Saturday, July 14th was a beautiful sunny, windy Alberta day in Edmonton and as I took a turn down 104 Street walking north towards Jasper Avenue I saw that there was an event taking place down the entire street for two full city blocks. Lining the street were scores of classic vehicles dating from the original Model T’s to more recent antiques from the 80’s all buffed to a high shine and angle parked to the delight of onlookers walking by.
Seeing an elderly couple seated beside their car I decided to inquire about the origins of the event.
They described their vehicle and informed me that this Antique Car Show was organized by Kelly (from Kelly’s Pub) and her dad who have held it annually for the past 4 years. The gentleman said glancing at his wife with a twinkle in his eye that his passion for cars started when he was just a teenager when I inquired.
To me, it was clear that there was a romantic allure to old cars that is obvious to any rural Albertan. Being given the keys to the family farm truck meant the first spark of independence and with the ability to drive off the land, the possibility of courtship.
Further down the road, this was confirmed when I asked another twosome hailing from Pierce, Alberta when he first got interested in cars. Ken Huff likewise smiled to his wife Marilyn who was sitting beside him and replied, “Since I was about 16. But I got the green truck in 1973 when I bought for it an additional dollar when I bought some farmland.”
The green farm truck was already quite old when he got it, but he had taken care of it and used it throughout the years.
Marilyn rose to show me a series of annual summer photos with their two daughters posing beside the green truck in their swimming suits, their hair wet from a dip in a slough. Commenting with a mischievous chuckle at the later ones, “They stopped with the swimsuits after a while. Both our girls learned to drive in this truck!”
I said, “It seems like part of the family,” and she said, “Oh, yes,” showing me the story they had composed about their family farm truck entitled, “I am a Truck”.
I asked if they thought sharing the story about their farm truck with newcomers to Canada was important and might help people from urban areas understand something about life in rural Alberta or Alberta culture and both man and wife replied nodding affirmatively, “Definitely it would.”
Judy, a newcomer from southern China was there with a few relatives and holding her newborn baby in her arms as she looked at the features on each vehicle. I asked her what she was enjoying most about the car show and she said:
“They don’t really do this sort of thing in China. I like the detailed work on the car. There is even a spiderweb welded here,” reaching over as she touched the webbed ironwork above the open engine.
Another lady from Asia exclaimed pointing to the bright pink and lime green lining inside the cab of another old beauty said, “Oh, look at this car! It’s so cute!”
I was glad I had chanced down that particular street on that warm and lazy Saturday and meet some neighbourly people bringing not only their love of vehicles but their unique Alberta stories of family and rural life. Events like this locally sponsored Antique Car show demonstrates the artistic allure and pragmatic romance of Alberta life. We can learn so much from each other when we share the things we love!
A turquoise relic detailed with chrome gives the appearance of a rocket ship as seen on the Jetsons.
The Green Truck has a distinctive wooden lining in the back. What kind of items must it have carried?
The cutely detailed pink and green vehicle
Antique car lovers line the street on both sides of the road
