GM sags, Toyota soars as Canadian auto sales dip

Top import nameplates grabbed a bigger share of Canada's auto market in May as overall sales dipped 0.5 percent amid a sharp retreat by General Motors, according to company figures released on Tuesday. Canadian auto sales slipped to 184,500 vehicles last month following a 3.7 percent rise in April, though both Toyota and Honda posted record monthly sales, with Toyota Canada Inc. moving into the No. 2 sales spot behind GM.Even with the overall slide, double-digit gains in January and February have kept sales up 4.3 percent so far this year as the woes of the U.S. auto market have not spilled into Canada."I honestly sit back each month and hold my breath in anticipation of this bubble bursting, but alas there is still no sign of Canada letting up," Dennis DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Automotive Consulting Inc, wrote in a note."Rarely does Canada go counter-cyclical to the U.S. market for any length of time and it has now been a couple years," DesRosiers said.Sales at GM Canada, the country's biggest automaker, skidded 20 percent to 36,277 vehicles in May from 45,359 in the same month last year. GM's car sales fell 5.8 percent while sales of light trucks -- which include SUVs and minivans -- plunged 32.9 percent.Earlier on Tuesday, GM said it would stop work at four truck plants, including an assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, citing a downturn in sales of pick-ups and SUVs because of high gas prices.

Auto stolen before burial

When Leamington Ontario funeral director Kevin Reid came out from his funeral home after a service Tuesday morning, there was something missing. The lead car in the funeral procession, a six-month-old black 2008 Buick Enclave adorned with purple funeral flags, was gone. Police say two men had jumped in, found the keys were in it and drove away at around 11:30 a.m."We just came out to start it and it wasn't there," said an incredulous Reid, the director of Reid Funeral Home on Russell Street. He said he has lined up the cars the same way hundreds of times before, without any problem. Reid explained the situation to the grieving family members and the procession was briefly delayed while another vehicle was prepared. Reid called police, notified them of the theft and told them the vehicle was equipped with OnStar, the General Motors in-vehicle system that can perform various functions and includes a GPS (global positioning system)."Stealing a funeral car from a funeral home is something unbelievable. It just absolutely boggled my mind when it happened."Leamington police agreed. Leamington police dispatchers contacted OnStar, who were able to track the vehicle. The Enclave was traced to Pulley Road and police headed to that area and were then told it was heading north on County Road 37.Police spotted the vehicle on County Road 37 near County Road 34. The driver spotted the police cruiser and pulled into a driveway. Two men jumped out of the vehicle and tried to flee on foot but were quickly arrested at around 12:20 p.m."The guys when they were arrested couldn't understand how we found them," said O'Neil."It's pretty neat how OnStar works."The vehicle, worth about $60,000, was not damaged and Reid retrieved it Tuesday afternoon. The funeral flags were removed but sitting inside. Two Leamington men, aged 23 and 32, are charged with theft over $5,000 and were released on a promise to appear in court.

Transportation fuels hit record prices in May

Americans spent more than $41.5 billion (all prices U.S.) on motor gasoline in May 2008, an increase of almost $4.1 billion from April and nearly $7.1 billion more than was spent in May 2007, according to the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) Transportation Fuel Index. Five years ago, in May 2003, motorists spent just $15.6 billion, or $25.9 billion less than what they spent in May 2008. OPIS said that crude continued to push prices higher, starting at $112 per barrel in the beginning of the month and reaching a high of $132. Retail gasoline prices climbed to $3.96 per gallon on May 30, a 9.5 per cent increase over where it closed on April 30. It was 24.7 per cent higher than in May 2007, and 170 per cent more than in May 2003.Diesel also climbed to $4.78 per gallon at the end of May, a 12.6 per cent increase from the end of April. In May 2007, diesel was an average $2.91 per gallon; it has increased 216 per cent in the last five years.

BMW Canada supports Sears National Kids Cancer Ride

BMW Group Canada has provided four X6 Sport Activity Coupes as support vehicles for the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, which began yesterday. The four X6 vehicles will follow the cyclists to June 20 as they travel from Vancouver to Halifax, stopping at major cities across the country.The vehicles will escort the fifty riders and will be driven by a support crew, who will be on hand to assist riders if they require medical or mechanical help. The event is one of the longest and most ambitious charity cycling events benefitting childhood cancer in the world. The ride begins in Vancouver, lasts 19 days, and covers 7,600 km. The 50 cyclists were hand-picked from applicants across Canada, based on their ability to complete the entire trip. These “national” riders will be joined by hundreds of other cyclists, who will ride distances ranging from 25 to 200 km to raise funds. Along the route, the cyclists will stop and visit many of Canada’s pediatric oncology hospitals and Sears stores, where they will meet children and their families affected by cancer. The goal of the event is to raise millions of dollars for programs that improve survival rates and quality of life.