During 2024, we saw advances in Right to Repair, new players enter the market and industry leadership transitions.

The end of the year is always a good time to reflect and look back at what’s happened over the last 12 months. At AIA Canada, 2024 has proved to be a year where considerable progress was made. We have seen continued momentum regarding Right to Repair, coming off our win with Bill 29 in Quebec last year. We continue to work with the provincial government in creating a framework of regulations, which are likely to come into effect during the early part of 2025. We are also seeing progress at the federal level, with the Government of Canada adopting Bill C-244, which at AIA Canada we have been actively focused on for many years.

Major milestone

The significance of this milestone cannot be understated. Bill C-244 modifies the Copyright Act, so that it is no longer illegal to break Technological Protection Measures (TPM) for the purpose of diagnostic, maintenance and repair. For the aftermarket auto care sector, this is especially important, since increasingly, we are having to contend with protectionist measures for repair information, put in place by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

 While this is very encouraging, it is merely the first step on getting more comprehensive Right to Repair legislation in place. As far as the Government of Canada is concerned, Bill C-244 serves as a foundation and precursor to subsequent legislation, so it is very significant that this bill is passed, as it symbolizes progress toward fairer Right to Repair legislation for our industry.

International focus

Besides national efforts, AIA Canada has also been active on the international stage regarding Right to Repair. At Automechanika Frankfurt this year, I was privileged to present at a meeting of global industry associations regarding this subject. We received input from the U.S., from Canada, as well as Australia and South Africa. A key takeaway from this meeting was that we all understand what works and what does not when it comes to Right to Repair. This is helping us to learn collectively about what type of legislation is likely to be effective for the auto care sector and what is not. Plus, it also provides the opportunity for our respective nations to understand what kinds of tactics we are up against as well as the stance of our various governments on data access.

While at the meeting, it was these four countries that presented their findings, there was a broad spectrum of participants which included many countries from Europe and South America, as well as India and Mexico.

On another front, we have also seen some additional changes happening in the auto care sector here at home. One has been the entry of American organizations into the parts distribution space, notably the O’Reilly Auto Parts acquisition of Vast Auto Distribution. We’ve also seen realignment regarding other players in Canada, including CARQUEST and WORLDPAC. This represents a significant change in the parts distribution landscape and AIA Canada will continue to monitor these changes and advocate on behalf of the Canadian auto care industry to ensure fair practices in our market. We are also seeing transitions in leadership, and it is encouraging to see members of our Young Professionals in the Auto Care sector (YPA) Community increasingly take on more prominent leadership roles in our industry, reflecting the generational change of ownership and decision making that is taking place in Canada’s auto care sector.

Looking forward

As we head into 2025 there are still some headwinds on the horizon. A major one is the labour shortage our industry continues to grapple with. While there are no quick fixes, we continue to work to bring new people into the industry with career exploration programs. These kinds of initiatives are critical to ensure we attract the right people, provide upskilling opportunities and help ensure the future of this dynamic and exciting industry.

 [JC1]Its Bill 29, not C-29