I've owned an auto repair shop since well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the first city lockdown

occurred, we had no customers calling or walking in with their car problems. Nobody was able to go out
and drive unless they were an essential workers or part of an essential business specified by the
government. Sales in April and May 2020 plummeted to 1/10th of what they were in April and May
2019. Now, more than a year after the last lockdown, auto repair shops are experiencing their glory days.
However, this is just the beginning, and I anticipate that they will continue to thrive for several reasons
from post-COVID-19.

First of all, many jobs that require driving have been created. For example, you can order groceries and
food online, eliminating the need for retail stores to have their own delivery service. Additionally, you
can get a ride to anywhere in the city with just a few clicks on your phone. Drivers will come to pick you
up and drop you off at your destination. You can pay them with few clicks from your phone. And with
more vehicles on the street, there is an increased demand for repairs, both mechanical repair and body
repair.

Second, during the pandemic, the Canadian government accepted thousands of refugees from multiple
countries. They are not only new to the country but also new to the culture, including driving habits,
rules, and cultures. As newcomers to Canada's driving system, they are more likely to experience more
problems with their vehicles.

Third, COVID-19 has changed people's personalities and driving habits. After social distancing during the
pandemic, many drivers have lost their patience while driving and have become more selfish and
aggressive. This leads to more car accidents.

Next, working as an auto service technician is physically demanding. The work environment is worse
than sitting and working in an air-conditioned office, and the pay is not as good unless one is very
experienced and skilled. During COVID-19, many apprentices were laid off and lived on unemployment
benefits. Many of them did not return to their workplaces as auto service technicians, causing a labor
shortage in the auto service trades. This labor shortage is creating a larger gap between supply and
demand.

Lastly, the COVID-19 crisis has made it easier for people to shop around for estimates from a body shop.
Before the pandemic, they had to physically go to a body shop for an estimate. Now they can simply
send photos and the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to a body shop and get a ballpark figure of how
much it will cost to repair their vehicles.
The world is changing rapidly, and COVID-19 has accelerated this change even further. COVID-19 has
affected everyone in the world, mostly in a negative way. We can always complain about it, but we can't
always blame someone else for it. It's time to change. It's time to adapt to and embrace how the world
will be. It's time to seize the opportunity of a lifetime.