I totally agree with PreviaDiesel when he stated, "Harmonization' with US regulations. If you're not sure why they'd want to do that, Google "North American Integration" and "Beyond NAFTA". Basically, they are going to formalize our colonial status by the back door: regulatory changes with no public discussion or debate". Our current administration does everything else lock step with their brethren south of the border so why would they be any different here. This could result in a change in the importation regulation from 15 to 25 years. This would be the easy way out and would placate both the provincial governments and insurance companies. This would be my biggest concern especially if I was a vendor.
I agree. When the conservative party have come to power one year ago, i have started to have a little fear that they would change the import law to 25 years to make it the same as in south of the border, this party like so much to do everything like in the US that it would be a logical move for them to do so. I realise that i was right to have this concern when only 2 months after we started to hear the first rumeur that Transport Canada was looking into a law change, which later have been confirmed to be true.
The provincial governments only have the mandate to inspect vehicles NOT change the safety and importation regulations; this can only be done by Transport Canada.
I dont think you are exactly right on this. While the provincial gouverments in fact i cant do any change to the importation regulation by their own (it's administred at the federal by Canada Border Services Agency), they can have their own norms on safety regulation of vehicule. The way i see it, the Transport Canada norms on safety regulation is there for the manufacturers that commercialise news cars models on the canadian market. The provincial gouvernments with their transport minister are free to have the safety regulation they want, they can satisfy their own need like that if they need to. If you compare closely between the text of regulation of the provinces and of the federal you will see that there is a slight differances.
For pratical reason, a provincal will not do a satefy regulation that is more strict or come in contradition on the text of the federal because if it was the case cars models would become illegal for road use and would have to modify for that regulation only in that province. So the provincal regulation tent to be the same or even a little less stick on certain aspect. Except for one exception! Anyone remember that on the first Toyota RAV4 of 96 and 97 their front side reflectors was positioned on the fender behind the front wheel. The Transport Canada regulation text (in the one of NHTSA in US also) do not explicaly say where the front and rear side reflector and marker must be placed on the car, it only state that it can "as close as praticable" to the front or to the rear. This is while some province (but not all) state that it must be placed ONLY on the front and rear part of the car. This had made a confusion at Toyota and they had to recall only in Canada the RAV4 to stick a little round reflector on the front bumper. In the US, Toyota did not had to do this recall.
I think us should use this allowed liberty for the province to have their own safety regulation as a argument to ask Transport Canada to do not change the 15 years old import rule. If the provincal see issue with the increase of imported cars, why do they ask TC to do something when they can do something on their own with their law on safety regulation. It is because BC and Alberta gouvernement are just to lazy to do it?
About the importation regulation, anyone correct me if i'm wrong, the 15 years old rules is it self NOT a law from TC, it's a law from Canada Border Services Agency. And the Form 1 from TC is only a notice to the provinces used as verification to ensure them it's not a stolen car that will be register.
This 15 years old rules have been adopted in 1986. There is 2 thing that interest me to know: in 1986 do all provinces in Canada had a out of province vehicule inspection system in place like today or does in some provinces could imported cars be register without being inspected before? In 1986 who had make pressure for the amendement, the provinces, a group of something (like car dealers or domestic car markers) or the federal had only decided it on their own without external pressure?
Anyone know where is possible to search for informations about what had happen at this time?
-Mat
