Stories, cars and good ole local comradery

Many residents have heard of the Whitecourt Wheels Car Club or have attended shows either at

the weekly meetups in the summer or the rodeo, but what people might not know is that there

is only one person behind the scenes posting in the club’s Facebook group and bringing vehicle

enthusiasts together for theirs and the public’s enjoyment.

That person is Lana Miller, and she’s been the solo lead for several years. “We used to have a

club with meetings, we had positions,  we voted on things, and everybody paid a

membership fee,” explained Miller. “I want to say it’s been probably fifteen years already since

we’ve done it that way. Most of that original group has left town.”

Once things dwindled, Miller picked up the reigns and kept things going. “I wanted to keep it

going, so I did. I don’t have an official club where I charge a membership fee or anything. We

just get together.” Miller hosts weekly meetups at a local coffee shop, and this year’s chosen

stop was one of their favourites, A&W. Along with the rodeo, she has also hosted car shows at local air shows in the past.

Miller said that the way clubs run really changed over the last five years. “There aren’t a lot of

paid clubs anymore. Mayerthorpe doesn’t have a membership club anymore. It’s a business that

hosts their Show and Shine every summer. It seems to be working for them.”

Miller said she’s happy that people still come to the Wednesday night get-together and hopes to

see the attendance grow next year. “I love having the public come and having club members

talk about their vehicles and seeing the public come out and reminisce about what it was like to

have these cars back in the day. I love the comradery of it.”

Ken Vanderburg is one of the vehicle owners who frequents the car show circuit. He said though

there are beautiful cars in garages across the area, some owners won’t bring them out for fear

of the vehicles being touched or damaged. Vanderburg spoke about one local car owner who,

years ago, brought a newly purchased vehicle out for an event only to suffer a costly scratch.

“There are some expensive old cars in town, but they won’t take them out in public because

they don’t want them touched,” he explained.

Miller said it’s a perfect reminder for those who attend the Coffee and Cars events or any other

event where vehicles are on display to look with your eyes, not your hands. “It’s about getting

that awareness out there and understanding what it means to respect a person’s vehicle. I’ve

seen people come up and grab trinkets off the vehicle that weren’t meant to be touched or lean

on a vehicle.” They both said that etiquette needs to be top of mind for youth and adults.

She said it’s nice when people appreciate the vehicles and enjoy seeing them. She also said

that anything is welcome to join the show. Whether something is newer, older, rusty or shiny,

completely done or still a work in progress, with four or more wheels or just two, it’s welcome. “I

like people that take pride in almost anything. I don’t discriminate. Everyone is welcome!”

Miller said she wants people to know that being together and chatting makes the event what it

is. “It’s about the visit, really. The vehicles are fantastic to see, but it’s about getting together,

visiting and having some town comradery,” she said. To add to the conversation, Miller brought

eight tracks to display in her trunk. “People will ask their kids if they know what it is and point it

out to them,” she said.

Vanderburg displayed a few of his prized collectibles, including working drive-in movie speakers

from Whitecourt’s old outdoor theatre, where he once worked. He now has them connected to

bluetooth in his 1957 Chevy. “They are hooked up and working. The last couple of car shows,

people loved it,” he said. “A lot of people under 40 don’t know what they are. People came up to

me in Peers and asked what they were. I said they were from the drive-in movie theatre in

Whitecourt.” Miller chimed in. “Then they ask, what’s a drive-in movie theatre?”

For Vanderburg, getting to share stories is part of the fun. “I like to talk to people that have had

their cars for a long time and find out what they’ve done to it and what it means to them. I like

hearing how long they’ve been in the area and where the car came from and things like that.”

One of his favourite stories to share is how he got his hands on his 57 Chevy.

“My wife went to a yard sale in Niton Junction to buy vegetables, and she called me at home

and said you better come with your car trailer. I bought you a car. I asked her what it was, and

she told me to just come,” chuckled Vanderburg. “So, I go get my son, who apparently already

knew about it, and we go there and here’s this four-door 57 Chevy that they had had since

1969. They bought it from the original owners in Mayerthorpe, whose grandson I know. Within a

month, I had it all going and have been coming to car shows.”

Vanderburg didn’t have his Chevy with him at Wednesday’s meet-up, opting for his bike instead,

thanks to Alberta’s unpredictable weather. “My insurance ran out two days ago. I only put it on

for six months, and last year at this time, I had parked it because we had lousy weather. And

now, this September, we’ve got some sunshine. So, I might put the insurance back on it,” he

laughed.

To keep up to date on the Wednesday night meetups, join the Whitecourt Wheels Car Club

Facebook page. If the weather is favourable, the club meets at A&W starting at 6 pm. “It’s nice

to be on the highway and to have the public stop by because they see us,” said Miller.

She hopes to get the club at more events next year. “Any local events we can partner with

would be awesome.”