Harry Pegg Calgary Correspondent for Automotive News Canada [email protected] (403) 850-9722 See All Staff Page Recent Stories Canadian auto shows are driven to drive indoors and the mood is electric COVID-19 slammed the door on large public gatherings across Canada in March 2020, but two of the country’s biggest auto shows returned this year amid hopes that experiential attractions would revive the large-scale events. Smaller Montreal International Auto Show draws 148,516 visitors over 10 days The event was smaller, taking up only one of the usual three floors of the Palais des congress, and numbers were down from the 2020 attendance of 183,149, according to the show’s website. Wood Automotive Group founder promotes sons to boost executive-level ‘horsepower’ Cailean Wood assumes the new role of vice-president sales and marketing while Rory Wood has been appointed vice-president of sales and service. 2023 Vancouver International Auto Show cancelled The Vancouver International Auto Show has joined the growing list of cancelled regional auto shows next year. 2023 Calgary auto show cancelled as automakers show little interest The 2023 edition of the Calgary International Auto and Truck Show and Vehicles & Violins charity gala have been cancelled. Birchwood group buys Winnipeg Dodge Chrysler from McManes Auto Birchwood Automotive Group, the largest dealer group in Manitoba, has purchased Winnipeg Dodge Chrysler from the McManes Auto Group of Calgary. A diverse staff makes a stronger dealership ‘family’ that builds the business Cultural diversity and gender equality are playing key roles in hiring practices among dealers who want their workforces to more accurately reflect their customer base. Calgary dealership developments break a different kind of ground Metro Ford and Big 4 Motors will each build a store at the 530-acre (220-hectare) Taza Park, a mixed development of retail, office and residential. It’s the second of three “villages” in a development covering 1,200 acres (500 hectares) of reserve land. New head of Alberta dealers association takes over during tough times Gerald Wood, 55, succeeds to Denis Ducharme, who retired after 12 years at the job. Wood, a former Ford regional manager, takes over amid a pandemic. 2021 Calgary international auto show cancelled due to COVID-19 Unlike Toronto and Montreal, a virtual auto show is not in the works. Hailstorm causes Calgary stores millions in damage, sparks deals Hailstones larger than golf balls ripped through Calgary’s northeast quadrant June 13, wreaking havoc on dealers in the area. Now, they're cleaning up, assessing the damage and selling off inventory damaged in the storm. Dealers want automakers to assure them they won't be penalized for closing Dealers say that under most dealer agreements, “if you close, you’re in violation of your dealer agreement unless the closure is government ordered." Alberta dealers battered by pandemic and plunging oil prices Dealerships are cutting staff, shortening hours and instituting sterilization and social distancing measures as they struggle to keep the doors open. Calgary's ultraluxury dealers are weathering Alberta's economic downturn Some brands, such as Ferrari, have managed a sales increase in 2019 while dealers of Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have seen spikes in service and used-vehicle sales. Meet the laid-off oil worker selling used EVs in Calgary Jim Steil, co-owner of used-EV store GoElectric in Calgary, sells and leases vehicles with all-in pricing and a 90-day buy-back guarantee. His electric vehicles sourced from California were heavily subsidized, which means there’s money to be made on them. Load More
Harry Pegg Calgary Correspondent for Automotive News Canada [email protected] (403) 850-9722 See All Staff Page