Donald Teuma-Castelletti
SHAWVILLE Sept. 3, 2018
Cars old and new, smashed up and in pristine condition, many loud but some just purring were all the theme of Monday at the Shawville Fair.
With a demolition derby in the afternoon and a classic car and motorbike show running all day, the air was full of roaring engines, smoke and fumes, plus excitement as cheers roared with every collision in the ring.
While the stands and the hillside were full of spectators for the derby, the cars threw dirt and mud about as they raced to be the last one standing. Tires popped, metal crunched, and bumpers flew off, prompting the crowd to let out shrieks as the vehicles endured carnage in the competition.
Opposite the derby, filling the lawn in front of the main stage, the vintage vehicles were kept in tip-top shape. This was the classic car and motorcycle show, where 96 vehicles of differing decades, makes and models lined up for the crowds to appreciate.
Brian Gunn was the MC for this event, as he’s a regular organizer of an annual Father’s Day car show and Monday Cruise Nights in Arnprior. Quick with a joke, Gunn kept the crowd entertained as he passed out the trophies to participants who’d travelled from near and far to show off their wheels.
One such was Mitch Deslauriers of Montreal, who left at 6:30 a.m. to join the show. Arriving in his ’49 Cadillac Series 62, he admitted that there were plenty of double-takes on the highway as people tried to wrap their heads around what he was cruising in.
Between the rust and the height, the Cadillac stood out at the show in more ways than one. The paint was faded, the trunk opened to show off a series of old school Quebec plates from pre-1978 lining the interior and with the back rising what looked to be barely an inch off the lawn, the car looked to need a tow to arrive. However, Deslauriers was proud to say he drove it the whole way.
“I drive it everywhere, it’s all built by me and I’m confident in my abilities,” he said.
To Shawville from Montreal is not the furthest he’s taken it either, as he recently drove nearly 500 km to Oshawa to take part in another show there. He’s taken to travelling into Ontario and New York to attend more car shows, as he finds Montreal’s options quiet down after July.
Another vehicle drawing attention was a 1932 Ford Little Deuce, in a hazy grey and complete with three metal signs to share information about the car. Owner Denis Hamelin, a regular participant at local car shows, said the vehicle was restored from scratch by a previous owner, complete with real metal in the body compared to the fibreglass found commonly in kit cars.
While both of these classics started conversation, neither took home a trophy. Winners this year included:
Favourite Motorcycle – Chris Sauvé.
Favourite Classic Car – Carl Demell.
Favourite Hot Rod – Bruce Robertson.
Favourite Classic Truck – Ronnie Rebertz.
Favourite 1990 and Up Car – Edgar Elliott.
Favourite 1990 and Up Truck – Andy Gervais.
Overall Favourite Car – Edgar Elliott.
