The co-op took a step forward this week by launching its first YouTube video and channel. Titled, “If These Cars Could Talk,” the video was produced by Marc Cameron and Emeri Schweigert of Neat Creative Media. Emeri also starred in the video, along with Sharyl Spring, your Hamilton Services Coordinator. The co-op’s goal was to create a video that would reach out beyond typical CarShare members and make a strong statement about car culture in North America.

Here are couple ways you can help out:
1. Post a link to the video on your Facebook page. Pick 5 of your friends and post the video on their pages with a comment (this helps the video go viral).
2. Tweet about the video with a link; include your favourite line from the video (Ours was “It’s not the 1950s anymore…”).

This video this marks the first time the co-op has attempted to promote CarShare beyond providing basic information about how our service works (i.e. here is how you get the keys, etc…) As members, we welcome your feedback about this video, and for future projects, what creative direction the co-op should take with its marketing initiatives.

Happy viewing!

CarShare President Jason Hammond gets interviewed by CTV SWO’s David Imrie aboard the first Waterloo Region GO Train to Toronto on Dec. 19.

Co-op staff members Matt and Janet, along with co-op president Jason Hammond, rode the rails to Toronto Monday on the first scheuled GO Train from Waterloo Region. We scheduled several meetings in Toronto for the day, including with AutoShare, Toronto’s local carsharing organization, where Janet also joined as a Roaming Member. Later in the day we got to drive an AutoShare car to Oshawa for our meeting with TigerTel, the company that answers the co-op’s reservation line outside of business hours. We also met with Metavera, the company that provides the co-op’s online reservation system.

It was a very multi-modal travel day, as we drove two different CarShare vehicles – our own and an AutoShare vehicle, and took two different kinds of trains – the GO Train and the TTC subway. We also did some walking in between modes as well. Overall, our day is a great example of how carsharing helps fill in the gaps between other transportation modes. Here is a full rundown of our day:

With GO Trains now serving Waterloo Region, residents have more options when it comes to making transportation choices that will reduce their carbon footprint. And, with CarShare vehicles available on either end of the GO Train ride through our co-op and through AutoShare, maintaining access to a vehicle while taking the train has never been easier!

Grand River CarShare’s now-retired 2001 Honda Civic was donated to the Woolwich Fire Department three weeks ago and used in an auto extrication training exercise. Taking part in the training were students from the Conestoga College Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training program, who were training that week at the Woolwich Fire Department.

Donating the vehicle to the fire department was the idea of Grand River CarShare’s president, Jason Hammond, who had seen a similar demonstration in another jurisdiction.

“The community will benefit far more from this donation than the CarShare would if we had decided to sell the vehicle. It is of greater value to the Fire Department as a contribution for firefighter training,” Jason said.

It was coincidence that Grand River CarShare donated the vehicle during a week that Conestoga students were training at the Woolwich Fire Department, so they got to participate in some extra training.

“The donated vehicle will assist the Conestoga students in their pursuit of becoming fire fighters,” Woolwich Fire Chief Rick Pedersen said. “These cars are needed to practice their skills in auto extrication. Without this donation the Woolwich Fire department would have to assume the costs of these vehicles and the students could not enhance their practical skills.”

While the co-op’s Civic didn’t exactly get cut up by the Conestoga students during the exercise (the Civic was in much better shape than most cars the fire departments usually has for training), it was saved by the Fire Department for additional training at a later date. As most cars used in trainings are sourced from auto wreckers, the firefighters said with the Civic having all its systems intact, such as air bags and electrical components, it makes for a much more realistic training exercise.

Grand River CarShare is also in the process of expanding its service to Woolwich. With the recent announcement of GRT Route 21 being made permanent, the CarShare will now have access to a $30,000 line of credit from the Township of Woolwich to support the expansion.

“With our co-op’s coming expansion to Woolwich, we felt this would be a great way to give back to the community,” Jason said. “The only thing holding us back from launching CarShare is recruiting fifty members. We encourage everyone who is interested in joining to contact us as soon as possible.”