Alan W WintermuteInspector Alan Wintermute earned his license as a motor vehicle mechanic after having completed an apprenticeship in Ontario. The license was later divided into a few designations as the trade became more complex and servicing motor vehicles increasigly required specialized training and experience. Inspector Wintermute was grandfathered into two of those categories: truck/coach technician and automotive service technician. In Ontario, as in other provinces, an interprovincial seal-now called the Red Seal Endorsement, or RSE, as per a recent College of Trades adjustment-is awarded to the candidate for licensing in a trade if they reach a specified mark on their qualification examination. Alan Wintermute was awarded this seal on his certificate of qualification-significant because it extends its recognition across all the provinces of Canada-immediately following the completion of his apprenticeship.

Alan Wintermute has long been fascinated with both the way laws are written and the atmosphere of a courtroom. He practised as a paralegal in Toronto for about sixteen years, and earned a fellowship certificate in the law of evidence from the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario. Seeking a steady income, benefits, and a pension during a time of economic downturn, he sought an appointment as a transportation enforcement officer and was given a berth with Ontario's elite enforcement agency, one of six licensed motor vehicle mechanics hired to this role (at its peak, the Ontario transportation enforcement agency had about 365 officers, thirty-five of whom were licensed motor vehicle mechanics). He held it from April 2003 until his retirement in October of 2020.

During his tenure in enforcement, Inspector Wintermute worked as a patrol officer in Toronto and at truck inspection stations on Highways 401, 400, and the Queen Elizabeth Way, in Ontario. He also taught new recruits at basic training for eleven years.

Alan Wintermute lives with his wife in Ontario, some thirty kilometres from the American border. Read More Read Less