REGIONAL NEWS | ALBERTA
HANDS-ON LEARNING Skills Canada Alberta is spreading the word about its free field trip offer to schools across the province. The organization is inviting educators to bring their classes to its provincial Skills competition in Edmonton on May 3 and 4, where competitors will go head-to-head against other youth in their trade-of-focus for a coveted […]
Welcomes of the Week: CARSTAR opens Calgary Crowfoot, marking 12th shop for prolific MSO
Calgary, Alberta — Mark another one down for CARSTAR, as the nationwide collision repair chain welcomes a new facility, CARSTAR Calgary Crowfoot, into the fold. Mark Kharfan got his start as a bodyshop owner about 25 years ago and has since become one of CARSTAR’s most prolific MSOs, now boasting 12 shops to his name […]
Albertan All-stars: Winners announced for Skills Alberta provincial competition
Edmonton, Alberta — “Another successful Skills Alberta event in the books!” Cecile Bukmeier, chair of the autobody program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), declared over LinkedIn, following the closing of the provincial skills competition in Edmonton on Thursday. Alberta’s aspiring young tradespeople, including a number of students representing the autobody repair and […]
Spending Surge: Alberta to invest $30M into trades and technology over next three years, 2023 budget says
Edmonton, Alberta – Alberta is planning to invest more than $30 million to support apprenticeships and learning opportunities in the skilled trades for the next three years, according to plans laid out in the province’s recently released 2023 budget. In an announcement at Edmonton’s Harry Ainlay High School, Minister of Skilled Trades and Professions Kaycee […]
REGIONAL NEWS | ALBERTA
RATE CAP CLAPBACK Announced in a joint release from the province’s ministry of finances and affordability and utilities, the Alberta government says it will be “taking action on insurance” through this rate cap, as well as a mandate for insurance companies to allow customers to pay premiums through payment plans. “Affordability is a primary challenge […]
Human Factor: Cox Automotive lays off 80 employees amid Edmonton withdrawal
Edmonton, Alberta — Cox Automotive is cutting loose 80 employees in Canada as it closes its Manheim auction operation, saying that the local wholesale market meant that the business no longer fit Cox’s growth plans for the future. “It’s never easy when we make these decisions. Unfortunately, Edmonton is not going to be a part […]
Golf Gathering: Tickets on sale for 21st annual Crash It Golf Tournament in Calgary
Calgary, Alberta — Grab your clubs from the back of your closet and get ready for one of the Alberta collision industry’s hottest summer events, as registration opens for this year’s Crash It Golf Tournament, returning to Calgary’s Blue Devil Golf Club this August. With registration covering the cost to golf, as well as lunch, […]
Warning Lights: One in four Canadians unable to afford $500 emergency expense, StatsCan reports
Toronto, Ontario — A recent Statistics Canada national survey found that one in four Canadians could not pay for a sudden $500 expense, while one-third experienced some financial difficulty over the last 12 months. Notably, one third of residents in the Atlantic Region and 28 percent of people in the Prairies reported that they were […]
EV/AV Report: Navigating winter weather and planning for a power surge
Toronto, Ontario — An Ottawa company trains autonomous vehicles (AVs) to drive through the harshest of Canadian winters, Mitsubishi pledges to only sell EVs and hybrids by the mid-2030s and a report predicts that 1.5 million EVs will populate Albertan roads by 2035. This is the latest in electric and autonomous vehicles. Train hard, play […]
EV/AV Report: Battery options, communal chargers and public outreach
Toronto, Ontario — Ford announces a massive investment into a Michigan-based battery plant, U.S. federal mandates require Tesla to open its charging network to other companies and an Alberta utility company is calling on EV-owning customers to join a charging grid pilot project. This is the latest in electric and autonomous vehicles. Covering battery bases […]