Millicent Simonics, FEO, May 29, 2025, VOL. 6 ISSUE 19 

Bill’s Toyota is not just a preferred car dealership, but also a local landmark honored as Canada’s first Toyota dealership. The remarkable story began when young Bill Pacinsky emigrated from Hungary to Canada in 1957. Bill chose Fort Erie because his sister Helen had already migrated to Canada and was living in Fort Erie with her husband. At the time, Bill was 20 years old and, like his father, had trained in Hungary as a “Class A” mechanic. Upon his arrival to Canada, he attended school to receive his Canadian mechanic certification.  Within a year, in 1958, Bill had opened Bill’s Sunoco with a service station and tow truck service on Garrison Road.  From 1957 until 1960, Bill also attended night school at Fort Erie high school to earn his Canadian high school diploma. He attended two nights a week and spent his time alongside two fellow immigrants, a fellow immigrant from Hungary and another from Italy. 

In 1964, Bill attended the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in search of opportunities to expand. Specifically, he visited the International Building where he met a car exporter who introduced him to an executive from the Toyota Motor Company. That same year, Bill also married his wife and life-time sweetheart, Carmen. 

Bill’s Toyota became the first Toyota dealer in Canada in 1965 when Bill had struck a deal with the Toyota Motor Company and was able to open Bill’s Texaco, Toyota & Isuzu located at the corner of Jarvis and Klauck. His first purchase from Toyota included five vehicles which he paid for with cash. To finance his investment, Bill had searched intently, with a few rejections, until he was able to secure an independent line of credit at 17.5%. But Bill wasn’t disheartened. Instead, he took the opportunity and persevered towards success. 

The success of this business was seen within four years, by 1969, when Bill and Carmen expanded the business by purchasing a Shell station on Central Avenue – now presently serving as Bill’s Collision. The Pacinsky’s gas business thrived for another 33 years, with three gas stations in total over time. In 1992 they left the gas business behind to focus on auto sales and service. By 2007, they moved their business from Jarvis Street to the current facility located on Garrison Road. 

Bill’s perseverance could easily be attributed to his upbringing to make the best of any situation. When Bill arrived in Canada, he had $1.67 in his pocket, which is equivalent to roughly $18.70 today. Bill has reflected that, at times his ventures were not well received and yet he persevered and maintained his business for 60 years. He made the best for himself and his family, and he also did exactly that for the Toyota brand. Given Toyota’s confidence in Bill, he remained loyal to Toyota during the 1970s energy crisis which saw a demand for high-quality and fuel-efficient vehicles. Bill was even able to visit Japan in 1979. When asked about his favorite car, Bill showed interest in the new Toyota Supra, but also showed a soft spot for the 1973 Toyota Celica – a Toyota fan at heart.

Through all their efforts, Bill and Carmen Pacinsky were able to grow their businesses while successfully establishing the Toyota brand in Canada. Today, there are roughly 287 Toyota dealerships in Canada. 

Presently, Bill’s Toyota is run as a family business, spear-headed by his son’s Michael and Bill Jr. When asked about his time running a business with a growing family, Bill reflected that “a family that works together, sticks together”.

Bill also reflected that his wife Carmen was instrumental to the success of the business. When the kids were young, she used to bring them into the showroom with a playpen while she did the bookkeeping. When reflecting on the early years of the business, Carmen recalled times when customers would call their family home on a Sunday evening for assistance. Oftentimes, customers would even drop by and park in the driveway looking for repairs. To the Pacinsky family, their business provided success and delivered their hopes and dreams. But it also brought them community through the customers.

During their customer appreciation event on May 10, numerous community members and customers gathered to share, reflect, and celebrate the achievement of Bill Pacinsky’s dream. Humble in his success, Bill took the time to thank his team members, as well as the people who made the event happen: Maria’s Catering provided a lovely spread of croissant sandwiches and delicately cut fruit, Gotcha Covered provided the table coverings and decorations, and Crafted By Grace provided an elaborate balloon display and backdrop for a family photo with Bill Pacinksy, his wife Carmen, and their two devoted sons. 

During the event, the sales counter was filled with awards showcasing Top Performance and Excellence in Customer Satisfaction over multiple years. Bill also thanked the community, “all the customers kept us here”.  Thank you to Bill and to the community for making Fort Erie the home of Canada’s first Toyota dealership in a legacy of one of the greatest car brands ever made.