Atlantic Canada bucking domestic car theft trends

The Atlantic provinces are bucking the latest vehicle theft trends in Canada.

In the first half of 2024, flights were down 17% nationally and declining in every region of the country except Atlantic Canada, where they were up 11%.

Équité Association, an organization that represents the insurance industry, said last July (New window) that the increase in automobile thefts in the Atlantic was likely related to the tough measures in place to combat auto theft in Ontario and Quebec, forcing thieves to look to steal in other provinces.

Has organized crime decided to reorient itself towards the Maritimes, since the fight against organized crime and vehicle theft is so effective in Quebec and Ontario currently?asks Jacques Lamontagne, director of Quebec and Maritimes investigations at Équité Association.

Or is it simply a new trend compared to the flight techniques used in the Maritimes?he asks.

In an interview on Saturday, Jacques Lamontagne explained that a large number of stolen vehicles leave Canada.

Large ports like Montreal, Saint-Jean [au Nouveau-Brunswick] and Halifax, this year, we intercepted nearly 2,000 stolen vehicles, which came mainly from Ontario, then from Quebec and the Maritimes, [et] which were intended for countries in the Middle East or Europerelate-t-il.

Also, in the Maritimes, what we notice is that there is a lot of insurance fraud which ends with stolen vehicles abandoned in the forest or in isolated places, to obtain compensation from the insurer.he adds.

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The investigator also explains an emerging trend over the past year or two. Criminals, using a false identity or falsifying their tax returns, manage to obtain a loan from a dealership for the purchase of a vehicle.

[Ils] have it delivered, place it in a container and export it abroad, and declare it stolen once the vehicle is returnedsays Jacques Lamontagne.

The most stolen vehicles, and how to protect yourself

According to Équité Association, there have been 2,061 total vehicle thefts in Atlantic Canada (New window) in 2023, compared to 1931 the year before.

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Against theft, the organization recommends a four-stage strategy, with each phase adding an additional layer of protection.

It starts with basic measures, like locking your doors and windows. Jacques Lamontagne then suggests physical means — such as anti-theft bars for the steering wheel and brakes — then technological means, that is to say immobilizers.

Finally, tracking systems that can help find the vehicle once it is stolenhe concludes.

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Feared increases in insurance premiums

Thefts have an impact on the insurance premiums paid by motorists, even those who are not themselves victims, or who drive a vehicle that does not appear on the list of those most coveted by criminals.

Unfortunately, this is the principle of insurance and all policyholders pay the cost.

Even if my car wasn’t stolen, I might get an increase too, because those are average increases. It is certain that if my car is stolen, yes, my increase will be more significantdeclared Friday, in an interview with Téjournal Acadiethe consumer advocate for insurance in New Brunswick, Michèle Pelletier.

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According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (GRC), there were nearly 1,900 vehicles stolen in 2024 in New Brunswick, including 576 reports of theft in Moncton.

The defender warns New Brunswickers not to be surprised by rising premiums in the coming months.

In the province, each insurer must notify the New Brunswick Insurance Commission of the rates it wishes to establish.

If the requested increases are beyond 3%, there must be hearings. When there are hearings, the insurers arrive there with their actuaries, they open their books and they present to the commission all their figures, and they ask for increases in order to be able to make a profit, then to be able to settle everything [les réclamations]she explains.

In 2025, the calendar for the commission is filling up. We can already see that several insurers have made requests beyond 3%.says Michèle Pelletier.

Based on information from Janic Godin and Kristina Cormier