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story starring all kids, and it was a musical with
Scott Bo and Jody Foster. They all had pedal cars that looked like old mobster rods, and they would peddle around with their toy machine guns and shoot cream at each other. Those pedal cars intrigued the heck out of me back then, so I wanted one. I have many now.”
Moved by the idea that the pedal cars would be auctioned to support the ARA’s foundation and scholarship fund, Clint approached his friends at Rust Valley.
“The ARA has done a lot for me over the years,” said Clint. “I want to give back however I can. I already knew the Rust Valley guys because they had restored my 66 Pontiac on the TV show. When I told them about the project, they said, ‘It’s a good cause. We’re in!’ So then I donated one of my cars and delivered it in the trunk of my Pontiac, and then they restored it and did the unveil on TV (Rust Valley Restorers, Season 4, Episode 6).
Mike handed the project over to the team’s apprentice, Cassidy Mceown. Clint was awestruck by the results.
“The unveiling was really neat,” said Clint. “When I brought it, it looked like a rough piece of junk. It was an old English pedal car that had seen better days. It was dented from one end to the other, the old wheels were rusted, and there were rubber strips that served as tires. One of them was coming off, and another was missing half. They ended up putting new wheels on it.
“Everything has been replaced,” said Clint. “They built a hood and a little tail gate that opens and closes. They made a steering wheel, put in a lift kit, lights (with battery), front and back bumpers, and a custom grill. They also gave it a snappy paint job with racing stripes.
Clint notice another important element during the unveiling. There was a yellow handprint on the back quarter panel. During this time, the horrific legacy of the residential school system was just coming to light, and the Rust Valley crew wanted to draw attention to the issue. They invited a First Nation’s woman, Tonita, and her daughter, Leah, to participate. In the episode, Tonita said, “This is for Every Child Matters. It is to raise awareness for all
the residential school survivors.”
Off to Parliament
Upon completion, the ARA brought two of the pedal cars, the ones completed by 360 Collision Centres and PJ Collision, to Victoria to showcase at a recent meeting with the B.C. government. The ARA board used the cars and the Pedal Car Challenge concept as an opportunity to discuss industry challenges with respect to attracting young people, women, and Indigenous people into the automotive trades. The pedal cars proved to be a wonderful ambassadors, much enjoyed by attending MLAs and ministers.
The pedal cars designed by 360 Collision Centres, PJ Collision, and Rust Valley Restorers, including the ones designed and modified by the schools, will all be on display and up for auction at the ARA’s 70th Anniversary Celebration this fall. Make sure to save your spot at events.ara.bc.ca. We look forward to see you all there!
In a future edition of ARA News, we will take a closer look at the students’ pedal cars, so stay tuned. n
by Automotive Retailers Association
ICBC Announces a New
Compensation Package for
Glass and Collision Repair
Following disappointing news from ICBC, the ARA continues to advocate for fair
Tcompensation and terms of service.
he ARA is disappointed in a recent announcement by ICBC to maintain the status quo regarding compensation increases for the glass and collision sectors of the automotive industry. The ARA has a long history of campaigning for systemic changes to
compensation in the industry, and we find this decision unsatisfactory. While on the surface a 9% increase over three years appears to be an attractive and comprehensive compensation increase for most industries, we believe that ICBC’s rate schedule announcement maintains the status quo. Coupled with this year’s 6.7% inflation increase, this leaves the glass and collision industry even further behind. Furthermore, this announcement fails to address issues that
ARA NEWS | 3RD QUARTER 2022
the ARA have raised over the years, and this lack of tangible change continues to suppress rates.
Regardless of this outcome, the ARA will continue to represent this industry and work closely with the government to try to achieve fair and reasonable compensation. We strongly encourage industry professionals to contact industry advisor, David Ribeiro, at davidribeiro@ara.bc.ca and communicate any concerns.
With ICBC’s decision, what becomes clear is that without proper compensation, the glass and collision sectors of our industry will continue to have challenges investing in technicians, technology, training, and growth. n
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