Storage Wars moving north

Canadian edition debuts Thursday

War — what is it good for? Ratings, apparently.

TV’s Storage Wars — where crafty teams of professional bidders scan storage units with flashlights and look for clues that suggest gems such as Rolexes, rare furniture, or even pianos — has become wildly popular since its 2010 debut, drawing millions of viewers every week and spawning expansions into New York and Texas.

One fan of the show is now starring in the north-of-the-border spinoff Storage Wars Canada, debuting Thursday.

“I thought it was modern-day treasure hunting,” says Roy Dirnbeck of Mississauga, Ont. “I own a small courier business, so when I saw this on TV, I had some spare time, and I used to sneak off to auctions. After hitting a couple of good ones early, I couldn’t believe the kinds of things that people were leaving behind. It just became addictive for me.”

It’s become addictive for many others. Don Reinhart, the auctioneer for the Canadian incarnation, has been in the business for more than 40 years. He says crowds have ballooned in size in recent years, from 10 or 15 to as many as 200.

Cast members on Storage Wars Canada have all been bestowed with specific labels: Dirnbeck is the “Instigator” while Woodbridge, Ont., supply teacher Ursula Stolf’s penchant for designer heels and body-hugging dresses have earned her the “Knockout” moniker. Cindy Hayden and her partner Rick Coffill, who have been involved with auctions for 17 years, fill the TV role of the “Veterans.”

“Every unit has a story,” says Hayden. “We don’t know (the people who lost their units) personally, but by the end of the digging, you kind of feel bad because they lost their locker.”

The cast members — all professionals of the circuit — say the cameras have brought new scrutiny and pressure. “It’s ruining the business part of it because we’re paying extra for lockers,” says Dirnbeck. “Everyone wants to bid against us, everyone wants to beat us, they know we’re professionals and they want to prove themselves against us.”

But all is fair in love and Storage Wars. Hayden and Coffill are common-law partners, and the cast is entirely made up of people clearly passionate for the work that they do.

“But when the door goes up, there are no friends,” says Coffill.