cada.ca.

newcardealers.ca

15

CADA NEWS

NEWS FROM THE CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION

Dealers Urged to Complete Survey and Join Online Summit Event Workforce study launched The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) is pleased to be introducing a new national workforce study for all CADA members.

Participating dealers will receive a wealth of valuable data and specific comparison reports on various components related to employment at their dealerships.

By completing the survey between January and April 1, 2022, CADA members will receive access to specific comparison reports between their dealership and other dealers in their province. These reports will include data on various workforce metrics, such as hours of operation and work schedules, the impact of COVID-19 on dealerships, compensation, paid time off and employee benefits.

Data collection for this study is conducted through a streamlined process with a brief online survey and the ability to upload data from the dealership’s payroll system. Please note that this new national survey was created in conjunction with provincial associations and is based on similar studies that were previously done in Ontario, Quebec and BC.

Participation in the study and access to the report are free of cost.

Please be assured that all dealership payroll information will remain protected and confidential. Visit the website for more information: cada.ca

CADA’s Summit 2022 returns as an online event Jason Stein, host of Cars & Culture on SiriusXM, joins the event as a special guest, and the summit includes a Canadian economic update from Beata Caranci, chief economist and senior vice-president for TD Bank Group; a panel discussion around electrification (called Navigating the ZEV Roadmap); and a dealer panel that will explore success stories around selling electric vehicles, share lessons learned, and describe how these dealers are adapting their businesses to respond to a number of challenges on the EV selling front.

CADA will also present the 2021 DSI Awards, which will be followed by a panel on Changes in the OEM/Dealer Relationship and the 2022 Dealership Buy/Sell Marketplace. Visit the CADA website for more details: cada.ca

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Signals Magazine January–March 2022

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Honda CR-V… As a Recording Studio?

Victoria band gains momentum with help from their car

BY BRUCE CAMERON / BLACK PRESS STAFF Ocie Elliott—an indie folk duo consisting of musicians Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy— is a Victoria-based band that actually managed to flourish throughout the pandemic.

And part of that is due to the real-life couple’s 2001 Honda CR-V. Fresh off a November tour that saw soldout shows in Victoria and Calgary, as well as at Vancouver’s renowned Commodore Ballroom, and set to spend most of 2022 touring Canada, the US and Europe, the duo attributes part of their surge in popularity to a series of live music videos shot from inside their CR-V. In addition to writing and releasing four EPs of music between March 2020 and August 2021, they gained significant momentum on social media through the CR-V recordings.

Signals sat down with Ocie Elliott and asked about this unique music venue:

way it sounded while practicing in there, so we thought we’d try to record a live video to capture the natural acoustics of the car—it worked well!

S: What inspired you to start recording the CR-V videos?

OE: We started by using the CR-V as a practice space, actually. Since we live in a small apartment, it was a good way to get into a place where we felt unencumbered and free to sing as we wished. (It also provided us with a nice view!) We loved the

S: Have you tried recording in other vehicles?

OE: We did one video in a new CR-V as a promo piece for a local radio station. It was a good experiment, and although it still sounded good, we prefer our sweet old 2001 CR-V.

S: How many videos have you done?

OE: We’ve done around two dozen, some with multiple songs, and even a couple small, live concerts recorded during the lockdown in 2020.

S: Which have been your most successful?

OE: A few of our covers have done quite well. One in particular, our cover of the Milky Chance song “Stolen Dance,” has nearly a million views across all socials. Our original tune “Hold My Name” has also been quite successful. We recorded that CR-V video while on tour in the Canadian Rockies, in Canmore, Alberta.

S: How did the CR-V videos serve you during the pandemic?

OE: It was perfect because we already had this space and it was ideal for the situation: we could move around, be isolated and continue doing what we had been doing prior to the pandemic.

S: Do you take the CR-V on tour?

OE: We have in the past, during a run of shows in February in the Prairies a few years back—when it was below -30 for two weeks straight. However, after the radiator blew and, given that it’s just about to cross the 300,000-kilometre mark, we have decided now to keep it closer to home.

S: Any way to measure what kind of boost the CR-V videos have given you?

OE: Only by seeing the views on social media, reading what people write and interacting with fans on tour. But there is no doubt that it has gained us some attention and attracted some people to us.

The CR-V recordings can be seen on Ocie Elliott’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/c/ OcieElliott), Instagram (@ocieelliott) and TikTok (@ocieelliottmusic). newcardealers.ca

17

SPONSORED CONTENT

Why Auto Insurance Options Matter Providing the right coverage and price for your clients Many clients are unaware of options beyond ICBC when it comes to auto insurance. Why is this important?

At HUB International, we want car-purchasing clients to be confident about their experience, from choosing a vehicle at the dealership to knowing they’re properly insured as they drive off the lot. By partnering with various insurance companies, we provide dealership clients with coverage and pricing options, and ultimately peace of mind.

tially save up to 10 per cent by renewing with HUB as their insurance broker; and, exclusive packages—access to coverages only available through HUB. Our advisors receive consistent and frequent training in providing dealership clients with options, and are dedicated to making the insurance experience pleasant, quick and complete.

What is optional insurance?

The vehicle replacement products provided

by HUB are best in class; they’re the coverage of choice for clients purchasing new or used vehicles in BC. These industry-leading products provide peace of mind in total-loss situations and offer valuable benefits to both dealerships and clients. Pricing is competitive and coverage is backed by local, licensed claims adjusters who are dedicated to excellent service and

In BC, every vehicle’s primary insurance must be with ICBC; however, additional coverage options are available with private insurers such as Family and Stratford. The benefits of choosing optional insurance include: multi- policy discount—clients can save when they insure more than one vehicle, or bundle coverage with their home policy; loyalty discount—clients can poten-

How do Total Loss Replacement products benefit your clients?

will work to ensure clients are supported during a loss.

Dealership success is our success. Ask us how HUB’s Total Loss Vehicle Replacements products can benefit dealerships.

Why choose HUB? We pride ourselves on providing the highest level of client service, including quick response times and attention to detail, and ensuring your clients’ vehicles are properly insured.

Along with auto, we provide coverage for home, travel, life and business, plus a full range of employee benefit and retirement products. We also offer our dealership partners: • Commercial fleet: From small fleets of five tractor-trailers to complex commercial operations with more than 8,000 vehicles, our team excels at licensing and insuring vehicles of all types. We are Continued on page 19

SPONSORED CONTENT

Right-Size Your Dealership’s Insurance Coverage for a Post-Pandemic World Have the coverage and knowledge you need As the global pandemic appears to be abating, business owners are breathing a collective sigh of relief. With the likelihood of another significant change on the horizon, it’s essential you have the right insurance coverages to protect your business and prevent a loss-generating event from causing the downfall of your dealership.

Overlooking your insurance coverage for a post-pandemic Canada can result in bad outcomes up to and including not paying enough to rebuild a business should you need to. Following are three considerations to ensure you have the coverage and knowledge you need.

Insurance values assessment When was the last time you conducted a review of your insurance coverages and amounts?

Remember, your insurance company will only pay out the amount you’ve insured, not what you lost. Similarly, if you’re covered for more than you need, the insurance company is charging you money for coverage you will never use.

Your insurance coverage amounts are the most important part of your insurance policy. Review these at least once per year and consult an independent expert to conduct a maximum loss analysis.

Cyber attacks According to the Allianz Risk Barometer, cyber incidents were the third highest risk globally in 2021.

Your dealership collects a lot of sensitive information about customers and employees which nefarious actors would love to get their hands on.

Nearly two-thirds of insurance-claim costs resulting from cyber incidents are due to the associated business interruption. Insurance companies are watching changing breach tactics, costs and market demands closely and will continue to adapt policy wordings and coverage to follow suit. Merely having cyber-breach coverage is therefore no longer enough to protect your business.

Proper forensic accounting support can ensure you’re as protected as possible and get the maximum payout if you experience a breach. Seek guidance before an attack to ensure your insurance coverage and terms are appropriate and you know the potential losses that could result

from a breach. Following an attack, your forensic accountant can also help you assess damages and prepare an accurate claim calculation.

Business interruption Do your leaders and team members know what to do if your dealership experiences a catastrophic loss?

Business interruption coverages and waiting periods will heavily influence how quickly and comprehensively you’re able to put a plan into action. But the wrong event paired with the wrong coverage could magnify the impacts of a disaster.

Review your policies to ensure you are appropriately covered for the most likely loss events, and to ensure your business interruption plan mirrors your coverage and when that coverage starts.

Ensure your business can get back on its feet quickly and completely by: • Having an independent advisor assess your insurance coverage and values; • Reviewing your business interruption plan and related insurance coverages; and • Conducting a cyber risk and controls audit to gauge your risk and resilience to a potential attack.

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that we need to be ready for just about anything. Insurance can help offset some of that uncertainty, but only if you’re covering the right things for the right amounts. Take time to celebrate your long-awaited return to business as usual, but not until after you’re confident your insurance is rightsized for this new normal.

To learn more about how MNP can help, contact Chris Schaufele, CPA, CA, BC Dealership Services Leader, at chris.schaufele@mnp.ca.

Why Auto Insurance Options Matter...

Continued from page 18

experts at helping our clients navigate technical regulatory environments and administrative standards.

• Garage policies and dealership road service, including demo vehicles, service loaners, test-drive vehicles and more.

As experts in garage policy services, we are your one-stop shop for vehicle management. Our goal is to reduce your

risk, no matter how your vehicles are used.

• In-house lease management program: You want to ensure your lessees are insured when they’re driving the car you own. That’s why we have staff dedicated to supporting lease portfolios by monitoring insurance renewals for leased vehicles. We will contact your lessees to ensure their insurance is renewed and to protect your assets.

Please feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to answer any query you may have.

We look forward to partnering with you, helping you reach your goals and supporting your clients.

To learn more, contact the Client Service Centre: 604-269-1234 or by email myinsurance@hubinternational.com newcardealers.ca

19

LEGAL LINE

Social Host and Employer Host Liability What dealers need to know

BY CHRISTOPHER J. BAKKER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, CLYDE & CO. As the pandemic loosens its hold on the province, and with the lifting of more and more restrictions on social events, there is little doubt that people will want to gather again. Whether it be for a work function or social celebration, if alcohol is served, should you be worried about your legal liability as host? This article outlines social host and employer host liability, and what you should keep in mind as you, once again, celebrate valued relationships with friends, family, clients and co-workers.

Social host liability A social host includes anyone who: is not selling or supplying alcohol for profit; is not an employer, or in any position in which he or she has a unique relationship with his or her guests; and, is serving alcohol or condoning the service/consumption of alcohol on prem-

ises over which he or she has control.

As the host of a party, you should be concerned about your guests consuming too much alcohol for a variety of reasons. The most important reason is, of course, their safety. Most motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol result in serious injuries to the driver, passengers or others.

The leading Canadian case on social host liability is Childs v. Desormeaux. In Childs, a couple hosted a New Year’s Eve BYOB (“bring your own booze”) party. One of the guests was a known alcoholic. He consumed at least 12 beers over the two and a half hours he was at the party. The guest drove away from the party, after being involved in an argument with another guest. He veered out of his own lane and collided head on with another vehicle. One occupant of the other car was killed, and another was severely injured. The guest had no insurance at the time of the accident and was virtually without assets. The accepted evidence was that, while they walked him

to his car, the hosts did not know the extent of the guest’s intoxication.

The Supreme Court of Canada held that holding a private party at which alcohol is served is insufficient to implicate the host in the creation of a risk sufficient to give rise to a duty of care to third parties who may be subsequently injured by the conduct of a guest. The host creates a place where people can meet, visit and imbibe alcohol, whether served on the premises or supplied by the guest. All this falls within accepted parameters of non-dangerous conduct.

In terms of legal liability, the successful host liability cases have been against commercial hosts, such as bars and restaurants, that serve alcohol for profit. There has not been a successful case against a social host yet.

However, the court in Childs left the door open for a finding of liability in a circumstance where “the host’s conduct implicates him or her in the creation or exacerbation of the risk.” It’s not clear what specific

A fresh look for the NCDA A fresh look for the NCDA Rolling into 2022 with a new logo and website

Rolling into 2022 with a new logo and website

We felt it was time for an update to the overall look of the We feltand it was time the for an update to the overall of the brand to keep website platform current,look engaging, brand and to keep friendly. the website current, and mobile device The platform new design allowsengaging, for and mobile device friendly.

The new design allows for a easier navigation, more resource material for members, easier navigation, more resource material for members, compelling presentation of BC’s New Car Dealers’ story,a compelling presentation of BC’s CarAssociation.

Dealers’ story, and the important advocacy workNew of the and the important advocacy work of the Association.

With appreciation to Harv Craven Design for creating the brand With appreciation to Harvand Craven Design for creating the brand refresh and new website the Canadian Automobile Dealers refresh and new website and in the Canadian Dealers Association for their support making this Automobile project possible.

Association for their support in making this project possible.

Explore our new website at newcardealers.ca Explore our new website at newcardealers.ca 20

Signals Magazine January–March 2022

conduct might fall into the category of “creation or exacerbation” of the risk, but the takeaway is that if you are serving alcohol, or even if guests are consuming their own alcohol, make sure they have access to a safe ride home.

Employer host liability If you are going to host a party for your employees, it is important to keep in mind that the law imposes a higher standard of care on an employer host than a social host. An employer serving alcohol to its employees has an obligation to monitor the consumption of alcohol and to ensure that employees who are intoxicated are able to make their way home safely.

There are only a handful of Canadian cases on this issue. One is the 1996 British Columbia Supreme Court decision in Jacobsen v. Nike Canada Ltd. In that case, a supervisor provided alcohol to his crew while they were working on a trade show. One employee drank at least eight beers while on the job, went to a bar after work and then had a 45-minute drive home. He fell asleep, crashed his car and is now in a wheelchair for life. The court held that the relationship between employer and employee was even more special than

that of bar and patron.

The employer had an obligation to provide a safe workplace, to monitor the consumption of beer, especially if the supervisor knew the employees were driving, and then prevent the employees from driving. While the employee admitted that he contributed to his own injuries with his consumption of alcohol, the court held that the employer should still bear most of the liability and found the employer 75 per cent liable for the employee’s injuries.

Jenkins v. Muir is a more recent Alberta case that involved an employee who was killed in a head-on collision after consuming alcohol at her place of employment and spending hours with a variety of individuals. The evidence was unclear as to the exact timing and attendance of the various people or the source of the alcohol that was consumed, although it was likely brought to the office by individuals and not specifically supplied by the employer. The deceased’s boss left around 9 pm, but the deceased and others continued to drink in the office until nearly 2 am.

The court, after reviewing both the Jacobsen and Childs decisions, found that it had not been established that the employer provided the alcohol, and that there was

insufficient evidence regarding how much the deceased drank throughout the evening.

The evidence also established that there was no expectation for individuals to remain and continue to drink for several hours. Finally, the court recognized that the company had a generous taxi policy that allowed employees to charge the costs of taxi service to the company at any time. As a result, the court found that it was not proven on a balance of probabilities that the employer ought to have foreseen the deceased would become intoxicated and operate her vehicle.

These cases provide examples of circumstances in which an employer can be at risk for liability arising from consumption of alcohol in social situations in the workplace. The actual risk of liability will depend on the facts of each case. We all have a responsibility to not drink and drive, but it is clear that there is a higher standard of care imposed on employers to monitor employees’ consumption of alcohol, particularly in the circumstance where the alcohol is supplied by the employer.

It’s better to be safe than sorry as the restrictions on social and event gatherings are lifted. Consider providing taxi vouchers to guests, provide a shuttle service or ask for volunteer designated drivers.

With the economy picking up speed, we remain dedicated to ensuring our dealer’s success.”

KAR Global is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of our customers, employees and communities in all we do during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to closely monitor public health and government directives to ensure we’re operating safely. As we emerge from the pandemic and with the economy picking up speed, we remain KAR Global is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of our customers, dedicated to ensuring our dealers’ success.

employees and communities in all we do during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to closely monitor public healthvia and government directives to ensure we’re As We continue to hold Simulcast auctions ADESA.ca and the ADESA Marketplace app.operating Our other safely. digital channels — includingwe private labelfrom sitesthe andpandemic upstream and openwith (non-auction) vehicles on ADESA.ca also remain open emerge the economy picking up speed,and we TradeRev remain dedicated and activetotoensuring keep yourour business moving forward. dealers’ success.

That’s why KAR Global is extending and initiating relief programs and temporary price reductions as well as resuming Wegive continue hold Simulcast auctions viaanytime, ADESA.ca and theand ADESA Marketplace app.ever: services to dealerstothe confidence to buy and sell anywhere emerge stronger than

Our other digital channels — including private label sites and upstream open (non-auction) vehicles on ADESA.ca and TradeRev also remain open and active to keep your business • Buyermoving Vehicle forward.

Previews: Most ADESA locations are now offering in-person visits to preview and assess inventory.

• Waived Simulcast Fees: No Simulcast success fees for buyers.

Contact your local ADESA auction to learn more.

That’s why KAR Global is extending and initiating relief programs and temporary price reductions as well as resuming services to give dealers the confidence to buy and sell For additional information and than all of the latest updates, visit ADESA.ca anytime, anywhere and emerge stronger ever:

• Post Sale Inspections: All locations are now offering PSIs. Contact your local ADESA auction to learn more.

• Waived Simulcast Fees: No Simulcast success fees for buyers through July 31, 2020.

newcardealers.ca

21

CLEANBC GO ELECTRIC

PROGRAM UPDATES

2021 Hits Record Rebate Numbers Rebates requested for over 16,000 EVs As we look back on 2021, we see submissions to the CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program continue to rise. This past year reached a new milestone—2021 marked the busiest year in the program’s history—with the most rebates submitted and most rebates paid out.

Submissions for rebates by year: • 2019: 15,231 • 2020: 11,204 • 2021: 16,254 In this section, dealer members will also find new tools added for checking customer eligibility as well as updated tips for successful applications.

New driver’s license lookup An updated driver’s license number search tool has been added for dealership staff to determine if a rebate has been applied for, prior to proceeding with a rebate application. This should assist with eligibility questions. The password is the same one as that on the new application form page.

Note: Do not solely rely on this tool to confirm eligibility. If you have questions about a customer’s eligibility, please contact the CleanBC program staff.

View the tool: newcardealersgoelectric. ca/license-check-form

TOP TIPS FOR ACCURATE SUBMISSIONS Check the program website regularly to ensure you are using the latest forms.

• Dealer Application Checklist: newcardealersgoelectric.ca/application-checklist • Letter of Received Rebate: newcardealersgoelectric.ca/letter-received-rebate

One-rebate limit

Optional digital signatures

Individuals can only receive one rebate during the life of the program. If you are unsure about your customer’s eligibility, please contact us to verify it. If a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) is being considered for a trade-in on the purchase of a new ZEV, dealers should determine if the customer has met the 12-month ownership requirement completing a deal. For more information, please check our policies here: newcardealersgoelectric.ca/policies

The digital signature feature on the online form is for the customer (applicant) to sign, NOT the dealer.

If the applicant is not present while you fill out the form, leave the digital signature section blank.

15 day cut-off CleanBC applications must be submitted within 15 days of the date of sale/lease, in order to be eligible for funding.

MSRP limit If the price of vehicle, as it appears on the binding contract, is greater than $55,000, dealers should provide the OEM invoice/window sticker to confirm that the trim’s base MSRP of the vehicle is equal to or less than $55,000. For program purposes, optional accessories and other fees (such as destination, documentation, et cetera) do not affect the vehicle’s eligibility for the rebate. As long as the vehicle’s model and trim level are included in the list of eligible vehicles, and the trim level’s MSRP is equal to or lower than $55,000, the vehicle is eligible.

Listing rebate correctly • As per the requirements, please ensure the CleanBC rebate is labelled with the full amount clearly listed on the binding contract.

• Avoid using the old program branding (“CEV”).

• If the CleanBC rebate was applied on a line item that combines more than one payment, list the breakdown of the amounts.

On vehicle types • Only new, demo and service loaner vehicles are eligible for the rebate.

• For the purpose of the program, vehicles with over 500 km on the odometer at the time of the sale/ delivery are not considered new.

• Click here for more information: newcardealersgoelectric.ca/vehicleeligibility-criteria

Top 10 Paid Out Vehicles - 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, 743

Kia Soul EV Chevrolet Bolt 503 662

Nissan Leaf 471

New

Kia Niro BEV, 745 Toyota RAV4 Prime 821

Tesla Model 3 8025

Tesla Model Y 1163

• 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (4 trims) • 2022 BMW i4 (1 trim)

Hyundai Kona EV 1701

Continued and updated year and trims:

Toyota Prius Prime 1294

Tesla Model 3 Toyota RAV4 Prime Kia Soul EV

22

New eligible vehicles added to the program for the first time:

• 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Sahara (1 trim) • 2022 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV (1 trim) • 2022 Ford Escape PHEV (3 trims) Hyundai Kona EV Kia Niro BEV Nissan Leaf

Signals Magazine January–March 2022

Toyota Prius Prime Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Tesla Model Y Chevrolet Bolt

Funding Helps Promote Electric Vehicle Uptake in BC Community groups benefit from outreach program incentive Community groups and local governments throughout the province can receive funding through the Community Outreach Incentive Program (COIP) to educate and encourage people to switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

The province is providing $118,000 through COIP under a partnership with the Emotive outreach and awareness campaign to support BC communities, organizations and local governments delivering local and regional EV-awareness campaigns that include video production, EV events and demonstrations.

This year, COIP funding was also provided to the Clean Transportation Targets and Planning (CTTP) pilot that supports target setting, policy planning and implementation to encourage the transition to EVs as well as other forms of transportation, such as walking, cycling and public transit.

This round of funding through COIP is supporting several communities throughout BC, including $13,000 directed to the Musqueam

Indian Band to create a series of videos promoting the health and environmental benefits of EVs by showcasing Musqueam residents and staff sharing their EV experiences. Funding is also supporting research and planning for future electrification of the Musqueam vehicle fleet.

“Experiencing the adverse effects of climate change in recent years has made reducing on-reserve CO2 emissions a priority for Musqueam membership and administration,” said Ehsan Haghi, project lead and community energy specialist, Musqueam Indian Band. “The COIP funding enables the band to provide information to the membership about the cost of purchasing an electric car, the financial and environmental benefits of switching to an electric car and critical factors to consider when buying an electric car.”

The municipality of Whistler and district of Squamish received $9,960 to create videos that profile EV drivers in the commuter work-

force in the Sea-to-Sky region, and to host a webinar to educate people about the advantages of EV ownership. In addition, Whistler received $15,040 under the CTTP pilot to develop an e-mobility strategy for EVs, e-bikes and other electric mobility devices. The municipality will set targets for adoption and infrastructure that align with its goal of achieving 50 per cent of vehicle kilometres travelled by EVs by 2030.

The COIP and CTTP pilot align with the goals and targets in the province’s recently released CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, which details a range of expanded actions to accelerate the transition to a net-zero future and achieve BC’s legislated greenhouse gas emissions targets.

These actions include strengthening the Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Act to require 26 per cent of light-duty vehicle sales to be ZEV by 2026, 90 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035, which is five years ahead of the original target.

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newcardealers.ca

23

SPONSORED CONTENT

BC Paid Sick Leave Eligibility, cost and other questions

BY CHRIS DRINOVZ, PARTNER, KSW LAWYERS EMPLOYMENT & LABOUR GROUP On May 11, 2021, the BC government introduced Bill 13 – 2021: Employment Standards Amendment Act (No 2), 2021 (the “Bill”), which provided employees with up to three days of paid sick leave related to COVID-19 between May 20, 2021 and December 31, 2021, and also established a permanent sick leave program that would take effect on January 1, 2022. The bill received Royal Assent on May 20, 2021.

After consulting with businesses and workers further, on November 24, 2021, labour minister Harry Bains announced that effective January 1, 2022, employers are required to provide their eligible employees with up

to five days of paid sick leave per year if they need to stay home because they are sick or injured. Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible for this benefit.

The business community and the local BC Chambers have voiced a lot of concerns with the timing and impact of this new leave on employers, given many other rising costs, including the supply chain issues, labour shortage, BC floods impact, employer health tax and increases in minimum wage, as well as the conclusion of some pandemic-related subsidies or programs for businesses. We will cover some of the details of the new requirement below.

Keep customers for a lifetime Leverage CARFAX Canada’s trusted brand to drive customers back to your dealership throughout their lifetime of vehicle ownership.

With CARFAX for Life, service reminders and exclusive email offers bring customers back to YOU, helping to increase service revenue and build customer loyalty.

To learn more, visit go.carfax.ca/service.

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Signals Magazine January–March 2022

Paid sick leave eligibility The paid sick leave entitlement applies to all employees covered by the Employment Standards Act (ESA), including part-time, temporary or casual employees, as well as most seasonal or temporary foreign workers.

The ESA does not cover certain types of employees, including those in federally-regulated sectors, self-employed workers or independent contractors, or employees in professions and occupations excluded from the ESA. To qualify for this new paid leave, employees must be employed for 90 consecutive days. Employers are permitted to ask an em-

ployee for sufficient proof of illness or injury, which an employee must provide as soon as practicable. An employee does not need to give advance notice or seek prior approval to miss a day of work due to personal illness or injury.

include overtime. The average day’s pay is then multiplied by the number of sick days the employee requests.

Other points and FAQs A few interesting scenarios came up from our discussions with employers. Here is some additional information: • If not fully used, days don’t carry over into the next year, and nothing needs to be paid out by the employer. If an employee uses three days for 2022, in 2023 they will still have five days. There is a question around whether employers have to keep track of the days per year of service or calendar year.

• Part-time workers also get five days; however, the calculation of pay is based on their average pay based on last 30 days, as outlined above.

• Employees are also entitled to three days of unpaid sick leave in addition to the five paid sick leave.

• There is currently no limit for employees with multiple employers—they can receive up to five paid sick days from each employer.

• There is no reimbursement or subsidy for

The business community and the local BC Chambers have voiced a lot of concerns with the timing and impact of this new leave on employers, given many other rising costs.

Calculating sick leave pay Employers need to pay their employees their regular wages for these days. To calculate for employees working various hours use the same formula as calculating statutory holiday pay: total wages divided by number of days worked equals sick day pay (an average day’s pay). Base your calculation on days worked during the 30 calendar days before the sick day (including vacation days). Include all wages—this includes salary, commission, statutory holiday pay and paid vacation. Don’t

employers from the government at this time. Employers are entirely responsible for the cost.

• There is no requirement to allow for halfday sick days—only five full sick days.

• Some employers are offering employees a bonus if they don’t take all five sick days off in a year.

• If an employer is unionized and its collective agreement does not “meet or exceed” the new paid sick leave, this requirement will be deemed to be incorporated into the collective agreement and the total number of days will be brought up to the new standard of five days.

Our employment and labour lawyers are heavily involved in various local BC chambers and policy committees, attend roundtable discussions and present webinars regularly on the Employment Standards Act and related legislation.

We communicate all these updates to our clients and readers on our Employer Resources Portal and through monthly newsletters.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Chris Drinovz at cdd@ksw.bc.ca.

We’ve Got You Covered

Protect your dealership with trusted legal counsel.

We are here to assist you with: • • • • •

Employment Contracts Policies & Manuals Wrongful Dismissal Human Rights Investigations

• • • • •

Occupational H&S WorkSafeBC Union Certication Advice Collective Bargaining Labour Arbitration and more

Chris Drinovz, Partner, Lawyer

Get in touch today Christopher Drinovz cdd@ksw.bc.ca | 604-507-6192 Michael Weiler mweiler@ksw.bc.ca | 604-336-7423 Michael Weiler, Lawyer

newcardealers.ca

25

SPONSORED CONTENT

SPECIAL OLYMPICS BC SNAPSHOT

Athletes Excited to Get Back in the Game It’s been almost two years since Special Olympics BC sport programs and competitions were at their full, life-changing capacity for athletes with intellectual disabilities throughout British Columbia.

From March 2020 to fall 2021, the pandemic forced the closure of the majority of Special Olympics BC’s in-person sport and youth programs. Many athletes described life without in-person Special Olympics programs as lonely, sad, confusing and lacking purpose. They found it hard to stay active on their own.

“It was rough,” said Ashley Adie, Special Olympics BC—Campbell River athlete. “Everything being moved online was really difficult. That was my social life. I found myself falling into a depression, and my motivation went down the toilet. I found myself really fighting to keep running and keep training.”

With strong Return to Sport safety standards in place, Special Olympics BC communities are safely reopening more of the in-person, yearround sport programs that mean so much to the participating athletes with intellectual disabilities—as well as to all of the volunteers and supporters who get so much back from being involved.

Special Olympics is “like a big happy family,” Adie says. “When we’re doing the in-person stuff, we feed off each other with motivation and pushing each other to go further and train harder. It gives me purpose, a sense of belonging and something to continually strive for. It has me pushing myself to the limit.”

Torben Schuffert won two gold medals at the 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Thunder Bay.

Ashley Adie and teammate Sheryl Jakubowski at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Antigonish.

Special Olympics BC—Nanaimo athlete Miranda Orth said it was hard to keep active without in-person programs.

At her first time back at track and field practice, she had a great time participating in a sport she loves alongside all the athletes and coaches.

“The people there were fun to interact with and so I got to socialize with some people along with doing hard work with running around the track and some exercises,” Orth said.

Special Olympics BC—Smithers athlete Torben Schuffert said he enjoyed SOBC’s virtual programs, but he missed spending time with his teammates. He says he is very grateful to be able to see his friends again, and his friends are also very happy.

26

Signals Magazine January–March 2022

“Going to a practice with other athletes got me excited. When we are together, we can chat. We cheer for each other. We tell each other that we can do this. We support each other. And my coaches have a lot of energy,” Schuffert said.

Other BC athletes say Special Olympics has given them confidence, friends, happiness, purpose and the feeling of being accepted. They say it has changed their lives.

Today, Special Olympics BC volunteers, athletes and supporters around the province are working hard to reopen programs. But they’re only a quarter of the way back to the usual capacity.

The pandemic has a long-lasting, far-reaching impact that Special Olympics BC will be working to overcome for many years. Now more than ever, it is extremely grateful to BC’s new car dealers for their continued support. They are creating life-changing opportunities for more than 5,200 athletes in more than 55 communities across the province.

You can make a difference for Special Olympics BC and the New Car Dealers Foundation of BC by supporting the 2022 Auction for Athletes.

To learn how to get involved, please contact SOBC Fund Development Coordinator Amanda Liao at aliao@specialolympics.bc.ca

RETAIL ANYWHERE WITHOUT SACRIFICING ANYTHING

To learn more about Retail Anywhere visit reyrey.ca/retailanywhere To learn more about Retail Anywhere visit reyrey.com/retailanywhere

©2022 The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. All rights reserved. 01/22

SPONSORED CONTENT

DRIVING INSIGHTS | Is It Time for a Change?

Consider how your team handles sales and finance

BY DREW HARDEN, MANAGER, CX RESEARCH & INSIGHTS AT CARFAX CANADA Today, the typical vehicle buying process means that customers may spend hours building a relationship with a salesperson, only to be handed over to a business manager once they’ve finally worked out a deal. Plus, we know the wait time to get in front of a business manager can tank your customer’s experience. CARFAX Canada Driving Insights surveyed over 2,000 recent new and used vehicle buyers and found that: • Among customers who wait less than 15 minutes to talk financing, 48 per cent rate their financing experience as excellent.

• If the wait they experience is longer than 15 minutes, only 27 per cent rate it as excellent.

There is plenty of discussion around having a single person handle the entire buying process, thereby reducing wait time and allowing a salesperson to build interest in additional products during the sales process. But before you change the structure of your team, the question still remains: what do your customers want?

Do your car buyers want to work with one person?

When it’s time to hand a person over to financing, customers are divided on whether or not they want a single salesperson to handle their entire transaction. Among recent car buyers who financed their purchase, 54 per cent want one person to handle sales and finance during their next vehicle purchase, while 46 per cent want to buy a car from a salesperson, then work with someone else for finance. The story remains the same even if you look at new and used buyers separately, as well as customers who purchased from a franchise or independent dealership. Working with a single salesperson will make a lot of customers happy, but not all of them.

Why are customers divided about this?

A vehicle buyer’s desire to complete the entire transaction with one person or separate sales and finance comes down to the customer’s preference between convenience or simplicity. The customers who

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Signals Magazine January–March 2022

want to work with just the salesperson said it was easier to deal with one person, and they liked the convenience of all their paperwork and negotiations being handled at the same time. Customers who want to buy their car with salesperson, and then visit the finance office, don’t want to overcomplicate the car-buying process by trying to do everything at once; plus, they want to be sure they’re working with a finance expert.

Experience matters most Moving the entire sales and finance process to one person has a lot of potential. However, considering that customers are focused on either convenience or simplicity, the number of people involved in their purchase may not be nearly as important as catering to these underlying needs. Through a smooth handoff, two people can still provide a convenient process. Likewise, by taking things one step at a time and keeping up on training, one person can still provide simplicity and expertise. Go with whichever kind of purchase experience that your store can successfully deliver. A great experience is a great experience, regardless of how many people it takes—just be sure to keep those handoffs to less than 15 minutes. Among customers who wait less than 15 minutes to talk financing, 48 per cent rate their financing experience as excellent.

If the wait they experience is longer than 15 minutes, only 27 per cent rate it as excellent.

There is plenty of discussion around having a single person handle the entire buying process, thereby reducing wait time and allowing a salesperson to build interest in additional products during the sales process. But before you change the structure of your team, the question still remains: what do your customers want?

Driving Insights takes your questions about Canadian car buyers, and turns them into answers! Get more insights at www.carfax.ca/insights.

WITH SPECIAL THANKS The New Car Dealers Association of BC would like to acknowledge these fine companies for their support of your association’s activities.

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

Premier Partners

GOLD LEVEL

CADA 360 programs are unique. Each program is designed under the guidance of a dealer committee, and participating dealers become stakeholders in the programs. “It all comes back to you” is more than a tag line: it’s a guarantee to association members. The end result is a powerful combination of industry-leading business solutions for health and wellness benefits and exceptional dealer representation. CADA also supports the development of automotive leadership through its partnership with the Automotive Business School of Canada.

Learn more at cada.ca/web/cada/insurance/cada

First Canadian Financial Group is a national, privately chartered life insurance company that has been offering life and disability insurance coverage on consumer loans through automotive dealership financial service offices since September 1988. Since that time, the First Canadian Financial Group has been marketing its insurance, mechanical breakdown protection and protection product programs through automotive, RV and marine dealers across Canada with tremendous success.

Learn more at firstcanadian.ca

CARFAX Canada, a unit of IHS Markit, is Canada’s definitive source of automotive information, delivering vehicle history, appraisal and valuation. Drawing on billions of data records from thousands of unique sources, its products enable used vehicle buyers and sellers to make in-formed decisions.

Formerly known as CARPROOF Corporation, CAR-FAX Canada is dedicated to transparency, and is trusted to provide im-partial and comprehensive information to dealerships, vehicle manufac-turers, consumers, major auctions, governments, insurance providers and police agencies.

Learn more at carfax.ca Cox Automotive is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns and uses cars with industryleading marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. The global company has 34,000 team members in more than 220 locations and is a partner to more than 50,000 auto dealers as well as most automobile manufacturers.

Learn more at coxautoinc.ca SCRAP-IT is a not-for-profit society, operating in both BC and Alberta. With a goal of improving the quality of the environment by creating clean places to live, it has successfully delivered provincial, federal and privately funded incentive/rebate programs for over 20 years.

Learn more at scrapit.ca

SILVER LEVEL ADESA Vancouver’s auctions provide registered dealers, brokers, automobile manufacturers and rental agencies as well as corporate and government fleets with a complete vehicle marketing solution in British Columbia.

Learn more at adesa.ca/vancouver

BRONZE LEVEL Michael Mason & Co. has been manufacturing and supplying for the automotive industry since 1967.

It has products for every department within your dealership. Michael Mason & Co. fabricate products at factories in British Columbia, Canada.

Learn more at michaelmason.ca

SiriusXM is the country’s leading entertainment company. SiriusXM creates and offers commercial-free music, premier sports talk and live events, comedy, news and exclusive talk and entertainment. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company, smart phones and other connected devices as well as online.

Learn more at siriusxm.ca

The New Car Dealers Association of BC is a proud member of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA). The CADA is the national association representing new car and truck dealers. Acting as the voice of the dealers at the national level, CADA serves as an advocate to government, industry and the public.

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Signals Magazine January–March 2022

ASSOCIATE MEMBER DIRECTORY Associate Members of the New Car Dealers Association of BC provide vital products and services to Dealer Members, allowing them to do business with greater cost effectiveness, environmental responsibility, and general efficiency.

ACCOUNTING

FINANCIAL SERVICES

PAYMENT PROCESSING, MERCHANT SERVICES

Baker Tilly WM LLP

BMO - Bank of Montreal

Moneris

Masato Oki // 604-684-6212 // bakertilly.ca

Bradley Warren // 604-417-0229 // bmo.com

Michael Chung // 604-419-8202 // moneris.com

MNP LLP Accounting

Calla Financial Services

Leanne MacKinnon // 604-921-4048 x122 // callafinancial.ca

Darrell Endresen // 604-949-2088 // mnp.ca

CIBC Commercial Banking

AUCTION SERVICES

Harv Craven Design

ADESA Auctions Canada

First Canadian Financial Group

John Macdonald // 604-232-4403 // adesa.com

Darren Johnson // 250.217.5955 // firstcanadian.ca

EBlock

General Bank of Canada

Nicole Sergio // 416-853-5626 // edealer.ca

Marley Begg // 780-974-2829 // generalbank.ca

Manheim Auto Auction Company (Cox Automotive Canada)

iA Auto Finance

John Eadie // 604-882-8220 // salgroup.com

BCIT - School of Transportation Mubasher Faruki // 604-454-2234 // bcit.ca/transportation

Georgian College (Automotive Business School of Canada) Joe Lauzon // 705-728-1968 x1234 // georgiancollege.ca

Stephanie Day // 604-806-5300 // lgm.ca

Janette Tooley Andrade // 905-264-7022 // consolidateddealers.com

Leader Auto Resources LAR Inc. Bob Grewal // 778-773-1727 // larnet.com

Western Dealers Co-Auto

DEALER 20 GROUPS NCM Kory Suppes // 913-401-2311 // ncmassociates.com

DMS PLATFORMS Greg Wallin // 778-838-0639 // cdkglobal.com

Frontline Real Estate Services

Shawn Vording // 866-835-8612 x2966 // carfax.ca

CarGurus Lexi Lipton // 617-315-1137 // ca.cargurus.com

Scotiabank Western Dealer Finance Centre

Kijiji Autos

Karen Stetz // 800-268-0762 // scotiabank.com

Kristin Macintosh // 647-962-1510 // Kijiji.ca

Scotia Dealer Advantage

Trader Corporation

John Hiscock // 416-288-7800 // scotiabank.com/scotiadealeradvantage

Randy Shepherd / 403-999-8854 // autotrader.ca

Richard (Rick) Bessex // 778-628-7458 // TDFS.com

TOOL SUPPLIER

HEALTH BENEFITS

Ray Lavender // 416-662-9951 // snapon.com

ZLC Financial

Snap-on

VEHICLE ALIGNMENT SYSTEMS

Fab Biagini // 604-688-7208 // zlc.net

Hunter Engineering Dan Martin // 780-340-3456 // hunter.com

INSURANCE SERVICES

CDK Global

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

CARFAX Canada ULC

Catalina Baciu // 778-231-8383 // nbc.ca

TD Auto Finance

Mike Reid // 780-468-9552 // wdcoauto.com

Radius Security

RESEARCH AND SHOPPING WEBSITES

National Bank

Aaron Young // 604-656-2965 // rbc.com/canada.html

Consolidated Dealers Co-Op

PROPERTY SECURITY

Ande Kuric // 604-687-8300 // flre.ca

LGM Financial

RBC Automotive Finance Group

CO-OPS

Harv Craven // 604-476-0435 // harvcravendesign.com

Mike Baxter // 604-232-2405 // radiussecurity.ca

Denise Buott // 905-815-9510 // iaautofinance.ca

Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

AUTOMOTIVE SCHOOLS

One Persuasion Hamish Marshall // 778-835-3715 // onepersuades.com

Phil Lehn // 604-665-1318 // cibc.com

Jack Sulymka // 905-875-3522 x5441 // manheim.com

PRINT AND DESIGN SOLUTIONS

AllWest Insurance Services Renee Nielly // 604-733-7383 // allwestins.com

Canadian Black Book

Reynolds and Reynolds

HUB International Insurance Brokers

Richard Phillips // 905-413-7601 // canadianblackbook.com

George Schaeffer // 519-317-3400 // reyrey.com

Wayne LeGear // 604-269-1944 // hubinternational.com

Consultant Auto 360

Serti Information Solutions

Insurance Insight

Kim Normandin // 514-394-1955 x508 // solutionsmedias360.com

Nadine Harvey // 514-493-1909 // serti.com

Neal O’Donoghue // 866-603-8666 // insuranceinsight.ca

Cox Automotive Canada

Optiom

Shannon Newman // 905-290-6414 // coxautoinc.ca

Michelle Wong // 800-613-3705 // optiombc.com

DealerTrack

E-CHAT AND ONLINE TEXT SERVICES Kimoby

Jack Sulymka // 905-875-3522 // us.dealertrack.com

LEGAL SERVICES

Alex Wojcik // 877-248-0204 // kimoby.com

Dealer Solutions North America

Clyde & Co Canada LLP

ENTERTAINMENT SOLUTIONS

Matthew Wansink // 604.408.2022 // clydeco.ca

Sirius XM Canada Mario DeGrace // 403-629-2953 // sxmdealer.ca

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

KSW Lawyers Michael J. Weiler // 604.336.7423 // ksw.bc.ca

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

SCRAP-IT

Peak Apparel

Nicki Lewis // 604-273-8552 // scrapit.ca

Eric Kazenbroot // 604-445-4405 // peakapparel.com

Rick Kingdon // 778-245-1041 // dealersolutionsna.com

NextGear Capital (Cox Automotive Canada) Jack Sulymka // 905-875-3522 // canada.nextgearcapital.com

Smart Program Inc. Jerrod Lucas // 780-975-3412 // thesmartprogram.ca

VAuto (Cox Automotive Canada) Jack Sulymka // 905-875-3522 // vauto.com

VinSolutions (Cox Automotive Canada)

EV CHARGING SERVICES

OFFICIAL NCDA BILL OF SALE PROVIDER

FLO

Michael Mason & Co.

Xtime (Cox Automotive Canada)

Rory Gattens // 604 679-7176 // flo.ca

Steve Batchelor // 250-384-7304 // michaelmason.ca

Jack Sulymka // 905-875-3522 // xtime.ca

New Car Dealers Association of BC

NCDA_BC

NewCarDealersAssoc

Jack Sulymka // 905-875-3522 // vinsolutions.com

NCDA_BC

newcardealers.ca

31

Do your service providers protect your best interests?

The answer is yes, if you’re with CADA 360.

CADA 360 products were created to protect your best interests. Each is a leader in its field, because the dealer committee members make sure it addresses dealer needs: • • • • •

Employee Benefits Garage Insurance Group Home and Auto Insurance Retirement Savings HR Automation

Most importantly, CADA 360 products fund CADA advocacy. Recent CADA advocacy includes COVID -19 support and protection, fighting auto tariffs,

improving recall legislation, and protecting dealers from tax on insurance commissions.

CADA’s legal action committee supports members on precedent-setting issues.

CADA research and reports help dealers make better decisions.

CADA 360 has been helping Canadian dealers succeed for more than 70 years. And when you buy CADA 360, you fund CADA advocacy.

No other products provide this protection for your business.