Arnprior, Ont., man forced to pay thousands after notice of recovered truck caught up in Canada Post strike

An Arnprior man says word that his stolen truck was found was delayed by the postal strike and getting it back will now cost him. CTV's Dylan Dyson reports.

An Arnprior, Ont. man says he is on the hook for thousands of dollars after a notice informing him his stolen truck had been recovered was caught up in the Canada Post strike.

David Miller says it was in July 2024 when his white Dodge Ram pickup truck was stolen from downtown Ottawa.

At the time, and still to this day, the thefts of high-end trucks and SUV’s have been unprecedented across Ontario.

Miller was one of the lucky ones, or so he thought.

“I didn’t hear anything for months until last week when I got something in the mail. I received a notice from the Ottawa Police Service that my truck had been towed from an underground parking garage,” Miller told CTV News.

The date stamp on the letter was dated Nov. 26, 2024, just a short time after the Canada Post strike had started. In the interim, Miller says he never received contact by way of phone from Ottawa police, his insurance company, or the company financing the truck informing him that it had been found.

After being recovered, Miller’s truck was taken to a tow yard in Ottawa owned by SMC Towing. He says after holding the truck for two months, SMC Towing informed him that the truck had accrued nearly $4,500 in storage fees.

“I was very excited. I left work right away, went and got the release, and then went to the towing yard, and then they hit me with the bill of $4,600,” he said.

“I thought that was insane being the victim of a crime, having to pay that much out of pocket to get my own property back.”

After being contacted by CTV News, SMC Towing says it agreed to slash Miller’s bill by $1,400, or a rate of 20 days, the duration of the Canada Post strike.

“I’m not able to pay it right now,” Miller said.

“I worked my whole life because I’ve always wanted a truck. This is my first real truck, so it’s very important to me. My son loves it.”

Miller said he went back and forth with Ottawa police and his insurance provider, Belair Direct, about having the charges covered.

After being contacted by CTV News, Belair Direct confirmed it is working towards a resolution for Miller.

In a statement, communications director Jennifer Beck said, “this claim has not been denied and is still open. Our teams have been actively working on the matter and have requested supporting material from the customer.”

It’s now given Miller renewed optimism that he will be able to park his truck in his driveway once again.

“[Insurance] called me this afternoon and completely changed their tune,” Miller said.

“They have said that they’ve been in talks with the towing company. They are going to try and get it out.”