CALGARY – As 2013 rolls to a close, it’s time to pause and reflect.
Once again it’s been a busy year in Calgary’s motoring community, and I’d like to revisit some highlights from my past 52 columns.
To recognize youth involvement in the car hobby, in late February, I wrote about the World of Wheels. At the time, Nicole Rodriguez was 19, and Samuel Penney was 15. Both had restored cars on display, Rodriguez a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro and Penney a 1966 Pontiac Beaumont.
Rodriguez was in grade nine when she started her project, and of the many hours spent taking the car apart, detailing and rebuilding it, she said, “It took a lot of my time, but I love working with my hands, and I really enjoyed working with my dad.”
I was pleased to follow that column two weeks later in March with news that Rodriguez was awarded the Overall Rising Star Award for the quality of her restoration work.
Tom Meheden, entry chairperson for the World of Wheels, said, “It is one of CASI’s (Championship Auto Shows, Inc.) most prestigious awards – it’s the ultimate award that we offer in this age group (15 to 25).”
While Rodriguez thought she would show off her Camaro before driving far, Bill Paul’s was a different story. In mid-April, I wrote of Paul’s restoration of a 1951 Ford Two Door Custom – it took him 20 years to complete the rebuild.
That was just the beginning, however, because in 2012 the semi-retired carpenter and his wife, Vivian, decided to drive the Ford across Canada to their hometown of Brookfield, Nova Scotia.
With just a few hundred miles on the freshly built car, the adventures soon began as they headed east on the Trans Canada out of Calgary. The Ford was overheating, and near Winnipeg a driveshaft yoke broke.
Paul persevered, however, and the couple made it to Brookfield and back, a journey of some 10,621 kilometres. Still overheating on the return trip, I reported that Paul was going to install rebuilt heads with new gaskets. With repairs made, he said he was off to display the car at the Nifty Fifty’s Ford Club Spring Thaw — the car show season opener.
Journeying further than across Canada, in late August I wrote about intrepid motorcyclist Dave Ranson of St. Albert, Alberta. Although he’d never been injured in an accident, he decided to ride his 2009 Suzuki DR650 motorcycle 30,000 km through 16 countries in North and South America in support of spinal cord injury awareness.
He was also raising funds for the Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre (Northern Alberta) Society, and more specifically a bionic exoskeleton – a device that provides mechanical assistance, allowing a paralyzed individual to become upright and ambulatory.
Last time I checked, Ranson was in Huanaco, Peru. He can be followed online at www.prairiestopenguins.com.
Some who do crash – whether a motorcycle or a motor vehicle — are lucky to walk away. Others are handicapped for life. Unfortuantely, others lose their lives.
A column in early October dealt with the death of John Ross (JR) MacRae, a rising star in the motorcycle racing community. He crashed his Harley-Davidson XR1200 during a qualifying race at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant racetrack in Quebec.
John Ross MacRae leans into a corner.
Submitted photo,
The son of Calgary’s Blackfoot Motosports co-owner Doug MacRae, JR had been riding motorcycles since the age of three.
“My son was so gentle and compassionate, and he had the ability to treat everyone, regardless of who they were, exactly the same,” MacRae said. JR’s organs were donated, and consequently five recipients were given the gift of life.
“Whoever got John-Ross’s heart has the heart of a champion,” MacRae said.
And finally, in late November I wrote about the dangers of distracted driving. A survey conducted by Ford revealed most drivers – including teens and their parents – continue to use handheld devices while attempting to drive, often leading to serious accidents.
“People know (distracted driving) is against the law, and it’s a $172 fine,” said Jim Lebedeff of the Calgary police traffic education unit. “But the scary part is people are willing to take the risk. And, texting while driving is like driving both drunk and blind.”
Let’s stay safe out there. Thanks for reading, and all the best for 2014. My column will not appear Jan. 3, but will return Jan. 10.
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Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have an auto related item to share for the column or What’s Next? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca. Visit his website at gregwilliams.ca.
What’s Next
Jan. 10 – 12: The 2014 Calgary Motorcycle Show rolls into the BMO Centre at Stampede Park. Everything new in the way of motorcycles and scooters, plus ATVs, from all of the major manufacturers, will be on display. Also, many booths dedicated to the accessory and aftermarket players in the industry. Be sure to check out the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group’s exhibit, chock-a-block with machines from the past. Show runs Fri. noon to 9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults (15 and over) $14, seniors (65+) $10, juniors (6 to 14) $10, children (under 6) free with adult purchase, family pass (2 adult plus 2 juniors) $37. Ladies Night Friday is half price for women only. Visit www.calgarymotorcycleshow.ca for more info.
