Transcript
I am very fortunate to be able to work in the field that I’m passionate about.
My name is Karine Sirois. I am an inspector at Transport Canada.
I investigate suspected safety-related defects, including on motor vehicles, child car seats, and tires.
When I used to talk to my dad about what I wanted to do, I would always tell him: “Oh, I want to sell cars.”
And he would tell me: “Broaden your horizons; don’t just focus on one goal.” »
My father did something that greatly influenced me. He took me to a car show when I was young. And, indirectly, he wanted me to see the booth of one college in particular, the Canadian Automotive Institute in Ontario.
That’s when I realized that this program could do much more for me than what I was wanting to do.
I went through the process, I enrolled in the Canadian Automotive Institute, and that’s where I was able to complete the bilingual program.
I was working at a car dealership. At that time, I was responsible for delivering new and used vehicles to the new owners. There was one lady… I was explaining the features of her car to her. I was emphasizing the occupant protection systems, how to secure yourself properly in your vehicle, and all that.
And she said to me: “Are you familiar with Transport Canada?” »
To me, it was always about airplanes, aviation, civil aviation, things like that.
Naturally, I went to Transport Canada’s website, and that was when I realized that there really was a motor vehicle safety investigation laboratory in Canada. And that’s where I work.
When we receive a complaint related to a potential defect on a vehicle, my role is to identify whether the problem on the vehicle has an impact on people’s safety, among other things.
We’ll follow-up, inspect the vehicle, understand the problem, and if we do indeed determine that the problem reported to us has an impact on safety, can jeopardize people’s safety, that’s when we'll launch an investigation to learn more and then determine whether there should be a recall on the vehicles affected by that problem.
I couldn’t have asked for more, to be part of the team. I feel like I belong here, especially because I know that I’m making a difference. Not everybody is able to have a job or be in a field that they’re passionate about. So I’m very grateful for that, and I can say that it really is my dream job.