Isaac Clarkson began collecting cars in 1946, and 15 years later the collection was permanently transferred to the Village of Elkhorn. By 1967, the community was able to construct a building to house the collection, and the Manitoba Antique Automobile Museum has welcomed visitors to Elkhorn ever since.
Recognizing the value of being home to such a unique antique automobile collection, the Elkhorn Chamber of Commerce embarked on a project to brand Elkhorn as “Manitoba’s Motor City.”
“The idea of branding Elkhorn as a ‘motor town’ has been floating around for several years and was documented as a recommendation in RM’s 2021 Community Engagement Report for Elkhorn.” Elkhorn Chamber of Commerce Chair Samantha Cluett said. “So the Chamber of Commerce decided to go along with this.”
Over the past year, the local chamber of commerce has launched three public art exhibits and two outdoor murals. First on display was a Volkswagen Beetle that had been converted into a planter with the word “Welcome” painted on the side to greet visitors on the outskirts of town.
They then placed an old delivery truck next to the library and painted a mural on the side displaying seasonal exhibits on the back of the truck.
The third “repurposed” vehicle is an old vehicle that is placed next to the clock in the village center as a souvenir of Elkhorn Homecoming, with historical photographs displayed on the side of the vehicle. Alumni were invited. Sign your name on the car too.
Several Chamber members worked to source the vehicles, ensure they were safe to display, line up the artists, and place the vehicles in strategic locations around Elkhorn. Several organizations and businesses came together to donate volunteer time, vintage cars, and funds.
Tiffany Cameron, EDO at Wallace Woodward, says the rest of the community has adopted some great ideas of their own. Mosaic tile artwork is displayed on the side of the library, and the playground committee made sure to include features that fit the theme when choosing new play structures. The leisure center used an image of an antique car on its new signage.
“So we’ve seen a lot of community participation and support, and now it’s really coming together,” Cameron said. “It’s easy to see why Elkhorn is Manitoba’s motoring capital.”
“It was a real community effort to get this done in time for Homecoming,” said Wenda Payton, the committee director. We really hope to grow this project by adding more cars and involving more groups to create their own car-related artwork. ”
Hear Tiffany Cameron, Wallace Woodworth’s RM EDO and more!
(Photo by Gary Bajus, Elkhorn)
Elkhorn is a village of approximately 600 people located on the Trans-Canada Highway, 18 kilometers from the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border.
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