Re-tired.

In the Province of Quebec there is a new law this year.  It is mandatory for all cars registered in Quebec to have winter/snow tires.   It's probably a good law, it makes sense from a safety point of view.   The only flaw is that it has created a shortage of snow tires in the rest of Canada. 

Some people have all season tires, we do not.  If you've lived in Ottawa you know that it is a good idea to have two sets of tires, summer and winter.  Life is so much happier if you know that you're not going to get stuck on snow and ice at every hill or slip out of control on a turn.  Oh, it will still happen, but I like reducing the odds of something like that.

Our Volkswagen Golf is now six years old and the original winter tires were worn at the end of last season so we didn't keep them.  No problem, we'll buy new ones in the fall.  We had planned so well, that  we had the money saved for them.   But alas, the best laid plans, etc. 

BB started about 3 weeks ago trying to get winter tires for us.   He went through the rigamarole of phoning around to be told that the tires were back ordered with no delivery date in sight, there were none available or the best of all, hope against hope, the tire store would have a set and then we would discover they were priced way out of our range and even if we had the money, $1,000.00 is too much for a set of tires.

Like I've said before we are so lucky to live so close to the border.   We headed over to North Tonawanda, New York to see Carmine at Tread City for a 7:00 a.m. appointment yesterday, bearing a humble gift of Tim Hortons coffee & a dozen donuts to get our tires.   Carmine said that last weekend out of 48 appointments 7 of his customers were from Ontario.  He said he's thinking of hanging a Canadian Flag alongside his American flag!

So thanks to Carmine we are happily re-tired.  Have a great Sunday.  We're off for a hike (I know! I know!  What is happening to us?)

xo

Kath

Comments

[jori-o]

I'm glad you got your tires alright--we wouldn't want you to be an outlaw! =)

[Deidre]

Goodness 1000 for tires! that's ridiculous! I am glad that you were able to go south of the border for others! ;-)

[Christina]

Carmine sounds like my kind of guy! How was your hike?

[technodoll]

Yep good tires cost a mint... but it's still less than getting towed out of a ditch in the middle of a snowstorm, LOL!

Glad your VW has its winter treads on - drive safe!

[The Mind of a Mom]

Hey Kath

did you know that there is such a shortage that in Quebec, people are having their tires stolen right off of their cars while parked in their driveways!