Calgary council considers bylaw changes to discourage catalytic converter theft
The City of Calgary is considering changes to its business licence bylaw in the effort to reduce catalytic converter theft.
Theft of the emission control car part have continued to rise in the city, up 16 per cent for the start of 2023 when compared to the same period last year.
"It's extremely costly to folks and it's extremely inconvenient, and we see it going up," said Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld.
The bylaw will prohibit businesses from taking in damaged converters and prohibit damage to any markings on the valuable car part.
It will also require wreckers and salvage businesses to keep a record of the vehicle identification number (VIN) and description of the vehicle the part came from.
Buying them without collecting the proper info will also be prohibited.
If the new regulations pass, the fine will triple to $3,000.
"You can see it makes it more difficult for people who would be dishonest and i think those are the types of loops we need to close," Neufeld says.
However, one major metal recycler says the changes are flawed and will only serve to drive the business further underground.
"Most people that buy them now don't even have a license to buy them, and then they're packing them up into a box," said Eric Grand-Maison, owner of Big House Converters. "They're shipping them out to a company out of city or out of province."
Grand-Maison says despite being the biggest metal recycler of its kind in the city, no one from council has spoken with him about the problem, despite repeated invitations.
He says more regulation and licensing requirements are needed, but it needs to happen across the industry or thieves will simply figure out the soft jurisdictions and take their business there.
Grand-Maison says there appears to be easy ways around the proposed bylaw.
"None of the converters are marked in the first place, and we see thieves where they just get a random VIN number from anyone that's just like a dead VIN," he says.
The report on the proposed changes can be found online here: https://pub-calgary.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=24481
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.