Planning has begun for a second Western Canada Auto Recycling Show in Edmonton after the inaugural Calgary event attracted more than 150 participants.
The Sept. 25–26 gathering brought together recyclers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, along with suppliers and other industry representatives.
Wally Dingman, executive director of Automotive Recyclers of Canada, said organizers are exploring a larger facility for the 2027 event. ARC, based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., represents automotive recyclers nationally through provincial associations.
The Calgary program combined a recycling facility tour, equipment demonstrations, a recycler-only roundtable, educational sessions and a trade show.
Delegates visited PRO Auto Recyclers’ Calgary-area operation, where Tom Charlton and his team hosted the opening tour. The business supplies recycled vehicle parts from locations serving Calgary, Surrey and Abbotsford.
Presentations covered insurance, artificial intelligence, inventory management, vehicle bidding, customer service, sales and marketing.
Keynote speaker JC Cahill challenged owners to consider how they want their businesses to develop. His presentation focused on practical changes owners could make after returning to their operations.
A closing panel brought Cahill together with Jeremy Swanson, Corey Earl and Dalbert Livingstone. Steve Fletcher and Dingman moderated discussions about staffing, collaboration, sales channels and vehicle returns. Participants also addressed the challenge of making time to improve a business while managing daily operations.
Fundraising included a tappet car auction and races. One car attracted a $10,000 bid.
Tappet car bidding raised approximately $26,000, with half allocated to the Jack Cohen Continuing Education Fund. A silent auction added $3,364, bringing the preliminary contribution to the fund to more than $16,000.
The Alberta Automotive Recyclers & Dismantlers Association also held its annual general meeting during the event. Paul Race succeeded Ron Campbell as president, and members voted to fill an open member-at-large position in the association’s first such election in many years.
