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
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.