Local Journalism Initiative
Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative, The Northern View
Prince Rupert has been without a local ICBC auto collision facility since its only one closed down in December 2023, and there has since been no potential for a new one.
Residents have been forced to travel to Terrace under inadequate conditions and wait months or up to nearly two years for repairs.
ICBC has been looking for a collision repair facility in Prince Rupert or a new business to apply to their network and join the community.
“Unfortunately, none have applied to ICBC to participate in the last year,” said Lindsay Wilkins, media advisor at ICBC.
“We waited nearly two years for our vehicle to be repaired.”
Loni Tait
They have been working with the collision repair industry to generate more interest in collision trades, particularly in remote and rural communities like Prince Rupert.
However, until something new comes up, customers in Prince Rupert must continue to travel to Terrace as no local options are available. If they choose to use a repair facility in Rupert, they must pay upfront since these shops are not part of ICBC’s repair network. Additionally, if any repairs or additions made are later considered unnecessary by ICBC, customers may have to cover those costs out of pocket.
“We waited nearly two years for our vehicle to be repaired,” said Loni Tait, a resident of Port Edward who works in Prince Rupert.
In 2023, Tait had been waiting for months on a long list for her vehicle to be serviced at Joe’s Auto Repair shop in Prince Rupert. Unfortunately, it closed two months before her car was scheduled to go into the shop.
After several months, she and her husband finally got repairs done at Norm’s Auto Refinishing in Terrace. She was very impressed with their work, as they completed the repairs in three weeks—much quicker than the timeline estimated by another auto body shop in Prince Rupert.
Another Rupertite, Celine Megan-Diane, is waiting to get her vehicle repaired in Terrace.
“I now need to book time off work, find child care, and travel on a potentially dangerous highway if it snows, in a vehicle that’s got a bent frame with the trunk stuck permanently open and huge dent in the back.”
Megan-Diane
“I was hit stopped at a red light by someone with no license. And now I’m without a vehicle and my car can’t be repaired until at least June in Terrace,” said Megan-Diane.
But first, she must take her car to Terrace this month just to get an estimate on the charges and timeline of repairs. During this 15-minute session, the damage to the vehicle will be documented and assessed.
“I now need to book time off work, find child care, and travel on a potentially dangerous highway if it snows, in a vehicle that’s got a bent frame with the trunk stuck permanently open and huge dent in the back,” said Megan-Diane.
ICBC claims they consider the potential costs of storage, towing, and loss of use coverage when assessing claims. However, Megan-Diane is experiencing differently.
“ICBC will not tow it there, or help in any way,” said Megan-Diane. She also doesn’t have a replacement vehicle at the moment.
Wilkins says they will pilot different technologies in 2025 to help settle claims in remote communities, but it’s too early to provide further details.
“For now, customers in Prince Rupert need to travel to Terrace to have their vehicle repaired at the closest ICBC repair network collision facility,” she added.
As of Jan. 3, both ICBC-affiliated autobodies, Norm’s and Azorcan in Terrace are booking appointments for May or June.
