Canada is often referred to as The Great White North, but if you spend winters in Sault Ste. Marie you might question how great they are. Winter kicks off each December by delivering an average temperature range between -2.7°C (27.1°F) and min -8.1°C (17.4°F). When January hits, local drivers can expect snow to fall an average of 23.8 days with accumulations of 250mm (9.84") of snow.
It's a good thing the local Canadian Tire location is ready to help drivers in the greater Sault Ste. Marie ensure their vehicles are prepared. Canadian Tire offers a variety of products and services specifically designed for cold and snowy Canadian winters.
“For starters, we offer a full line of undercoating services to keep your vehicle free from rust and to protect it from being damaged by salt,” said Erin Wiesner, Service Manager at Canadian Tire’s McNab Street location. “The undercoating we offer is through Corrosion Free, a dripless, clear, anti-corrosion application that comes with a full warranty package if you have it applied every 18 months.”
According to Wiesner, Canadian Tire has a number of individually priced undercoating packages; they include a starting package priced at $67.99 that focuses primarily on your vehicle’s undercarriage, and a full package priced at $141.99 that targets all seams, door panels, exposed regulators, and other areas that could suffer from rust if left untreated.
“You should really be booking that now before winter weather hits,” said Wiesner. “We’ve been lucky with the warm weather so far, but undercoating is really a preventative application so it’s best to get it done before you’re driving on salty roads.”
Driving on winter or all-weather tires gives you better handling, tracking, and braking capability in snowy, icy conditions, and Wiesner says Canadian Tire is stocked with hundreds of different styles from which to choose.
“The all-weather tires are viewed as a four-season tire,” said Wiesner. “They used to be classified as mud and snow tires. They’re quite popular for light trucks and SUVs. We have all the most popular brands including Michelin, Bridgestone, General and Firestone. We have a large stock in-house and hundreds more at our warehouse distribution centre. You can order anything and in most cases we can have it shipped to the store in 2 to 3 business days.”
For general pre-winter maintenance, Canadian Tire offers their Road Ready Oil Chage Inspection, which is designed to give people who do a lot of winter driving peace of mind when on the road. Starting at $89.99, the package includes an oil changes and a multi-point inspection that includes radiator and windshield fluid top ups, visual brake inspection, wiper blade check, tire pressure check and tire rotation.
One thing many people might not know is that Canadian Tire offers a high-value Roadside Assistance Program.
“Our Roadside Assistance program rivals the CAA plan,” said Wiesner. “It includes unlimited tows of up to 200km to any Canadian Tire store. The Gold Package also includes coupons for free oil changes and free Road Ready inspections. It’s really something to think about if you’re planning on driving this winter.”
Canadian Tire is also the place to find all the winter accessories you need, from scrapers and wiper blades to floor mats and safety kits.
Booking for undercoating services, new tires, and tire swaps are now available online. Or visit Canadian Tire at 200 McNabb Street, Sault Ste. Marie.