| WHEN EARL GERVAIS
SR STARTED GERVAIS MOTORS LIMITED IN 1934 HE
DELIVERED GROCERIES AND FLOWERS. HE THEN EXPANDED
THE OPERATION INTO AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE WHEN HE
PURCHASED THE GARAGE ON PARKDALE AVE. IN 1941. HE
PURCHASED A DUMP TRUCK AND REMODELED IT INTO A
TOW TRUCK. THIS ONE TRUCK SOON GREW INTO A FLEET
AND HE STARTED TAKING ON CONTRACTS. ONE OF THOSE
CONTRACTS WAS WHEN IN 1946 THE CHIEF OF POLICE
ASKED MR GERVAIS TO DO ALL THE TOWING FOR THE
OTTAWA POLICE. THIS WAS A VERBAL CONTRACT AND
STOOD FOR OVER 40 YEARS. GERVAIS MOTORS WAS THE
FIRST TOWING COMPANY IN OTTAWA TO HAVE THE POLICE
CONTRACT. EARL GERVAIS
SR WAS KILLED IN 1961, WHILE TOWING A TRUCK ON
HIGHWAY 17. HE WAS TALKING TO A POLICE OFFICER ON
THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN A DRUNK DRIVER REAR
ENDED THE POLICE CRUISER. HE DIED INSTANTLY. HIS
SON KEN GERVAIS WAS WITH HIM AT THE TIME AND
SUFFERED BACK INJURIES THAT STILL PLAGUE HIM TO
THIS DAY. AT THAT TIME KEN, HIS BROTHER GEORGE,
SISTER DORIS AND MOTHER SARAH WORKED IN THE
FAMILY BUSINESS. THEY RAN THE BUSINESS TOGETHER
UNTIL IN 1970 KEN PURCHASED ALL THE SHARES FROM
HIS FAMILY. HE HAD WORKED IN THE BUSINESS ALL HIS
LIFE DOING EVERYTHING FROM PUMPING GAS, BODYWORK
AND TOWING. HE THEN STARTED TO EXPAND THE
BUSINESS EVEN FURTHER BY BRANCHING OUT INTO
GERVAIS AUTO BODY.
IN THE EARLY 1970'S HE STARTED
TO LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF TOWING WITH THE USE
OF HYDRAULICS. HE PIONEERED THE USE OF HYDRAULIC
TOW TRUCKS IN ONTARIO BY HAVING ONE BUILT FOR OUR
FLEET. THIS ONLY FUELED HIS IMAGINATION. HE
STARTED TO DESIGN AND BUILD A VARIETY OF WRECKERS
TO HELP THE TOWING INDUSTRY. HE HAS BEEN VERY
INFLUENTIAL IN THE DESIGN AND BUILDING OF HEAVY
DUTY WRECKERS AND THEIR INTRODUCTION TO CANADA.
IN THE EARLY 1980'S HE DISCOVERED THE BONIFACE
LINE OF HEAVY DUTY WRECKERS. HE HAD FINALLY FOUND
A COMPANY THAT BUILT WRECKERS GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIS
FLEET. WE BECAME THE FIRST TOWING COMPANY IN
CANADA TO USE AND BUILD THESE HEAVY UNDERREACH
UNITS. AT THIS TIME KEN BECAME THE CANADIAN
DISTRIBUTOR AND STARTED TO SELL THESE WRECKERS TO
OTHERS TOWERS. THIS WAS THE START OF GERVAIS
EQUIPMENT SALES. IN 1990 KEN BECAME THE CANADIAN
DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE AMPLIROLL HANDLING SYSTEM.
THE EQUIPMENT SIDE OF OUR BUSINESS IS KEN'S SIDE
LINE, BUT HIS HEART IS STILL IN THE TOWING AND
RECOVERY. HE STILL GOES OUT ON EVERY AIR BAG
RECOVERY JOB WE DO.
KEN'S SON JAMIE HAS ALSO WORKED
IN OUR FAMILY BUSINESS HIS WHOLE LIFE. HE STARTED
OUT HELPING HIS FATHER ON THE TRUCKS AND IN THE
SHOP. HE WAS HIS FATHER'S SHADOW AROUND THE SHOP
AS HE ABSORBED ALL HE COULD ABOUT THIS BUSINESS
THAT WAS ONE DAY TO BE HIS. WHEN HE WAS 16 HE
STARTED DRIVING THE TRUCKS. HE DROVE TRUCKS AND
LEARNT THAT ASPECT OF THE BUSINESS UNTIL 1987.
KEN AND JAMIE HAD DECIDED THAT IT WAS TIME FOR
JAMIE TO LEARN HOW THE MANAGEMENT SIDE OF THE
BUSINESS WORKED. SINCE THAT TIME JAMIE HAS BEEN
TAKING ON MORE AND MORE RESPONSIBILITY. TODAY HE
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING
OF THE TOWING DIVISION.
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