Motorists scrambling to automotive shops to get winter tires

THUNDER BAY -- A tire store suggested people beat the rush and get their winter tires on early but is sounds like many in the city didn't listen.

"It's crazy here," Kal Tire assistant senior manager Jesse Wilson said Friday morning.

Thursday night's snowfall must have sounded alarm bells in the city that winter is coming as people were lined up by 6:45 a.m. Friday to have their tires changed.

By the time Kal Tire opened its doors at 7:30 Wilson said more than 70 people were in line. He expects the rush to continue now into December. Like it does every year around this time, the store bulks up with extra staff.

"We're prepared," Wilson said.

Done-Rite Tire and Auto owner Doug Wilson said they saw similar numbers Friday morning before opening the shop and he doesn't expect the rush to let up for another three weeks .

"The weather been so nice and mild that nobody's really overly prepared and then as soon as the snow hits they're lined up," he said.

"Right now our parking lot is full and the whole entire street is full."

Fat Guys Auto Parts even sent staff over to help out at Done-Rite. Salesman Ben Mitchell said on Thursday the store sold zero winter tires. By Friday afternoon they'd had more than a dozen inquires.

"We have had a good rush," he said.  

At nearby OK Tire the situation was a bit different. The store is by appointment only so most regular customers were already outfitted by the time the first snow hit the ground.