The CCA will be celebrating its 65th Anniversary in 2025.  Originally founded as the Automatic Car Wash Association of Ontario, it was affiliated with the Automatic Car Wash Association International or ACWA, which changed its name to the International Carwash Association (ICA). 

The Association has consistently over the years provided its members with information on how to run a successful carwash and created opportunities to meet with industry professionals.

The Canadian Carwash Association (CCA) owes its foundation to Ted Snyders who spent all his life working and volunteering in the carwash industry. 

Snyders drafted a constitution for ACWA Ontario, rounded up a group of operators, and on May 19, 1959 the first meeting was held, at which Snyders became the Charter President. The Association was incorporated in Ontario on December 31, 1960.  When Snyders gave up the presidency after five years, he immediately became Executive Secretary, a position he held for 32 years until June 1996.

The CCA has been fortunate to have many members over the years who followed in his footsteps dedicating countless hours to volunteering with the association.  Carwash operators and industry suppliers sit both on the National Board and on Committees, including the Golf Tournament Committee, Environment Committee, CARWACS Committee and others ensuring that your association provides valuable and accessible information as well as networking activities to help your business succeed.

1960`s

The first Canadian Automatic Car Wash Trade Seminar, sponsored by ACWA Ontario, was held in 1963 at the Muskoka Sands Inn.  It was a three-day affair that included sessions on car cleaning, labour, cost accounting, equipment and general maintenance, extra income sales, complete car reconditioning, discounting, gas tie-ins and special promotions. The event was a success and the next year it moved to Niagara Falls and included the ACWA International Board meeting. 

Topics at this Trade Seminar included equipment and maintenance, mobile washing and coin-ops, car care conditioning and ultra sonic washing.  While the technology has certainly changed in 50 years, the business challenges facing industry have remained largely the same.

In 1965, the third annual Canadian Automatic Car Wash Trade Seminar added a Trade Show to the event held at the Canadiana Motor Hotel in Toronto, and a giant outdoor barbeque was hosted by Campbell Holmes, owner of Don Mills Car Wash at his country home.  The Association`s first Golf Tournament took place at the Tam O`Shanter Golf and Country Club that year.

1970`s

During this decade the Association continued to provide professional development seminars, conferences and networking opportunities to car wash operators primarily in Ontario.  In 1975, the Association’s Board of Directors approved a name change to the Canadian Carwash Association to reflect the geographic span of its members, `Clean Across Canada`.

1980`s

The association held its first Trade Fair in 1980 at the Islington Golf and Country Club in Toronto in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting.  In 1981, the CCA established the Ted Snyders Achievement Award, to honour distinctive service among its members. In 1995 at a tribute to Snyders, a plaque filled with the recipients' names was presented to him during a CCA meeting.  Since its inception, this award has recognized outstanding volunteers who have served the association for many years.

Familiar names of current active award winners include Brad Goetz, Murray Ewing, Mike Black, Bill Barber among others.

1990`s

An insurance broker Erb and Erb that specializes in car wash and gas station insurance coverage partnered with CCA in the early 90s to develop the Carwash and Gas Bar Operators Insurance Plan. This exclusive and competitive program, endorsed and recommended by the CCA, provides increased profitability due to insurance savings with many enhancements designed specifically to meet the special needs of members.

In 1997, the CCA Board made a decision that Octane magazine would be the only publication to receive the official endorsement of CCA. That year the publication and the CARWACS trade show was produced by June Warren Publishing. 

2000`s

In 2006, the Association partnered with Kent Group Ltd to collect and report market data for the car wash industry. The Wash Volume Reports provide members with the opportunity to participate in unique and confidential market research that provides information on industry performance, trends and market share. 

2010`s

In 2011, CCA partnered with Leger Marketing to determine Canadians’ awareness of the impacts of driveway car washing on the environment.

To provide assistance to car wash operators, CCA created the Getting Started Toolkit which has been available since 2012. 

In 2015, the Association partnered with Multiview to distribute a bi-weekly e-newsletter containing current information on the carwash industry and CCA news.