After yet another teeth-chattering week of Ottawa winter, we’re tipping our hats to six local garages that keep our cars (and our sanity) on the road. Because let’s be honest: between salt-soaked streets and slick, icy conditions, car inspections and tire safety aren’t just good ideas, they’re survival skills. Winter tires? Absolutely non-negotiable.
And now that Groundhog Day has rolled around — the unofficial halfway point of winter — and Punxsutawney Phil is whispering sweet nothings about an early spring, it’s time to start thinking ahead. Another tire swap, fresh inspections, and those inevitable spring tune-ups are closer than they feel.
The good news? Ottawa is packed with friendly, reliable automotive and tire pros who’ve got your back. Here are a few local garages worth keeping on your radar for your next tire visit.
Brady’s Automotive is a local auto repair shop in Manotick, owned and operated by Brady himself. He personally works on every client’s car, building strong, professional relationships along the way.
The one-man operation means customers know that when he is looking at their car, he is aware of all the latest maintenance the car has required.
Clients can also rely on Brady’s familiarity with their vehicle, so that if something is not right with it, Brady will be able to catch it.
Brady prefers to have both winter and summer tyres because they are both made for specific weather conditions.
At Canadian Tire’s Carlingwood Automotive location, they take pride in their transparency with customers, making sure they understand what is being done and what may need to be done to their vehicle.
Garage Manager Ralph and Service Manager Tony will take the time to show customers anything concerning they notice on a customer’s vehicle when it is being worked on. They make a point of not selling but educating, explaining how the vehicles work and why customers should have something fixed or looked at.
“A lot of times we’ll just say ‘this is really serious, you should be doing it whether it’s here or somewhere else,” says Ralph.
“There is no selling business here,” says Tony.
Top priority goes to customer service, with the main focus on keeping customers happy.
Dirienzo and Saikaley Automotive have been repairing vehicles in Ottawa since 1992.
After nearly 35 years in business servicing cars, Dirienzo and Saikaley Automotive have built a strong relationship with their customers.
“A lot of people actually come to us after they’ve been to a dealership,” says Nick Dirienzo, one of the founders of Dirienzo and Saikaley Automotive Service. “They show us a list, and we go through the list to see, basically, if they really need it,” Dirienzo says many repairs don’t need to be done immediately, giving customers some breathing room when it comes to spacing out the cost of maintenance.
Located off of Merivale Road, Erwin’s Automotion provides automotive repairs and maintenance on all makes and models.
During the busy winter and spring changeover seasons, Erwin’s increases staff so more are available to educate their clients on their vehicles and what it takes to make it through an Ottawa winter.
Josh Andrews recommends winter tires to his clients because all-season tires are a harder compound that loses traction in cold weather.
Andrews says they also specialize in fleet maintenance, including engines, transmissions and diagnostics.
“We really pride ourselves in the customer service and being able to take care of the people and repair the vehicle just like we own them,” says Andrews.
At Erwin’s Automotion, they treat every vehicle as if it were their own.
Getty Automotive specializes in working on high-end cars and is known for quality service.
Owner Sean Getty says becoming a new client now requires an interview process to manage client intake.
Getty holds his work to a very high standard and is careful to keep his workload manageable so he can maintain optimal quality of service.
In winter and spring, Getty gets especially busy because of the scramble to get tire changes done. He says winter tires absolutely need to be put on in the fall because of Ottawa’s treacherous winter weather.
“I’m one of those people who drives a sports car in the winter time and I do need my tires 110 per cent or I wouldn’t be going anywhere,” said Getty.
Getty also says it is important to take your winter tires off in the spring because the warmer weather will begin to damage them.
“If you leave them on into the summer, the winter tires are just made of a different rubber compound, and they tend to wear faster in the warmer weather,” said Getty
On the Go Tires is a fast-growing local mobile tire-changing service that prides itself on five-star service.
After nearly three years in business, On the Go Tires has expanded from a local operation in Ottawa to now offering its services in Toronto as well.
Their services include selling, changing, repairing, and storing tires, so clients never have to worry about their tires’ condition. Whenever clients require servicing, they just need to schedule an appointment at a convenient time, and a team will be there to get the job done.
After doing tire changes they will pack up your tires and store them for the winter until you are ready to put them back on in the spring.
Ziad Salameh says tires that are more than 10 years old are at a much greater risk of sustaining damage from driving, like tears and punctures.
Salameh says that worn-down tread on old tires can also lead to less reliable braking.
Photos: Murray Oliver
