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Okotoks business helps me fall in love again

The one thing I hated leaving in Oakville before moving to Okotoks, was my little 2000 Honda Civic SE. It was perfect. It fit into small spaces, was easy to maneuver through insane traffic on the QEW and was great on gas.

The one thing I hated leaving in Oakville before moving to Okotoks, was my little 2000 Honda Civic SE. It was perfect. It fit into small spaces, was easy to maneuver through insane traffic on the QEW and was great on gas.

After lengthy whining, my nephew offered to sell me his girlfriend’s car, which was pretty sweet of him, don’t you think? He lives on an acreage in Scandia, works as a welder by day and ropes calves pretty much the rest of the time. Imagine the kind of shape it was in when I went out to collect it.

I had to ask him if he’d delivered as much hay as was left all over the backseat and floorboards of my new toy. He laughed, and pointed out the front windshield needed replacing, the brakes were grinding and the muffler wasn’t doing its job. I pointed out we needed to renegotiate the price.

Did I happen to mention that it’s a 1997 Monte Carlo? I know, I know. How the heck can anyone go from a standard, foreign, four-door family vehicle, to a made-in-North America, automatic, sexy GM product most would call “a man’s car”? Can’t answer that question. All I know is that it was available, it was cheap and it was love at first sight for the little white beauty, with its electronic everything, black leather seats and low mileage. I quickly vowed to primp her back to perfection.

First things being first, she required some serious detailing. I’d like to boast I did full market research with price comparisons and service delivery. But what really happened is that I booked an appointment with the first company that would take her now.

Enter an Okotoks business — a relative newcomer — offering full time service since July 2010. I checked their website, to discover their focus is on cleaning cars…not a litany of other services I didn’t need. I first talked with Nancy, who not only gave me all the information I requested, but was also able to get me an appointment the next day. She was great; friendly and helpful, and an ardent fan of her adopted community of only two years. “I love everything about living here,” she enthused.

I had explained to her the condition of the interior, but I don’t think she really believed me, because her jaw dropped about six inches when I opened the driver’s door. Undaunted, she called the cleaner, Cody, a Black Diamond native, to have a look. They shared intrepid glances, and promptly agreed the car could be finished in about four hours. I admired them both for their bold projection, and admired them even more when they delivered.

After a walk-about downtown on a gorgeous day, I came back to a new vehicle. Cody looked like he’d been rode hard and put away wet, but he proudly handed me the keys and challenged me to find anything amiss. It was perfect… shiny, spotless, and, I have to say, sexy. She just glowed. I fell in love all over again, and not only with the car.

I had to meet the owner, Derek, a 16-year veteran of the lock and safe business, to praise his great staff. Affable and direct, Derek is a member of the Kinsmen Club in Okotoks and has coached practically all the sports teams his boys have played on. A single, stay-at-home dad, Derek had nothing but high praise for his little community by the Sheep River.

“Okotoks has sure taken care of me,” he said, “and been loyal. I’ve been able to turn a part-time, one man operation into a full-time business as the only locksmith in Okotoks, with great people.”

Derek also drove with me over to Troy’s, a young mechanic he trusted, to help take care of my repair issues.

Not only was my car dream-clean, Derek hide a spare key on the body, which came in darn handy when I inadvertently (and for the first time ever) locked my keys in my car at a gas station. Of course, I was in a hurry, and flustered (what a moron) and couldn’t remember where it was. Called another Okotoks detailing company, gave them my info…and they gave me Derek’s number. Nice, I thought.

Nancy, bless her heart, had a hard time remembering where it was too. But, super-sleuth that she is, she tracked down my history…and voila! I will no longer be without a spare again!

I consider Derek, Nancy and Cody three more exceptional examples of why Okotoks is such a great place to live, especially with a new, second-hand Monte Carlo.

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