Toronto, Ontario — Collision repair businesses in parts of Canada hit by significant snowfalls are reporting sharp surges in demand, with some shops struggling to accommodate damaged vehicles while others say extreme conditions are keeping drivers off the roads altogether.
In New Brunswick, shop owners say recent snowfall has worsened road conditions but has not yet translated into a dramatic spike in repair volumes. Nick Weldon, owner of Weldon Auto Body, said conditions have been poor but manageable.
“[The situation on the roads] is not good,” Weldon said. “But we’re always busy 24/7 because we’re a small shop that can only handle so many jobs.” He added that snowfall levels remain modest by local standards and are expected to clear quickly. “There’s not actually that much snow here — by our standards — and it will be gone by Wednesday.”
In Ontario, strong snow squalls off Lake Huron have produced heavy accumulations, with forecasts calling for 20 to 40 cm in communities including Owen Sound, Barrie, London and Saugeen Shores. While winter weather often drives a surge in collision volumes, some shop operators say the severity of the storms is having the opposite effect.
Rob Dumais, of Simplicity Car Care Barrie -- formerly Streamline Collision Repair -- said business has not increased as it typically does during the recent snow event. “Not particularly,” Dumas said. “Usually when we get some weather events, business increases dramatically. But we got so much snow in such a short time that people just decided to stay home.”
In British Columbia, snowfall impacts have varied widely by region. Northern and northwestern parts of the province, including Fort Nelson and areas near the Cassiar Mountains, have seen accumulations of 20 to 30 cm. Atlin and Haines Junction are expecting 15 to 25 cm, while winter storm warnings remain in effect along the North Coast, including Kitimat and Stewart.
Despite those conditions, some shops say demand is being driven less by weather and more by limited repair capacity. Jenny Major, manager of Nelson Chrysler Auto Body in Nelson, B.C., said snow has not been the primary factor affecting her operation.
“As the only shop in town, we’re just struggling to deal with the influx of vehicles,” Major said. “We’ve seen more than twice our normal volume today and can’t accommodate any more tow-ins.”
