The snow hasn’t started yet, but winter tire season has

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This article was published 13/10/2023 (1065 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The sounds of the air-impact wrench fills the tire shop on Brandon’s north hill. Tire technicians busily replace worn tires with new ones as drivers prepare for the inevitable winter weather conditions.

Soon enough, the road surfaces will be covered with snow and ice. And even though he can’t forecast the date of that first blast, Brayden Davis, Kal Tire’s manager, said it’s best that people don’t wait.

“I’ve got 298 open work orders of people coming in and it’s not even snowing yet, so people are preparing,” Davis said. “A good time to put winter tires on is right now during this second week of October. And then weather permitting, take them off about the second week of April and you’ll be in good shape.”

Ken Cunninham was at Kal Tire on Thursday, changing the tires that he had on his all-wheel drive vehicle, after about 100,000 kilometres.

“On the front they were pretty thin,” Cunningham said. “They were drivable, but they probably should have been rotated more often. I’m getting all weather tires because my wife and I are about to head south for the winter, so we’ll feel more comfortable, feel safe.”

Every tire has a potential owner based on driver preference, said Davis as he pointed to the treads of a Sumitomo Ice Edge winter tire, one of several brands they have in the store, including Nokian, Bridgestone, Firestone, Michelin, Continental, BF Goodrich, RoadX, Goodride and Pirelli.

“I think the biggest winter tire advantage is 100 per cent your stopping power,” he said. “Most tires will get you going, but it does take a really good tire with all the technology and advancements to harness it.”

Davis said that another option a lot of people like on their winter tires has metal studs embedded in the rubber, which are said to help provide better traction on icy and snowy surfaces.

Studded tires can be used in every province and territory, but there are some restrictions about the time of year and total number of studs in some regions, including Ontario, which only allows studded tires in northern Ontario. In Manitoba, studded tires are permitted from Oct. 1 to April 30.

With so many different types of winter tires, many people are left scratching their heads as to what the best fit is for their vehicle, said Jake Zorzos, owner and operator of OK Tire on Brandon’s First Street North.

“So, if you’re just doing normal driving around the city, and you are a fairly confident driver, you can use the all-weather tires,” Zorzos said. “I use all weathers, but I know if I hit some ice, I have to give myself more stopping distance. You have to be a little more careful in conditions with all weathers.”

Each customer goes through a questionnaire to determine what type of driver he or she is, including if tires will be put to use with short trips to the grocery store in town, or a lot of highway driving in cold, snowy and icy conditions.

“All tires are good,” Zorzos said. “It’s just that some will last longer and have a little better performance. Some people are brand loyal and some look at their budget, so that’s why we want to see what kind of driving you do — it all depends on that. But for highway driving I would recommend the Toyo GSi-6 with crushed walnut shells that are embedded in the tire tread compound. It’s called microbit technology and the shells dig into the ice for better traction.”

Purchasing a set of winter tires may not be affordable for some Manitobans, making the Winter Tire Program a great option. It’s offered and administered by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), which provides low-interest financing to eligible Manitobans to buy qualifying winter tires and to cover associated costs. The program provides loans for a 48-month term at prime rate plus two per cent for up to $2,000 per vehicle.

To be eligible for a loan, the applicant must be an individual and an MPI customer, purchase qualifying winter tires for a registered passenger vehicle or light truck, and not be subject to financing restrictions.

Both OK Tire and Kal Tire are included in the dozens of participating retailers in the province.

As Davis looked at his shop’s calendar and answered another phone call from someone looking to book an appointment, he reminded people that beyond selling tires, it’s about safety and security.

“If you’ve never driven on winter tires, if you’ve never experienced the difference between them and your all seasons you’ve been driving on? Once you have a winter tire, you very rarely ever look back.”

For more information about MPI’s Winter Tire Program, email inquiries@mpi.mb.ca.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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