Contarini, Tony 

Automobile Mechanics Teacher

I have over 35 years of experience in the automotive industry. I was introduced to the automobile industry at the age of 13. Growing up in a bad neighbourhood, my cousin decided to take me under his wing and kept me preoccupied by making me perform several tasks on vehicles that he had purchased for resale. The tasks he made me perform targeted vehicle esthetics, like washing interiors and exteriors of the vehicles, and using tools for the first time like electric buffers to apply and remove wax sealant. He also made me perform minor mechanical repairs, like replacing burnt light bulbs, broken mirrors, oil changes, and replacement of parts that he had previously diagnosed that needed servicing, again using power tools that he owned.

Fueled by my newfound passion, I registered in the Auto Mechanics program that was offered at Laurier Macdonald High School in 1988. This led me to acquiring my competency card in Automobile Mechanics. The company instantly hired me where I had accomplished my internship, which was Versailles Ford in 1988 to 2001. I gained most of my knowledge in the automotive industry there.

I then registered to take a course as an Auto Body Consultant in 2002 to enrich my knowledge in the automobile industry. From 2006 to 2014, three companies employed me, Concordia Auto Ltee., Alex Pneu / Mecanique and Montreal Nord Kia, who had the mandate by the SAAQ to perform safety inspections. My primary task was to perform Mechanical, Technical and Artisanal Inspections on vehicles eligible to pass safety inspections to meet specific specifications, before acquiring the right to register these vehicles for public road use.

The ultimate career change happened to me in 2014. I received a proposal to teach the Auto Mechanics program at Laurier Macdonald Career Center. This career change made me rekindle my passion for the automobile and gave me the privilege to pass down the knowledge that I have acquired throughout my career in the automobile industry to the future generation of Automobile Mechanics. It also gave me the chance to continue to upgrade my credentials and acquire new knowledge to be up to date with the latest technology that’s presently being used on today’s vehicles, so that when the students start their career as auto technicians, they will have the appropriate knowledge to meet industry standards.