Toronto parade

[Perry Kitson]

I have been contacted by the Dutch consulate in Toronto about vehicles for a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Holland. Saturday, May 2nd is the date. Are there any people in and around the Toronto area that could supply period vehicles for the parade? If interested, call 416-595-2407, and let them know what you have. Surely there must be interested parties closer than we are here in London.

Perry

[maple_leaf_eh]

Contact Jeff Mosher or Stuart Fedak for their advice on Tulip Fest HMV parades in Ottawa. There is a level of organization that is not to be underestimated.

[Edwin Wand]

Interesting you were contacted by the Dutch Consulate in Toronto. I will call them on Monday to see if we can help them with vehicles, reinactors etc.

World War 2 vehicles do exist in Toronto, including jeeps and a quad, with a 25 pounder and limber. If the search area is expanded to include the area from North Bay to the US Border (Niagara River) and from London to Oshawa there are a large number of vehicles available.

The issue is not a shortage of heritage vehicles, it is the lack of willingness to pay for transporting them. All the usual suspects have contacted us at one time or another and requested that we bring our equipment to their event but never with an offer of transportation. Everyone wants halftracks, 15cwts, 18, 25 pounders, portable displays and reinactors but none can supply transportation saying, as did the Toronto Canadian National Exhibition two years ago "we have no budget but we can supply parking spaces for your car and trailer".

In 2013 we approached the local MP who is also the Parliamentary Secretary of Canadian Heritage (Rick Dykstra) and asked him to endorse our efforts to have a 2015 Niagara commemoration of the liberation of Holland. As part of this event we wanted to show pictures of the liberation and use a local family's story to tell about life under the Germans and of their liberation. There was no interest by elected officials in assisting us and we were told that all liberation events would not take place before 2017, the anniversary of Confederation. This was especially disappointing because the MP's family lived in Holland during the War and came here after the war as so many other Dutch families did. We still want to do this.

Last summer I did some preliminary research on transportation costs and found that the cost of renting a car transporter to take vehicles from St Catharines to Toronto and return (about 180 miles return) would be about $1,500. Five or six vehicles on a transport (M37s, Jeeps, CMPs). We were also told that negotiating would likely bring the price down.

We have several volunteer truckers who will move our equipment short distances for free and as a result we are able to move about the Niagara peninsula fairly easily. One issue is that sometimes a contractor will offer to help. Unfortunately, they are not used to moving anything but earthmoving equipment and are unaware of how fragile our vehicles are. e.g they want to use steel chains and not fabric tie downs.

Some of our equipment has gone to Coe Hill and the transporters they use have been excellent. Perhaps the Dutch Consulate could use them.

We also have found that event organizers are reluctant to ask their local business people for help in locating transportation. Surely in the larger cities there are business organizations who will help. If we can find them in Niagara, people in Toronto could do the same.

As for the Dutch event, Veterans Affairs have grant programs that might be of assistance. Requests made for financial support so that vehicles can attend could be made. Also at the same time Heritage Canada has a community grant open now but closing April 2nd. They might well in interested in providing assistance.

The lead on this would likely best come from a Toronto Charity or not for profit.

Hope this information is useful. I will advise about our call to the Toronto Consulate.

[Robin Craig]

Dear Edwin.

Thanks for the info, the funds being available may be of help to those of us trucking kit to Ottawa in the coming weeks.

Frankly if I could get fuel covered and people were not so anti post war kit then I would truck down to Toronto.

Moving older vehicles is problematic when the owners are not present or don't provide load rated tie down tackle which is what is required by law these days.

I agree some of these vehicles are challenging to tie down to todays MTO standards.

Robin

[Edwin Wand]

Robin
Your point about negativity towards post war kit is interesting. While we haven't had any issues when displaying kit, several MLU Members have told us about problems they have had with visitors.

We would like to learn more about this matter from MLU members either in this open forum or by PM.

[Andrew]

I too would be interested in hearing these issues, this will be my first year showing the halftrack

Originally Posted by Edwin Wand

Robin
several MLU Members have told us about problems they have had with visitors.

We would like to learn more about this matter from MLU members either in this open forum or by PM.

[Terry Witiuk]

Sometimes difficult to interpret what is actually meant in a reply/post but perhaps what was meant by "anti post war kit" is simply a greater general interest in WWII vehicles and hence the desire from organizers to have WWII vehicles participate in the events as opposed to post war. General public awareness of anything WWII is greater than post war. Not as many events, movies or shows based on post war when compared to WWI or WWII. Thinking back to when I first considered the purchase of a mv, my initial desire was for something WWII because of personal awareness. That changed and I'm now the proud owner of a 1961 MK 2/3 Ferret.

Not sure if this has been looked into but with regards to the Toronto Parade, does anyone know if the Dutch Consulate has been asked about post war vehicles participating in the parade. I am relocating my store that weekend but I would have been thrilled to participate in the event.

[Brian Gough]

Hi Terry

While I can't speak for the Dutch Consulate, I know they have had a good response for WW2 vehicles to participate in the parade, to the extent there is currently a small waiting list. There may also be a static display of vehicles, separate from parade participants.

Brian

[Barry Churcher]

Brian Gough took his HUP and Les Fisher took my C15TA in the Liberation Parade in Toronto. It sounds like they had a good time and they promised me more photos. The couple that were his passengers are 94 (him) and 91 (her).
Cheers,
Barry

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Barry, thanks for posting the photos.

Good to see the memory is kept alive in Canada as well as the Netherlands

Met hartelijke groet,
Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

See DUTCH LIBERATION PARADE & CEREMONY IN TORONTO
http://www.12thfieldrca.ca/portfolio...de-in-toronto/
for some fabulous photos

H.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Great to see all the orange in Toronto!