B.C. Bravery: Unknown tow pros help RCMP bust gun-wielding criminals
Vancouver, British Columbia — Two unidentified tow truck drivers participated in an RCMP operation to capture two men suspected of theft and firearms and narcotics-related crimes. On Wednesday, a suspicious vehicle pulling a trailer reported as stolen was spotted in Northern B.C. Shortly thereafter, a radio request was made to commercial truck drivers, asking for […]
Two shot in Richmond Hill, likely related to GTA tow ‘turf war’
Toronto, Ontario — An adult man involved in the GTA’s towing sector and a child were shot in a Thornhill, Ontario parking lot Sunday night. Police say the issue might be related to an ongoing ‘turf war’ between members of the industry. A 30-year-old man was shot as he parked a vehicle in the Promenade […]
Tow sector under threat from ‘bad apples,’ says PTAO chief
Toronto, Ontario — After a series of arson attacks on tow trucks, a senior figure in Canada’s towing industry has warned of a group of a small group of “bad apples” threatening the industry and its professionals. Five tow trucks were recently set ablaze in the Greater Toronto Area, in the early morning of Dec. […]
Clear the Way: Edmonton calling on the government for new towing safety measures
Edmonton, Alberta — Alberta’s provincial government is being called on to approve new safety measures for tow truck operators after a man was hit responding to call in Edmonton on Friday. The operator was putting out traffic cones at the scene of an accident when he was clipped by the side mirror of a passing […]
Bylaw Blocked: ‘Chaser’ bylaw paused following backlash from towing community
Proposed towing bylaws in London Ont. have been halted following a meeting on Dec. 4. between London’s Community and Protective Services Committee. According to the committee, the proposed bylaw was introduced initially to “protect accident victims from aggressive business solicitation,” as reported by CBC. However, at Tuesday’s meeting, towers arrived at London’s city hall to […]
Slow Down, Move Over: New Brunswick the final province to add tow trucks to law
New Brunswick has become the tenth province in the country to adopt tow trucks into its ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ law—which until now, only included police, fire and ambulance in its coverage. The inclusion of tow trucks in this law has been pushed for years by the widow of Nova Scotian Frank Deschenes, a Mountie […]
Emergency Ignorance: Another roadside collision as drivers fail to slow down for towers
Toronto, Ontario — Just weeks after the death of Ontario tower Todd Burgess, who died in a roadside accident on Nov. 7, the Canadian towing community is reporting another near-fatal roadside collision on in northern Ontario. The incident was reported on Nov. 22 on Hwy. 11 in northern Ontario. Two tractor-trailers following the tow truck allegedly […]
Chop Stop: Police shut down illegal business
Toronto, Ontario — When a vehicle was illegally towed from a collision scene last month, police were able to trace it to a Scarborough business, where authorities then uncovered two stolen and dismantled luxury cars—a 2015 BMW M4 and a 2017 Ferrari 4GS. A local woman who had her vehicle towed without her consent last […]
Todd’s Last Ride: Ontario towers pay tribute to friend and colleague
Pickering, Ontario — The endless rows of parking at the Pickering Flea Markets were lit up by the lights of Ontario’s towers on Wednesday morning as the industry gathered to honour Todd Burgess, who tragically passed in a roadside accident last week. More than 150 towers and trucks gathered for Todd’s Last Ride, a memorial […]
Tow-ronto: City launches six-week towing blitz
The City of Toronto is launching a six-week towing blitz in the downtown core, aimed at vehicles illegally blocking lanes during rush hours. Toronto mayor John Tory announced on Oct. 4 that the city will be launching a towing pilot project that aims to remove illegally parked vehicles from Queen Street. The project began Oct. […]
