The Nova Scotia government kicked off their annual winter driving campaign on Tuesday, pleading with drivers in the province to change their tires ahead of the winter season. But not everybody was able to do that ahead of day one.
Public Works Minister Kim Masland said that a shortage of mechanics prevented her from getting winter tires on her vehicle ahead of launch day. The minister said that her mechanic is retired, and she’s still waiting to get her new tires on.
Motorists in the province have been scrambling to get their snow tires on before the province’s first big snowfall. Many of them have been plagued with trying to get an appointment in time.
Just four kilometres down the road from the imploring minister, local mechanics have been feeling the pinch of being short mechanics.
Hebbville Tire and Auto Centre has seen its largest demand this year for winter tires. The small shop said that they’ve seen demand spike since the COVID-19 pandemic, and being down mechanics has only made the situation feel more hectic.
“Manpower has always been an issue,” shop owner Michael Hupman said in an interview with Global News on Tuesday.
“I think that explains some of the reason we are as busy as we are, because some of the shops are having trouble locating people.”
Provincial officials say that the province is trying to break barriers in getting into automotive repair by waiving requirements for immigrants to get into trades and investing $100 million into skilled trade recruitment.
Officials say Nova Scotia needs about 11,000 new certified trade professionals by 2030, or about 1,000 annually. Currently, the province is bringing in about 615 tradespeople a year, a shortfall of about 38 per cent of what’s needed.
“If you enter into a skilled trade, mechanic being one of them, there is a tax break for you,” Masland said, speaking outside of Bridgewater, N.S.
“We have invested in the skill trade program when I think about the MOST Program (Most opportunities for skilled trades).”
Masland says that she has driven in the winter with all seasons in previous years, saying that she “noticed the difference,” asking drivers to make appointments with their local mechanics to install winter tires.
Currently, the province does not require drivers to use winter tires, with Masland calling it a “personal choice,” stating that the province does not have plans on enforcing mandatory winter tires.
Only Quebec and parts of British Columbia require winter tires.
— with files from the Canadian Press