New to the Shilo Museum:WW1 Cadillac Ambulance

[Bob Carriere]

....... Rob Love making the headlines.

Cheers

[rob love]

Trust me, rob love doesn't like headlines.

One of the editors from Ottawa caught the story in the base newspaper or some other museum journal. I didn't write the article, but did provide a lot of the information for the curator who did write it.

The Ottawa Army news lady wanted the curator to give her my information, but the curator knows I am not keen on facebook or other social media, so forwarded her to me. I made it clear I did not want the article to be about me, but rather the vehicle. She asked me to answer 7 questions about the project and my involvement with the hobby which I did. She came back indicating she liked my writing style and wanted more. She also wanted to do a page on me. I replied that I was torn between the publicity that the museum could use when dealing with other areas of the military, and my own personal preference to privacy. I explained that I lived just outside the base on an acreage, and while most people did not know who I was, they know where I live. The problem with anything too revealing in any article, is that strangers then feel they somehow know you, and take libertys when visiting the yard. I already get many people dropping in....some are confused as to the location of the Shilo museum, some want to do me a favour and purchase one of the half dozen cannons around the yard for the price of scrap, and others have actually gone through my sheds and buildings when I am not there. I have had people pull up while I am sandblasting on the company clock, so luckily the dog lets me know. They want me to tour them around, which I will sometimes do, but not in the middle of sandblasting. So to that end I asked that maybe my inclusion to the article be kept to a minimum.

I saw the article online....I did not realize it was in the Maple leaf newspaper.

Looking at the article now, maybe there is a little more there than I would have liked, but it is a reasonable balance.

I have planted several rows of fir trees along the highway which are starting to take, so at some point I'll have a little privacy again, but not soon enough. It's a tough life for a tree in Shilo.

[Bob Carriere]

Hey it hard for anything to live/grow in Shilo ..... not just the trees.

I know the feeling....... the Hammond barn trucks are parked along a bike path and people have referred to me "as the guy with all the trucks near the skiddoo trail............ during the Summer, trees, that grows easily around here, do hide a multitude of sins....... however, the red cross from the Dodge ambulance is quite visible during the Winter months.

Popularity is really a two edged swords........ you can attract the wrong kind of people........ However, while watching some reruns of Jay Leno's million dollars garage / collection the interviewer was asking Jay "where in the heck did he find all these weird vehicles.....referring particularly to a steam powered side car motorcycle...." His answer was that ... "a lot of people actually come to him with items/vehicles asking him if he is interested......."

Mind you he is in a different $$$$$$$ league than all of us combined.....

Nonetheless, the credit given to your attention on the press is well deserved.

Cheers

[rob love]

Bob: now imagine if you were next to the 400 highway.

As it is, my wife, who works with the MFRC,will be driving with a spouse or group in to Brandon, and on the way by the yard will mention that she lives there. The echo is almost guaranteed: You live there? Of course, their husbands are enamoured with the possibility of what is in the quonset hut.

I suppose I should rush down to the Canex tomorrow and pick up all remaining copies of the ML paper for possible signing and future speculation/trading material.

[Rob Fast]

looking forward to seeing the restoration on Sunday with our Prairie Command group. Cheers Rob

[Stew Robertson]

That is an excellent restoration Rob

You left all the tell tale signs of it"s use but brought it back to Life
It was never a million dollar vehicle it was made to do a specific job and it looks like it just got off work!
That is the way it should be done
Kudos to you Rob

[rob love]

Thanks Stew. It sill looks a little too fresh for my liking. Once it gets banged around and a little dusty it should start to look the part. I still have to re-do the front roof over the driver/co-dvr, and as soon as the weather warms up a bit more I'll soak that tarp and let it dry in the sun to get the final shrinkage.

Was at the Canex just now so grabbed a copy of the ML paper. One notable difference to the online article ( http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/e...useum/j1gkjndq ) is that they changed from "Sgt (retd)" to "Mr" and shortened it up a bit. Suits me fine, but one could read into the article that I was only a reservist. I got my start there during my high school years, but once out of school it was straight to the recruiters so I could do what I loved for five to seven days a week.

Signed copies available on request