Oshawa, Ontario — As Ontario finds itself amidst another provincial stay-at-home order, the Canadian Automotive Museum is offering live lectures and glimpses into Canada’s automotive history through its ‘Third Thursday Talks’ series, delivering informative lectures on some of the facility’s newest exhibits.
The series kicked off last December with a Delorean-focused episode, hosted by DeLorean restorer Justin Sookraj.
For the January lecture, the museum called on Ron Foss of Burlington, Ontario, who claims his grandfather built the country’s first gasoline-powered automobile–who was also featured in a recent issue of Collision Repair’s Bodyworx Professional magazine. Foss is creating a replica of his grandfather’s based on vintage photographs, and which he said will find its home in the museum’s collection when it’s finished.
The February lecture featured Dale Johnson, of Regina, Saskatchewan, who recounted the tumultuous story of Regina’s GM assembly plant.
In March, the museum showcased its new Oshawa Automotive Community exhibit, which heavily emphasizes the role of the community’s General Motors assembly plant. The automaker has been a vital part of Oshawa since the McLaughlin Motor Car Company built its first Buick-based car there in December of 1907 and became General Motors of Canada in 1918. A second presentation, with Lisa Terech from the Oshawa Museum, looked at a strike at the GM plant in April of 1937, which led to improved working conditions and recognition of the workers’ union.
For the upcoming May presentation, the museum plans to feature stories from the Second World War, specifically focusing on wartime production in Oshawa during the 1940s.
The lectures are free for viewers to register, though the museum accepts donations.
For more information on future Third Thursday Talks, visit the Canadian Automotive Museum’s website.
