Proud of your wheels? Show them off on Wednesdays each week until it snows

Throughout the summer, vehicle enthusiasts from the community gather in parking lots every week to talk about their rides. In Whitecourt, Wednesdays have become synonymous with the Whitecourt Wheels Car Club’s evening out, where everyone and anyone can pull up, park, and chat.

Until a recent change in hours, the meets have happened at the Western Canada Coffee House. Since last year, through restrictions, the car club had used the parking lot at the highway coffee shop as their “wheelhouse,” hanging out every Wednesday, provided the sun was shining. Attendance depended on schedules and the weather, but at least ten vehicles typically made the weekly pit stop.

Last week, a nice-sized group of vehicles parked in the A&W parking lot. “This is our third time back here at A&W. It’s nice to be back here again. They are a good bunch of people in there (in the restaurant), and they treat us well. I think they are glad we are back, too,” said Lana Miller, president of the Whitecourt Wheels Car Club. Miller is the mainstay of the club. “I am the club,” she laughed. “I post events on our Facebook page, letting people know about events around the area that they might want to visit. We don’t charge a membership fee because it’s not a club anymore. It’s just me. Maybe next year we can look into having a club again. It would be nice,” she said.

For Miller, seeing residents participate in the weekly events is a pleasure. “People have these things in their garages that you don’t know about. That’s what boggles me. They don’t buy it to show it, and I get that, but we aren’t here for prizes either. We are here to share our vehicles and have camaraderie. It’s all about the enjoyment of it.”

Last week, about fifteen vehicles pulled in for the event. There was an Oldsmobile 442, a Dodge Duster, a Camaro Z28, a Bricklin, a Suburban, a souped-up Chevy, and a sexy blue Jaguar owned by Miller. The variety on site is a big part of the enjoyment for those who attend because you don’t know who or what you might see. “We want to get more new people out with the regulars and have the public come. Last week, we had quite a few motorbikes come out, which was awesome to see. The more, the merrier,” said Miller.

She recounted a previous event where a hummer pulled in and caught everyone’s attention. “I got a bunch of pictures of it. It was an actual army hummer. The owner is in Whitecourt, and we would love to see him come out more. When everyone saw him pull up, they flocked to him. It was spectacular. We haven’t seen him since that day, but we know he’s in town and would love to see him come again,” said Miller.

Terry Hanlon and his son, Joseph, 9, were in attendance last week and had fun checking out the vehicles. With a bite to eat from A&W in hand, the duo made their way around the parking lot. Hanlon brought along one of his “toys” to share; a 1983 Camaro Z28. “I’ve taken part in lots of these. They are fun. I like getting out and mingling. It’s nice. The older people have more experience and knowledge, and we hear good stories here.” Miller said those stories are exactly why these events are so fun to attend.

Soon enough, the weather will have owners putting their “babies” away for the winter, hidden safe and sound from the elements. In the meantime, Miller said they would keep going until the weather made them stop. “We will keep going until it snows.”

To those with something they are proud of sitting at home in the garage or covered in the driveway, Miller encourages you to drive it up on Wednesday. “That’s the thing I love most. You don’t have to have something you’ve dropped a lot of money into. You could have a work-in-progress vehicle. You could have something that’s brand new. If you’re proud of your ride, bring it out. We know many nice vehicles are in town, and we would love to see them.”

The events bring out both young and old and promise to always have something worth stopping to see. “I love the cars. I really do. I stop what I’m doing when I see an old car drive by. It’s always been my thing. Seeing them all together and seeing the guys proud of the work they’ve put into them is nice. But again, new, old, in progress, it doesn’t matter. Bring them out!”