Outlasting The Doubt

Ontario tower Fabiana Ireland built her career, her company, and her reputation one call at a time.

There is a moment every woman in towing remembers. It is the moment she realizes everyone is watching.

Watching to see if she struggles.
Watching to see if she fails.
Watching to see if she belongs.

For Fabiana Ireland, Co-Owner of Rescue 51 Towing & Recovery Inc. in Cookstown, Ontario, that moment came early in her driving career, standing in a tow yard hooking up a tractor while at least ten experienced men stood nearby.

Not one offered help- only criticism.

She held it together until she drove away. “I cried for some time on the way home,” she admits. “Out of frustration and anger more than anything.” She never forgot that moment and she never let it define her. Instead, she let it fuel her. Today, Fabiana Ireland does not need to tell anyone she belongs. She shows them. Every day.

A Life She Never Expected

Fabiana did not grow up in towing. She did not grow up around trucks at all. Originally from South America, her introduction to the industry came when she married her husband, James, in August of 2000. He owned a towing company with his father, and slowly, Fabiana began helping.

At first, it was dispatching. Then she was learning the trucks. Which eventually turned into running the float division. “I had never been around anything like it,” she says. “But I learned.”

Like so many women in this industry, her path was not direct. It was built around family. When the company was eventually sold, Fabiana stepped away to focus on raising their daughter. But towing has a way of finding its way back. Once her daughter was in school, Fabiana returned as a dispatcher. In 2015, encouraged by James, she took a leap that would change everything. She became a volunteer firefighter and earned her commercial driver’s license.

Not long after, she found herself behind the wheel on her first tow- a full-size school bus. “My nerves were shot,” she says. “But I had the best teacher beside me.” That moment planted a seed.

One that would grow into something much bigger.

Betting Everything on Themselves

By 2017, Fabiana and James had reached a point many in this industry understand. They were done building someone else’s dream. They wanted their own.

So, they started Rescue 51 Towing & Recovery Inc.

There were no shortcuts. “We sold every toy we ever owned to get the business started,” Fabiana says. “It was rough at first, but quitting wasn’t an option.” Their first truck was a 1989 International Eagle with a 20-ton NRC slider. It was not about having the newest equipment. It was about having the courage to begin. What they did have was something even more valuable- Trust. Customers who had known them for years followed them. Slowly, steadily, Rescue 51 grew.

Today, their fleet includes:

• Four heavy wreckers
• Two flatbeds
• A float
• An emergency support unit
• Airbags and specialized recovery equipment

But even with all that growth, one thing has not changed. It’s still personal. It’s still family. And it’s still built on sacrifice.

Wearing Every Hat

Fabiana is the first one in the office most mornings. And often, the last one still working. She handles dispatch, invoicing, insurance, payroll, licensing, and everything it takes to keep the business moving forward. “If there’s a wreck, I’ll go,” she says. “If they need me to drive, I drive. If they need a supervisor, I do that too.” And when the workday ends, she goes home and cooks dinner. If the phone rings overnight, she and James respond together.

It’s not glamorous.

It’s real.

It’s the life so many towing families live.

The Power of Support

Fabiana is quick to credit the people who helped her along the way, especially her husband. “He believes I can do anything,” she says. “I couldn’t do it without him.” That support made it possible for her to grow in an industry that does not always make space easily for women.

She is also proud of the example she set for her children. Her daughter followed in her footsteps and became a volunteer firefighter. “Our kids think their mom is the coolest,” she says.

There is no award bigger than that.

Earning Her Place

Respect in towing isn’t given- it’s earned. Fabiana knows that better than most. “It took years to feel accepted,” she says.

Years of working in the snow.

Years of working through the night.

Years of proving herself without saying a word.

Today, she serves as a Director with the Professional Towing Association of Ontario, helping advocate for the industry and its future. In 2023, she received one of the highest honors in recovery when she was named a Top 10 WreckMaster. She became only the fourth woman in Canada to earn that recognition. “To stand alongside the best in the industry was something I’ll never forget,” she says. It was not just a personal victory. It was proof of how far she had come.

Her Advice to Women Entering Towing

Fabiana does not pretend it is easy. “This industry is tough,” she says. Especially for women balancing business, family, and expectations.

Her advice is simple and powerful. “Family comes first. And don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

She also believes in something else. Women do not need to change who they are to succeed. “If you can do the job safely and still be yourself, do it,” she says. You do not have to lose your identity to earn your place.

What Success Really Means

After more than two decades in towing, Fabiana has accomplished more than she ever imagined.

She has built a business.

Earned respect.

Raised a family.

And helped pave the way for others.

But when asked how she defines success, her answer has nothing to do with trucks or titles. “A successful life,” she says, “is when your children are successful.” It is a perspective that says everything about who she is.

Still Showing Them

There will always be someone watching, still wondering, still doubting. Fabiana Ireland does not worry about them anymore. She simply does what she has always done.

She shows up.

She does the work.

And she shows them.