Coast-to coast
Could Professional Regulation Solve Ontario’s Tow Truck Industry Woes? Coast-to Coast-to Coast
Lana Hall
I
n 2020, Ontario’s tow truck industry made headlines after large-scale police stings resulted in charges of arson, drug and weapons possession, and even homicide, in an ongoing turf war among industry operators. Allegedly, some towing groups also defrauded insurance companies by staging collisions. According to transportation, consumer protection and towing industry representatives, limited regulatory oversight has enabled this industry to operate
under the radar for years. Provincial regulation could change that. Currently, 18 out of 444 municipalities in Ontario have bylaws governing towing, but no province-wide regulations or professional licensing exist, says Raymond Chan, government relations manager at the Canadian Automobile Association’s (CAA). “There’s no requirement for any sort of formal training or education or certification,” he says. “It’s pretty much the Wild West. As long as you’ve got a G license, you are qualified to start hooking up vehicles and start towing them up and down the roads of Ontario.” In June 2020, following a blitz that resulted in 50 charges against towing industry members and a Toronto police officer, all allegedly assumed to be part of a tow truck corruption ring, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the cre-
22 theregistrar.ca
winter edition 2021
