Seasonal · Summer 2026
Heading to the lake? Get a spare car key before you leave Winnipeg.
Leo · RAXO Locksmiths · Mobile auto locksmith · How I verify ownership
Published June 21, 2026 · Updated July 2026 · Pre-tax. Manitoba RST + GST = 12%.
At RAXO Locksmiths in Winnipeg, a spare car key starts at $110+ (transponder) or $220+ (Smart Key), cut and programmed in your driveway. Lose your only key at the lake and all-keys-lost starts at $280+ plus tax for most transponder and remote-head keys, or $350+ for a push-to-start smart key. A second key made the same visit costs less than coming back for it later — I put that number in your written quote.
The cheapest day to make a spare is any day you still have a working key, and summer is exactly when that gap bites: long highway drives, gravel cottage roads, beaches and boat launches, and used cars that changed hands with a single key. Make the spare before you head out — I come to you across Winnipeg and out to the lakes and towns within about 150 km.
TL;DR · make it now
A spare now vs. all-keys-lost later.
Each price is pre-tax, mobile, on-site at your vehicle. "+" means "starts at" — the exact number comes by text before I dispatch.
While you have a working key
Make a spare
Quick because you still have a key. I program a fresh one to your vehicle as an additional working key.
After your last key is gone
Lost all keys (AKL)
Every working copy is gone — and if it happens on a trip, you are stuck wherever you parked. A second key made the same visit costs less than coming back for it later — I put that number in your written quote. Needs ownership verification (photo ID matched to registration or insurance).
Full numbers on the pricing page, and the deeper cost breakdown is in how much a car key costs in Winnipeg. Ready now? Here's the spare car key page.
Why summer is the moment for a spare.
The same lost key is a small problem at home and a big one two hours up the highway. Here's what changes once the weather turns and everyone heads out of the city.
You're far from home
A key that fails or goes missing at the cottage isn't a 20-minute fix — it's a full all-keys-lost call and a lost day of your trip. A spare in the glovebox (or with the other driver) skips the whole thing.
Lakes, sand, and boats eat keys
Keys get dropped off a dock, left in a boat, buried in beach sand, or locked in a hot trunk. It happens far more in July than in January — and a backup means it's an annoyance, not the end of the weekend.
Two drivers, one car
Road trips and cabin weekends usually mean people sharing a vehicle. A second key means nobody's stranded at the dock waiting for whoever has "the key."
Used-car season
A lot of vehicles change hands in spring and summer — and plenty come with just one key. That's the moment to make a backup, while the one key you have still works.
Just bought a used car? Count the keys.
Before the first long trip, check how many working keys came with it. If the answer is one, that single key is now a single point of failure — and the day it's lost, you're into an all-keys-lost job ($280+) instead of a quick spare. That's exactly the situation I cover in what to do if you lose all your keys away from home in Manitoba, from cottage country to the highway shoulder.
With one working key in hand, a spare is straightforward: I match a fresh key or fob to your exact year, make, and model, cut it, and program it to your vehicle as an additional working key — most makes on the road, on-site, with the price texted to you first. Text me the year, make, and model and I'll confirm yours.
Where I'll meet you this summer.
I'm a mobile automotive locksmith — I come to your driveway, the lot, or the cabin. Beyond Winnipeg, I cover a lot of the surrounding area, roughly 150 km out, to the lakes, towns, and villages people actually drive to in summer:
- →The Interlake: Selkirk, Gimli, Stonewall, Lockport, and up toward the lake. (There's a dedicated Selkirk & Interlake page.)
- →East to the lakes: Beausejour and out toward Lake of the Woods / Kenora for the cottage crowd.
- →All of Winnipeg and the surrounding municipalities, of course.
How travel works, plainly: inside the Perimeter, travel is typically included. Past it, a mileage travel charge applies — sized by distance and quoted in the text before I head out. One number that includes the drive, no meter, no surprise on arrival. The full map is on the service area page — text me where you'll be and I'll confirm.
How I quote
Number first. Then work.
- ✓Written quote by text before I dispatch. The number you see is the number you pay (pre-tax), travel included.
- ✓Most makes on the road. Send your year, make, and model and I'll confirm yours before I come.
- ✓I come to you. Driveway, lot, or cabin — across Winnipeg and out to about 150 km.
- ✓Pay after it works. I cut and program the spare, you check it starts the car — then you pay me on the spot. Never up front.
Common questions about summer spares.
Should I get a spare car key before a summer road trip from Winnipeg?
Yes. The cheapest day to make a spare is while you still have a working key — $110+ for a transponder or $220+ for a Smart Key, cut and programmed at your driveway. Lose your only key on a trip and it becomes an all-keys-lost job: $280+ for most transponder and remote-head keys, or $350+ for a push-to-start smart key. A second key made the same visit costs less than coming back for it later — I put that number in your written quote. Make the spare before you leave.
I just bought a used car with only one key — what should I do?
Make a second key while that one still works. With a working key, a spare starts at $110+ for a transponder or $220+ for a push-to-start Smart Key. If that single key is ever lost, it becomes an all-keys-lost job at $280+. Used cars often change hands with one key — get the backup early.
Do you travel to the lake or outside Winnipeg in the summer?
Yes. I cover Winnipeg and the lakes, towns, and villages within about 150 km — the Interlake (Selkirk, Gimli, Stonewall), Lockport and Beausejour. Kenora and Lake of the Woods sit further out, roughly a two-hour drive east on Highway 17, and run as planned trips. Inside the Perimeter travel is typically included; past it a flat $1.20 per kilometre applies, quoted by text before I head out. Text me where you will be.
Can you make a spare for most makes?
Most makes on the road — text me your year, make, and model and I will confirm yours before I come. I match the fob to your exact vehicle and program it on-site as an additional working key, with the price sent in writing first.
How long does making a spare car key take in Winnipeg?
30–40 minutes for a transponder, flip or Smart Key spare while one key still works; a plain metal copy is 5–10 minutes. Lose every key instead and it becomes an all-keys-lost job — plan 1–3 hours. The spare is the cheap, fast version of this story.
RAXO Locksmiths · 204-599-5117