TRUCK TALK
A column denouncing Canada’s love affair with trucks was published by the Globe and Mail this summer, and boy, oh boy did it ever get a response. Both truck lovers and haters alike took to their devices to share their thoughts on the matter, with Albertan and Saskatchewan Premiers Jason Kenney and Scott Moe, respectively, also weighing in on the article.
Some agreed with the column author Marcus Gee’s opinion that trucks are safety hazards and have quite an environmental footprint. While many argued that trucks are necessary for specific jobs, hobbies and regions. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the column was “ridiculous.”
“Come to Saskatchewan where we use our pickup trucks to build and grow our province … and pull the odd car out of the snowbank,” he said in a Tweet. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also piped up and even changed his Twitter profile picture to a photo of himself in a truck. “The Toronto Globe & Mail is having a temper tantrum about pickup trucks. I’m happy to say that ~40% of the vehicles on Alberta roads are pickups,” he tweeted. “Maybe Toronto columnists should try getting around this province during a prairie blizzard in a Smart Car.”
While Gee does say trucks serve a purpose for certain people, he says they have become a “plague” on Canadian streets. “Even if they weren’t polluting and dangerous, the parade of pickups would be a blight on the road scape and a finger in the eye of other drivers – a way of saying to everyone else: I am bigger, badder and richer than you. A vehicle that started as a practical tool for hard-working people has become, for many, an obnoxious assertion of dominance and division,” Gee wrote.
BOOTS ‘N’ BREAKFAST
CARSTAR’s MK Auto Group helped Calgary Stampede attendees start their day right and kick off their daily activities for the ‘Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’ by hosting three breakfast events. Hosted from July 13-15, the team welcomed the community to CARSTAR Airdrie, CARSTAR Calgary Heritage and CARSTAR Okotoks, where Calgary Stampede attendees could enjoy a hearty breakfast before embarking on the day’s events. “We had the local police department giving children tours of their cruisers, we had some fun giveaways and of course, a delicious breakfast for everyone to enjoy,” continues Kharfan. “It was such a pleasure to welcome the community back to our stores for a fun event and we are always happy to give back to our communities where we operate.”
BERZERK IN BEISEKER
Heighton Auto Restorations in Beiseker celebrated its twenty-fifth year in business with a show-and-shine event during the second weekend of September. The little village in southern Alberta went off on Sept. 11 when the shop hosted their in-house classic car show, along with food and drinks and a DJ. The event was open to all classic car enthusiasts and encouraged attendees to pull up in their classic or restored vehicle and be featured in the show. Chris Heighton, founder of Heighton Auto Restorations, said he was excited to be able to give something back, in-person, to his community and the many classic car fans in the area.
“We host an annual car show in June,” said Heighton. “It’s a community fundraiser and we get the whole community involved. The town loves the car show, it brings the community together and it raises funds for Community Links, which is a local fixture in the village.”
