Canada’s independent auto repair sector is getting a familiar advocate at a moment when the job of fixing a vehicle is becoming as much about software and data as wrenches and replacement parts. Marc Brazeau has been appointed president of the Automotive Aftermarket Repair Organization of Canada, or AARO Canada, with the board unanimously approving the appointment on August 12, 2026.
The move brings Brazeau back to an industry where he previously helped lead national campaigns around Right to Repair, technician tool costs and vehicle maintenance awareness. It also comes as AARO makes a bigger transition of its own, expanding beyond its long-standing Ontario base and positioning itself as a national voice for independent service and repair businesses facing rapid technological and regulatory change.
A Familiar Aftermarket Leader Returns
Brazeau’s appointment is less a first introduction to Canada’s aftermarket than a return to territory he knows well. Before spending nearly seven years as president and CEO of the Railway Association of Canada, he held senior roles in the automotive sector, including years with the Automotive Industries Association of Canada. He ultimately served as president and CEO of AIA Canada after having worked with the organization for more than a decade. His earlier career also included work with the Transportation Association of Canada and the Canadian Advanced Technology Association.
That history gives AARO a president who has already worked at the intersection of small-business interests, government policy and industry-wide change. Brazeau has also held a senior sales and marketing role at Uni-Select, where his responsibilities included developing a national sales structure and helping launch the Bumper to Bumper brand. His new role will involve strategic leadership and acting as a public voice for AARO while working with Executive Director Patty Kettles, the board, members and industry partners.
AARO Is Trying to Become a Truly National Organization
The leadership change is arriving alongside a significant transformation at AARO itself. The organization traces its roots to 1939 and has spent decades advocating for independent automotive service professionals, historically with a strong Ontario identity. It now describes itself as the Automotive Aftermarket Repair Organization of Canada, a not-for-profit association open to independent automotive service businesses, suppliers and associate members. Its stated mission centres on advocacy, industry information, training, consumer education and government relations.
AARO’s current expansion is intended to move that model beyond one province. The organization says it wants to build representation for independent repair businesses from coast to coast, giving shops a stronger collective voice on issues that individual operators may struggle to influence alone. That matters because many independents are relatively small businesses. A single garage may have deep technical expertise and decades of community trust, but it rarely has dedicated policy staff following legislation, cybersecurity standards, vehicle-data rules or workforce programs. A national association can potentially fill some of that gap.
Right to Repair Has Been Part of Brazeau’s Career for Years
The description of Brazeau as a right-to-repair veteran is backed by a long public record. While leading AIA Canada, he was involved in the industry’s campaign over access to vehicle service information, diagnostic tools and training. In 2009, Brazeau appeared before a House of Commons committee studying Bill C-273, then widely described as a right-to-repair proposal. At the time, the industry was working toward the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard, or CASIS, a voluntary arrangement designed to give independent repair businesses access to service information available to dealerships.
That battle now looks almost simple compared with the technological questions facing shops today, but the central issue is remarkably familiar: whether an independent technician can obtain what is required to complete a repair. Brazeau’s earlier AIA work also included the Be Car Care Aware consumer initiative and a campaign concerning tax treatment of technicians’ tools. Current federal tax rules continue to recognize eligible tool deductions for employed tradespeople and apprentice mechanics who meet the required conditions.
The Modern Repair Fight Has Shifted From Manuals to Data
A mechanic once needed a wiring diagram, the correct replacement part and the right physical tools. Modern vehicles increasingly add another requirement: permission and digital access. Software-defined functions, connected systems, advanced driver-assistance technology, electronic modules and over-the-air updates are changing what technicians must be able to reach before they can diagnose or complete certain jobs. AIA Canada has identified access to vehicle data and repair information as a central issue as more vehicle systems become software-controlled.
Research commissioned by AIA Canada and conducted by MNP illustrates how this plays out on the shop floor. Independent repairers interviewed for the study described buying short-term OEM information subscriptions, tracking technical bulletins and maintaining specialized diagnostic equipment. MNP noted that newer vehicles and some European models were more likely to require manufacturer-specific information or parts. Those demands can weigh particularly heavily on smaller businesses because the cost of multiple subscriptions, tools and training has to be spread across fewer repairs than it would at a high-volume operation specializing in only a few brands.
Independent Shops Carry More Economic Weight Than Their Size Suggests
The stakes extend well beyond association politics. MNP estimated that Canada’s core auto care sector, including repair and maintenance along with parts manufacturing and sales, employs more than 270,000 people and contributes roughly $30 billion to GDP annually. Independent shops serve customers in large cities, suburbs and rural communities, and the MNP research found that shops commonly work on vehicles roughly four to 12 years old—often the period after factory warranty coverage has ended and more significant maintenance begins.
The same research found measurable differences in repair costs. For the vehicles and services examined, routine maintenance such as oil changes was generally $10 to $15 cheaper at independent facilities, while selected common repairs were roughly 10% to 25% less expensive. Estimated annual savings increased as vehicles aged, reaching a range of roughly $250 to $500 for vehicles over 10 years old under the study’s repair profiles. For a household keeping an older vehicle running rather than replacing it, seemingly modest differences can accumulate quickly.
Canada Has Made Legal Progress, but the Data Question Remains
Canada’s right-to-repair landscape has changed substantially since Brazeau’s first round of advocacy. Bill C-244 received royal assent in November 2024, amending the Copyright Act so technological protection measures can be circumvented for legitimate diagnosis, maintenance or repair. Bill C-294, which addressed interoperability, received royal assent the same day. Together, the changes removed important copyright-related barriers that could otherwise interfere with repairing software-enabled products.
Yet those measures do not automatically create a comprehensive obligation for every automaker to provide independent shops with all vehicle data, parts and tools they need. That distinction explains why automotive organizations have continued pressing Ottawa for a more explicit and enforceable framework. Québec has already moved further provincially. Its Consumer Protection Act contains repairability requirements and specific provisions dealing with access to automobile data. The result is a patchwork in which federal copyright reform, provincial consumer law and voluntary industry arrangements all touch the issue without necessarily producing identical repair access across Canada.
Training Could Become as Important as Lobbying
AARO’s national ambitions are not limited to government relations. Technical training is built directly into the organization’s mission, an increasingly important role when vehicle technology can change much faster than the traditional replacement cycle for shop equipment. AARO says automotive professionals need to continuously update their knowledge as new technologies arrive. Its 2026 calendar reflects that approach, including advanced diagnostic training and the multi-day TechX Summit scheduled for September.
For shop owners, the challenge is both financial and practical. A technician attending several days of training is not producing billable hours during that period, while new scan tools, subscriptions and calibration equipment can require significant investment. But falling behind can be even more costly if the shop eventually has to decline work. MNP found that restricted or fragmented information access can lengthen repairs and encourage specialization, potentially reducing the range of services some independent businesses provide. A national organization that combines advocacy with usable technical education could therefore offer value in two places at once: Parliament Hill and the service bay.
Brazeau and Kettles Reunite With a Bigger Mandate
Brazeau will not be building AARO’s next phase alone. His appointment reunites him with Executive Director Patty Kettles, with whom he worked for more than 20 years in the Canadian aftermarket. AARO has described their experience as complementary, with Kettles emphasizing Brazeau’s understanding of both the industry and the role associations can play for repair businesses. Chair Steve Gushie has similarly framed the appointment as another step in strengthening AARO and extending its national presence.
The immediate challenge will be turning that experience into practical relevance for independent shops. National growth means recruiting members, building provincial relationships, supporting training and demonstrating that AARO can represent operators whose needs vary widely by region and business model. At the same time, the policy debate Brazeau encountered years ago has become more complicated, not less. Independent garages still need parts, information and tools, but increasingly they also need credentials, software access and data. His return therefore carries an unusual symmetry: the right-to-repair fight is familiar, while the vehicles at the centre of it have changed dramatically.
