Williams Lake will play host to the Vintage Car Club of Canada as the country celebrates its 150th birthday.
The trek will be a nine-day driving tour of the Interior of B.C.
Patterned after a similar tour in 1967 which celebrated Canada’s 100th birthday, the tour begins in Chilliwack on June 6 with registration, allowing Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland members to assemble.
More than 100 cars and more than 200 people are expected to enjoy and participate in the tour.
Organizers said they are expecting more than 100 cars and more than 200 people to enjoy and participate in the tour.
Whenever possible, the tour will take lesser-travelled roads, more suited to the slower speeds of vintage cars, allowing participants to enjoy the scenic beauty of B.C.
Many scenic and historic sites will be visited en route to the trip’s overnight stops.
Some of the route will follow the Gold Rush Trail through the Cariboo and to Barkerville.
The overnight stops are being hosted by the Vintage Car Club host chapters and will include Show and Shines to display their beautiful cars of the past.
The oldest registered cars to date are a 1925 Packard, 1928 Dodge, 1930 Buick and a 1931 Ford. The majority of the cars will be from the 1950s and 60s.
Williams Lake cars being driven by Gerald Overton, Danny Moxey and Kevin Bourdon include a 1930 Ford Model A Coupe, a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe and a 1928 Dodge Brothers Victory 6, respectively.
On day four of the trip, June 9, the tour will have a stop at the Tourism Discovery Centre in Williams Lake where participants will enjoy lunch at the Laughing Loon or at other restaurants in the lakecity.
At 2 p.m. the cars will assemble at the TDC to resume the tour with a parade through Williams Lake starting on Oliver Street, proceeding along Mackenzie Avenue through the north end of Highway 97 and continuing to Quesnel for the end-of-day stop.
The tour will then continue with stops in Barkerville and Prince George, returning to the TDC in Williams Lake at noon on Monday, June 12 for the end of the sixth day of the tour.
Participants will again enjoy lunch in Williams Lake before they’ll be greeted with a private tour of Pioneer Log Homes at 2 p.m.
Car buffs of all ages are welcome to come see the vintage vehicles from the past at the TDC from 5 to 7 p.m. that day.
In order to qualify as a vintage car in B.C., cars must be a minimum of 25 years old.
The objectives of the Vintage Car Club of Canada are to assist in acquisition, restoration, preservation, salvage and maintenance of vintage vehicles.
There are 22 chapters of the Vintage Car Club in B.C. with more than 1,200 members.
Having a vintage car is not necessary to belong to the club, only an interest in older vehicles.
For more information, or to join, visit www.vccc.com.
Full schedule is as follows:
• Chilliwack: Tuesday, June 6
• Kamloops: Wednesday, June 7
• 100 Mile House: Tuesday, June 8
• Quesnel: Friday, June 9
• Barkerville: Saturday, June 10
• Prince George: Sunday, June 11
• Williams Lake: Monday, June 12
• Merritt: Tuesday, June 13
• Abbotsford: Wednesday, June 14