Counting down to the Canadian Technician of the Year

Mike and his father Rick continued to work side-by-side at Grant Street Garage until Rick retired recently.

Mike’s passion for mechanics continues to be a driving force in his career, and he prides himself on being a “good all-round technician.” He says he isn’t afraid to take on the jobs that have other techs stumped. If a car comes in with a steering or suspension noise, it doesn’t take him long to pinpoint the cause.

He attributes this keen ability to his commitment to training, and like many technicians, he wishes there were more training available in his area.

“The way the industry is changing right now, you’ve got to keep up with training,” he says. “We’re always willing to take more training courses but I find that a lot of the really good ones are held during the day. That makes it tough on small shops like ours.”

He says it’s better for him if the course is available during the evening.

“We stay busy throughout the year, so it can really back-log everybody here when someone’s gone during the day," he says.

"We don’t mind taking the courses at night. It means coughing up a little bit of time with your family, but you do what you have to do.“

Mike is never afraid to do what needs to be done in order to help people, and for the last five years he’s been a volunteer firefighter in his community. Whether he’s helping a customer understand their vehicle, or responding to a fire call, he says helping people is part of his personality.

A few years ago, a local woman learned this first hand when she ran into trouble at the bank up the street from Brigg’s garage. After nearly being robbed, Mike was one of the first to respond to her cries for help.

“I was working in our pit doing an alignment. I happened to look up the street and saw a fight had broken out and a lady was screaming for help. I took off to see what was going on.”

Mike quickly realized that one of the men in the scuffle had attempted to rob the bank. After being unsuccessful, he targeted the woman outside who was carrying a large amount of money. Mike managed to restrain the robber until the police arrived.

“It was one of those things that definitely doesn’t always happen in your lifetime but it was a good thing to do, and the police were quite happy because the guy was actually wanted for robbing banks in London, Ont. as well. They said it was a good pick!”

Outside the shop, Mike is now a father of two young children, to whom he dedicates most of his free time.

Mike has impressed our panel of judges and is one of the eight finalists in the Canadian Technician of the Year Award.