Tire shops busy as winter weather arrives in Saskatchewan

The snow has started to fly, and now the race is on for mechanics to get everyone’s winter tires on their vehicles.

“It’s go time,” Rod Janzen, managing partner at Saskatoon’s OK Tire, said as he watched his busy crew taking tires off vehicles and putting on the winter rubber on Monday morning.

“I got here at 7 (a.m.) and there were cars waiting already,” he said.

According to Janzen, his crew can usually get through around 20 to 25 tire swaps per day at their location on 22nd Street in Saskatoon, and 30 to 40 more at their Eighth Street location.

Janzen said both of his locations have been booked up for weeks, as many people started planning well ahead of the snowfall that reached much of the province on Monday.

“This week is full. Next week is dropoff, and the week after, there’s a couple of spots left,” Janzen said. “Eighth Street is fully booked until the end of November, pretty much, so it’s wild.”

Janzen said it’s been good to see so many people getting ahead of the snow instead of waiting until the last minute. He explained that waiting can put mechanics in a tough spot, as they end up having to turn some customers away.

“I hate to say it, but sometimes there’s only so much we can do in a day. It happens every year, and I hate to turn them away, but sometimes you can only do so much,” he explained.

When putting on winter tires, Janzen said his mechanics also check the vehicle’s battery and windshield wipers just to help make sure the drivers don’t face any other problems throughout the winter months.

As for what type of winter tire is best, Janzen suggested tires with studs for those mainly driving in the city and something more heavy duty for those planning on driving on the highway frequently.