When my parents first came to Canada in the late 1960s, they never intended to stay.
The idea was to work for a few years in northern British Columbia, scrape together enough cash to buy a farm back in Northern Ireland, and return home. They did so, but then found that being here had changed their definition of what “home” was.
For me, and for my kids, home is here, somewhere between the waters of the Burrard Inlet and the rocky tops of the North Shore mountains. True, the afternoon traffic can be horrendous, and on long, wet winter days you might as well just throw in the towel and grow a set of gills, but I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
For more than a decade, it’s been my job to ferret out all the various bits of car culture that make up one facet of North Shore life. Actually, “job” is perhaps a bit of an over-serious descriptor. Don’t tell anyone, but I’d basically do this for free. It’s not like it’s real work at all.
(Editor’s Note: pardon me?)
Nothing.
(Ed: You said-)
I most certainly did not.
Anyway, North and West Vancouver have continually provided a rich seam of automotive delights to dig through. There are old race cars tucked away in garages, weirdo early Japanese machines from the very beginning of imports, old British elegance, Italian fury, Canada-only specials like the 427-swapped Pontiac Beaumonts they used to build at Conroy Pontiac in West Van. We’ve had multi-million-dollar pre-war cars restored here, doing early morning shakedown runs on the Upper Levels Highway before they head to Pebble Beach and win the trophy. We’ve had fields full of gleaming Corvettes and wacky French cars on show.
I never know what’s going to turn up next. A factory-supported 1970s Corolla that raced at Westwood? One of the 99 original Audi Quattro coupes ever made in Canadian spec? I know for a fact that there are at least a dozen machines hidden under tarps in apartment building underground parking, each of which has a story that’d blow your hair back like those old Memorex commercials.
The key word in that last sentence, unfortunately, is “hidden.” North and West Vancouver drivers are all about showing off their Range Rover or lifted Tacoma, but most of the car buffs around here are a little more discreet. You hear about things through word of mouth, but you don’t often see them.
However, over my tenure here as auto columnist, I’ve seen that situation change. It’s almost as though the closing of the Westwood Racing Circuit in Coquitlam sent the gearheads underground, and they’re only just beginning to emerge again. But emerge they are.
Being almost exactly halfway through the year, the car show season is in full swing, and you’ve already missed a few of the best ones. The Father’s Day Porsche event in Dundarave and the French-Italian car show at Waterfront Park are always highlights of the year, and both continue to see attendance grow.
But there are others coming up in July and beyond that are well worth marking on your calendar. Of particular note is the RX Autoworks open house on the morning of July 15. RX is a world-class restoration facility that’s hidden away down on First Street, and they roll open their doors and close down the street on the Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon, creating a varied car show.
Another can’t-miss I’ll repeat mention of is the All Japanese Classic, held Aug. 26 at Waterfront Park. Gates open here at 9 a.m., and it’s one of the fastest-growing shows out there. Japanese car enthusiasts have basically been waiting around for an opportunity to show up, and this is it.
Really, that’s the biggest change that’s happened in the last few years around here: that enthusiasts have started to have a venue to show off their passion. Which brings me around, at long last, to what I feel is the current hub of North Shore automotive culture, our own Carbs and Coffee events.
The Cars and Coffee phenomenon started in Southern California and has spread throughout North America and beyond. However, while there are other events on Spanish Banks and out in Langley, the North Shore version is a little bit special.
Part of the reason my parents came back to Canada is that the country had ample room to accept all kinds of different people. It wasn’t a melting pot, like the U.S., it was more a big patchwork quilt of folks, each with their own unique tastes and culture. You didn’t have to radically change to fit in, and Canadians overall tend to celebrate our differences.
Most car culture isn’t like that. Single-marque events tend to be a bit snobby about letting others in, whether it’s Mustang owners sneering at Honda Civic fans, or Ferrari owners laughing up their sleeves at the Pontiac fan club. It’s all too easy to establish your identity by feeling superior to others.
The Carbs and Coffee events (facebook.com/carbsncoffee/) aren’t like that at all. Literally anything is welcome here, from a slick-wearing, purple Porsche 911 GT3RS set up for track weapon duty, to a beige 1990s Corolla with a roof rack. Instead of focusing on which car is best, the brief morning events tend to be more a chance for car enthusiasts of all stripes to chat a bit about whatever’s new in the automotive world. The carb you re-jetted over the weekend? The electric VW that just set the record at Pikes Peak? All topics are worthy.
It’s a local way to enjoy the best of North Shore car culture, made even more so by a recent partnership with North Shore Rescue – proceeds from donations will all be going direct to SAR. Geoff Peterson, who co-founded Carbs and Coffee with Lorne Freeman, had this to say.
“All of the sites we use are places that search and rescue covers. We just wanted to raise awareness with our participants, and also give back to the community a little bit.”
And what could be more Canadian than that? Truly, this is the best place in Canada, and thus the best place on earth. It’s a privilege to live here. To gearheads of all types out there, Happy Canada Day weekend.
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and automotive enthusiast. If you have a suggestion for a column, or would be interested in having your car club featured, please contact him at [email protected]. Follow Brendan on Twitter: @brendan_mcaleer.
