Car seat clinics (or other resources) in Ottawa, ON, Canada

Unregistered · Mar 21, 2008

We just installed our new Britax Marathon this afternoon and I'm not pleased with how it fits in the car at present. I've done a lot of reading online this evening so I'm going to give it another go tomorrow but I'd really like to get it checked out by someone who knows what they are doing. As far as I can tell the only resources we have here in Ottawa are monthly (if that) clinics put on by a local TV station and they fill up as soon as registration opens. I'll have to wait over a month to even try to register for the next one.

Does anyone know anywhere else I can go? I'd even drive to a nearby city/town to get it done quickly.

Thanks.

Airforcemomma · Mar 22, 2008

We have that same problem and we're in Trenton. No one here does seat clinics that I have been able to find. We live on the military base so I called the military police and asked if they did them. No, they don't . However the local police dept in Belleville does with no appt. You just show up and they'll check your seats.

So, that may be an option for you. Call your local police dept and see if they can help you out. I also found out that the local health units do them as well and some of the early years centers do them as well.

Few places for you to check.

Hope that helps, good luck.

tcottawa · Mar 22, 2008

Where are you located in Ottawa? There is a clinic this weekend in Kanata that I can try to get you into, if you could be there at 9am...also there are a few ottawa techs on this board who might be willing to do it. I am a tech, but don't have a ton of experience yet - I'd prefer to be a last resort! Are you installing RF or FF, with Latch or seatbelt?

Unregistered · Mar 22, 2008

Now I wish I had registered last night so you'll get this right away! I'm very close to Kanata so that would be amazing if I could get into that one - is it the one on the 29th at Turpin? I can be there whenever you tell me to be there!

I'm installing rear-facing with LATCH on the passenger side. There is no LATCH in the middle so I never considered putting it there until I read on this board that it would be just as good with the seatbelt. If I hadn't been able to get it more secure this morning with the tether I was going to try with the seatbelt in the middle. But now I'm worried I haven't used a good tether point. I just posted my whole story in the technical questions section hoping to get some advice while I find in-person technical help.

Thanks!

QuassEE · Mar 22, 2008

I approved the post right away, but we're a great bunch so you might still want to register

-Nicole.

tcottawa · Mar 22, 2008

I emailed the clinic coordinator to see what we can do...but in the meantime:

Do not attach the tether before you get it as tight as you can with LATCH (or the seatbelt + lockoff, if you decide to move it to the middle). There is a debate on this on this board

, but if you come to the clinic we will not tether your Marathon rear-facing for you, so it should install well without it (actually the RF tether will only help with the angle anyway, it won't help with making the seat any more "secure").

I hope this helps a little...Does the seat move more than 1" at the belt path (where the Latch straps are)?

keri1292 · Mar 22, 2008

A curious tech-to-be here...why wouldn't you tether it if she came to the clinic?

snowbird25ca · Mar 22, 2008

keri1292 said:
A curious tech-to-be here...why wouldn't you tether it if she came to the clinic?

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?p=375970#post375970

Long discussion, but the above link about sums it up. :thumbsup:

tcottawa · Mar 22, 2008

To the OP: If you register, or PM me your email address, I can send you the address of the coordinator - only she knows how many techs are going to be around that day and whether she can fit you in. Again, though, if the only question you have is where to anchor the RF tether, that question is better answered on this board (thanks Trudy, for the link to the RF tether discussion), since we won't be able to do it at the clinic. If, however, you feel like you aren't able to get the seat in tight enough, then it would definitely be worthwhile to come to the clinic.

sparkyd · Mar 22, 2008

I am registered!

I would really like to come to the clinic because clearly I am not doing things right. I posted some pictures in the technical section (http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=40322) and I now know that I need to start over. I'm reading up on the whole tether thing and mulling it over!

Thanks.

tiggercat · Mar 22, 2008

I wish I wasn't on bedrest, I'm a tech in Ottawa since 2005 and often do informal checks at my home for people. I've also had a fair bit of experience with the MA since my daughter has been in them since birth, and I'm a big fan of the RF tether (which you will find most techs in the area are not, mostly due to the influence of our instructor who is very anti-Britax). I read the thread where you posted pictures, and I think you will have a lot more luck once you move the LATCh straps to the correct position.

keri1292 · Mar 22, 2008

snowbird25ca said:
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?p=375970#post375970

Long discussion, but the above link about sums it up. :thumbsup:

Thanks!

tcottawa · Mar 22, 2008

I will PM you with the coordinator's address ASAP. If there's no room at the clinic, I have enough experience with a Marathon (since I have one

) that I can tell if it's installed right (RF Tether or not), if you'd like to stop by (not sure where you're located) .... for some reason I can't see your pics.

sparkyd · Mar 22, 2008

Thanks for your help - I got the email address and have sent an email to see if they can fit me in. There was a problem earlier with the flickr site (unusual) but it seems to be working fine now. I've posted two new pictures with my second installation attempt.

Unregistered · Mar 29, 2008

Hi Everyone,
(name edited) offers Car Seat Seminars where you can learn how to properly install your Car Seats. The main benefit of taking a seminar is that if you ever need to take the car seat out and then reinstall it YOU will know how to do it. After the seminar you should be able to help others install their car seats.
For more details see: (link removed)

QuassEE · Mar 29, 2008

Unregistered said:
Hi Everyone,
(name edited) offers Car Seat Seminars where you can learn how to properly install your Car Seats. The main benefit of taking a seminar is that if you ever need to take the car seat out and then reinstall it YOU will know how to do it. After the seminar you should be able to help others install their car seats.
For more details see: (link removed)

Who is teaching these seminars? Are they approved instructors for the curriculum? Since you're stating here that "after the seminar you should be able to help others install their car seats".. I would not be comfortable making that statement unless you're using an approved curriculum and individuals completing the program are certified as Children's Restraint Systems Technicians. Your average person who takes a quick class is by no means qualified to assist others with their installations, and suggesting that they are is a huge liability both for your organization as well as for those individuals.

-Nicole.

Unregistered · Mar 31, 2008

I'm not sure why the webmaster has removed the actual name and link, since all the info is there, but if you do a search on Google for Car Seat Seminar Ottawa you should be able to find all the details. We are a gymnastics facility in Ottawa and all the info can be found on our website. We also have a Baby Show coming up on May 4th, 2008 where we will be running an actual Car Seat Clinic...again if you do a search for Baby Show Ottawa you should be able to get all our info.
The courses and the Car Seat clinics are ran by the SEATS for Kids Coalition. They are the same organizations helping with the Achannels Car Seat Clinics. They are pretty much the only ones running Car Seat Clinics in Ottawa, and the Clinic book very fast.
All their instructors are certified and sponsored by ST. John AMbulance.

Unregistered · Mar 31, 2008

Good point about the company's liability!
I guess the point I'm trying to get across was that a Car Seat Seminar is so much more beneficial for parents as supposed to just a Car Seat Clinic. I'm speaking from my personal experience: I attended a Car Seat Clinic, but with my baby in my arms it was hard to pay attention to all details. I also had to take my Car Seat in and out a few times, and was never sure that once I put it back in, it was just as secure and tight as the inspector had done it for me.

While attending a Seminar you can get all the main points and security features, and taking the car seat in and out was no problem. I was confident that my car seat was properly installed every time.

QuassEE · Mar 31, 2008

But were you confident that you could go around assisting others with their seats? Unlikely. I would not advocate that a couple of hours of classroom instruction qualifies anyone to do this. It's also a huge liability to suggest such a thing. You should register for an account and then post the full details of your class in a new thread, without suggesting people can assist others after such a course. There's nothing wrong with advertising a clinic, as long as it's advertised accurately.

-Nicole.

tcottawa · Mar 31, 2008

The poster is talking about seminars offered by CRST instructors, where parents can learn (in general) how to pick and install a seat. I don't think they teach that you are then to go out and install all sorts of people's seats

, but instead that you would know the basics of car seat installation no matter which seat you pick (like how to read your manual).

Car seat clinics (or other resources) in Ottawa, ON, Canada

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