I’m just north of ND in Manitoba, and yes, the “Viper Tech” thing is a bit questionable at some dealers up here too. The way I understand it, being a Viper Tech is a matter of taking some computer courses and paying a fee of some sort, from what I have been told. Some dealers don’t go for it, but may still have a guy who knows Vipers well enough to do the basic stuff. I’ve used a couple of different dealers in Winnipeg over the years for oil changes and some recall/warranty stuff, with no problems. Personally, I don’t care if they are “certified” to work on Vipers, as long as I trust them.
Dason