Law-abiding businesses suffer as crooked companies bolster car theft industry

In September of 2023, Rebel News joined industry insider Eric Grand-Maison of Big House Convertors for an in-depth look at the automobile and catalytic convertor theft industry that is running amok in cities across Canada. Since that time, little has been done to ameliorate the situation and Big House Convertors has been forced to close its doors.

Major cities have seen vehicle theft skyrocket in recent years, as Calgary saw an 18.7% increase in thefts in 2022 while other cities have seen increases of more than 45%. We live in a country where, according to a CBC article, the federal Justice Minister’s vehicle has been stolen three times in three years.

Poilievre calls out the irony of Trudeau's justice minister having his car stolen three times in as many years after letting career criminals off the hook.

"Everybody is at risk now." https://t.co/t50c3TNz74 pic.twitter.com/L4asm8hIwE

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 9, 2024

While statistics can certainly paint a picture of how bad it has become, going out into the streets and seeing firsthand where these crimes are being carried out, and asking why authorities are failing so resoundingly to address these issues — that sheds real tangible light on the issue. Last year we did just that.

Eric Grand-Maison of Big House Convertors has been one of the voices leading the charge and proposing meaningful changes that could seriously curb the automobile theft industry in Alberta, unfortunately many of those suggestions have not been implemented. Eric was gracious enough to take us to a few locations within the city where within minutes we found unmarked vans unloading what many would suspect to be stolen catalytic converters.

Eric shared that there is very little regulation in this industry and that consequently, not only are automobile and convertor thieves — and the unethical businesses that buy their stolen goods — carrying on with their criminal enterprises largely unfettered, but now organized crime as begun to utilize the automobile recycling industry as a means to launder their funds into purportedly legitimate businesses.

Customs officials struggling to keep up with booming stolen vehicle industry at Port of Montreal

Canada has become a go-to country for organized auto theft, with the Port of Montreal serving as a key hub for exporting stolen vehicles.https://t.co/BA58rMYKhG

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) February 27, 2024

If you haven’t seen the full report, I encourage you to watch it in its entirety by clicking here. The extent and scale of this unlawful industry is truly shocking.

At the time of our first interview, Eric shared how he had already been forced to downsize his business as it was impossible for an honest business to compete with other metal recyclers willing to deal with stolen goods. Adding insult to injury, and despite going out of his way to ensure Big House Convertors was not dealing with stolen goods, Eric was faced with the stigma that anyone working in his industry must be involved in catalytic convertor thefts.

Unfortunately, after nearly two decades in business, the combined pressures of increased taxes, inflation and an unwillingness to participate in the lucrative vehicle and catalytic convertor theft criminal industry forced Eric to make the difficult decision to close his business. We joined Eric again, this time to discuss what went wrong, why more wasn’t done by authorities and to explore what can be done to ensure that other honest businesses don’t meet the same fate, leaving the entire industry to criminals and inevitably feeding the already dire vehicle theft situation in our communities.

If you are sick and tired of honest folks suffering and paying the price while authorities fail to tackles lawlessness and disorder, sign our petition at FixOurCities.com.