CADA History
A Need for Advocacy
The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, then named Federation of Automobile Dealers Association of Canada (FADA) was founded in 1941 in response to the federal government’s wartime plan to regulate automobile dealerships.
Dealers who financed their own sales charged a premium to cover occasional losses. The government wanted to eliminate the premium and dealers from across the country mobilized to protest. The campaign to have Ottawa drop the changes was successful and a new national association was born.
On December 5, 1941, 40 people attended the first directors’ meeting, at Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier. In 1944, 585 delegates representing 53 dealer associations attended the annual meeting. At the time, there were so many small associations that it was difficult for dealers to have a unified voice. By 1948, more than 1,000 delegates were in attendance.
Post-World War II
After the war, FADA’s scope grew.
The Association provided the first dealer services – employee benefits -- in the 1950’s, which in turn helped to fund its advocacy efforts.
Through the decades, the Association continued its diligent work as the national voice of the automotive dealer, and by the 1990’s, FADA was well-established as an advocate for Canadian automobile and truck dealers.
Today
Renamed the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association in the early 1990’s, CADA has continued to protect the interests of the dealers under the franchise system.
Since then, CADA has:
- Advised the government on Free Trade and NAFTA
- Lobbied successfully against expanded banking powers during numerous Bank Act legislative reviews.
- Lobbied successfully for the creation of specific stolen vehicle legislation entitled “Tackling Auto Theft and Property Crime Act".
- Lobbied successfully a $12 billion federal government Canadian Secured Credit Facility to support automotive loans and leases during the 2009 auto crisis.
- Lobbied successfully for the Establishment of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC)
- Lobbied successfully for a specific tax exemption for automotive technician tools
- Helped to establish and administer the National Dealer Arbitration Program (NADAP)
- Conducted the annual Dealer Satisfaction Index Survey (DSI)
- Administered the Legal Action Fund and assisted dealer members involved in litigation that can establish precedents that benefit dealers
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