In This Issue:

. UPDATE From    Environment Canada
. HARA Special Event
. Discounted Garage    Insurance Costs
. Trades Licensing    Equivalency?
. ciia.com updates

HARA Burlington Special Event

Robert Bateman Secondary School in Burlington is the location for a soon-to-be-announced meeting featuring an evening dinner and presentations. Included are a tour of the auto body shop, explanation's of Ontario new simplified permitting for waterborne paints, updated health and safety news, special offering of grants and incentives and local issues that are important,

Please keep watching www.ciia.com/provinces/ontario/hara.html for more information.

Garage Policies At Discounted Prices

Wentworth Collision saved over $8000.00. Wilson Collision saved over $5000.00! Member shops continue to reduce their commercial garage insurance costs with our special auto body commercial coverage. Call Oscar at 1 800 563 3533
for information. Quotes are free.

Trades Licensing Equivalency?

Not a licensed collision repair technician but have enough hours working to qualify? Have come from another country with good skills but need Ontario trades certification? Members can call and receive a free Collision Repair Trades Equivalency package from their PACRA trade association at 1 866 309 4272 or info@ciia.com or (click here for more)

Employment Ads Coverage

An employment posting in the local newspaper can cost you big $$$$ and might reach technicians interested in collision repair.  An ad on the www.ciia.com industry web site reaches the target area you are looking for, at the incredibly low cost of $15.00 plus GST for Members and $25.00 plus GST for Non-Members. With over 10,000 hits on the web site on any given day, why not put your ad where it will have the desired affect you're looking fort? E-mail Monica, monica@ciia.com or call our office 1-866-309-4272.

 You may view the latest at:  www.ciia.com/provinces/ontario/employment.html

Still not a member? Contact our 1-866-309-4272 for information on how to become one!  With your support, your Association can make a difference.

IMPORTANT CHANGES COMING FOR THE COLLISION
REPAIR INDUSTRY

Major meeting planned for Burlington, Ontario

Environment Canada is proposing new rules on paint coatings that will change the products you buy and how you will apply them in the future.

It is expected that few of the products you are familiar with now will be available. For some shops, changeover will be easy, other shops may decide to upgrade or purchase new equipment.

New production equipment, products and pollution prevention assistance will also be on display at this workshop. You will also learn about the requirements for a spray booth permit, waste reduction tips and how to reduce your costs with good environmental management.

Environment Canada is interested in your feedback on the proposed content for the regulations. This is your chance to learn the facts, what it means to your business and be heard on the possible impact of these changes to improve air quality.

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 6:30 pm

Location: Robert Bateman High School, 5151 New Street (at Appleby), Burlington, Ontario

Admission (Hot Dinner Included): Non-Members $25.00 per person

ciia.com and HARA Members $20.00 per person

Included is a tour of the school's autobody shop and donated spray booth.

This workshop format evening features:

� Senior staff from Environment Canada, Gatineau, Quebec

� Officials of the Canadian Paint and Coating Association, St. Laurent, Quebec

� Paint company staff from all major paint companies

� Senior insurance industry representatives have been invited to comment this evening.

New production equipment, products and pollution prevention help will be on display this evening.

This meeting will be the most important meeting of the year. It impacts you and your business, so don't miss this opportunity.

To register please call 1-866-309-4272 or info@ciia.com

(SEE HEADLINES)

HAMILTON AREA SHOPS HIT THE $60.00 DOOR RATE LEVEL

December 11, 2006

Shop labour rates for Hamilton, Ontario collision repair shops continue to grow upwards, identifying a trend that Mitchell International shows in their last report.

Signs are now posted in some large company owned shops in the City showing a customer labour rate charge of $60.00 per hour for body, frame and refinish labour and a $28.00 per hour rate for paint and coatings materials

In June 2005, the local trade association, HARA, posted a series of recommended door labour rates that shops were under no compulsion to follow or observe. That rate was identified at $55.00 per hour and is available for review at:

http://www.ciia.com/provinces /ontario/pricingrec.html

Labour door rates continue to increase across Ontario. A November 2006 rate survey in the Windsor areas showed a door labour rate between $56.90 and $58.90 per hour.

A number of large repair facility are dropping their discounted DRP insurance programs because of low referral numbers of cars been sent to them, and their functional door rates rise once the discounts are removed. Many shops have take this action to end the prospect of having to offer State Farm Insurance, under their new program, further discounts to match those discounts being supplied to low-volume insurers.

Also coming soon is an energy surcharge to help cover the shop's expenses in honouring the increasingly higher electric and natural gas costs.

For more information on the energy surcharge, please inquire with your local collision repair trade association at
1-866-309-4272 or info@ciia.com