T D Repairs, Chemainus, BC

T. Repairs began with Tom Thorpe-Doubble. From a young age, Tom loved working on machines of any kind. Tom was brought up on a horse farm in Chemainus, With farm life came a wide range of tasks that had to be completed, and skills required to complete them. Tom learned to build, design, repair, fabricate, and weld with all kinds of materials. Rather than earning money for work done on the farm, Tom was paid in tools. By the time Tom was 15, he had earned a complete set of mechanic's tools from his parents. Tom apprenticed at Brenton Truck and Auto in Chemainus from 1973 until 1980. From 1979 to 1980, Tom built his own log home. In 1980, Tom started T. Repairs. Located on Howe Road, the original business was run by Tom out of shop next to the family home. D. Repairs operated on Howe Road until 1995. In 1995, T. Repairs relocated to its current location on Smiley Road. By that time, T. Repairs had quite outgrown the 3 bay shop at home. On Smiley Road, T. Repairs expanded its shop to 9 bays, and purchased the best mechanical repair equipment. Though the business started out with Tom alone, a full staff of mechanics is now required to keep up with the growth of the business. Many mechanics have done their apprenticeships at T. Repairs over the years, and the business has always kept up in the latest training and technology. As Tom prepares for semi-retirement, he has handed control over to two of his journeyman mechanics who apprenticed under him: Foster Thorpe-Doubble, who is Tom's son, and Pat Rutti. D. Repairs has always been owner operated, and will continue as an owner operated business in the future.