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Auto
World: From Mr. Wonderfuel and the Scamper, to profiling
Canada's highways and
airways
by Jerry
W. Bird,
I
spent
a large part of two exciting decades getting to know the
world of automobiles, fuel systems and recreational
vehicles, meeting the people who make them go and pull the
strings. Allied with this effort was a massive program on
alternative fuels and fleeet conversion for the Propane Gas
Association of Canada featuring Mr. Wonderfuel (right) in a
dozen or more films. As national public relations agent for
Canada's RV manufacturers and marketing firms, and
originator of several lage scale auto sales and advertising
programs myself and staff crossed the country many times.
That is another story. One of my biggest kicks was in 1992,
producing a video for the Government of Canada, Public Works
working with the agency's Vancouver office. The 45-minute
video saluted the 50th Anniversary of the Alaska Highway and
took me back to my Yukon roots for the very first time since
high school. Here is the opening sequence. Dim the lights
and imagine yourself a time traveler.
The
year is 1942. The month is February and our whole world is
gripped by total war. For the moment, Axis forces hold the
initiative, and for weeks following the Pearl Harbor
disaster, every ship leaving North America's Pacific ports
is threatened. The president's directive is clear: Furnish a
supply route to the network of northern airfields - an
overland route to supplement our air and sea lanes; one
secure from attack." Approval comes swiftly, and the task
begins, with end points set up by the military at
Dawson
Creek, BC.
and Big Delta, Alaska. Overnight, the entire North
mobilizes, as the rugged Trail of '42 rivals the famous
Trail of '98 in worldwide focus. Those of us living in the
Yukon at the time felt suddenly in the forefront of the
action. What some called North America's greatest
construction project since the Panama Canal began as a
marvel of mobility at the time. U.S. Authorities combed the
entire coast, seeking available water transportation,
creating a patchwork flotilla of yachts, cargo vessels, tugs
fish boats and barges.
Continued)
Flying
free as a breeze, Why worry oh why?
I can live as I please, Open Road ... Open Sky.
Song by John Charles Thomas
Auto
and RV Rental
This is a key part of our business with AVIS Rent A Car
playing such a key role in advertising and mass distribution
of over 500 Spumes and Budget Rent A Car using our services
for their popular coupon books. Now, we're working on an
Adventure Roads edition that will compare services and
automotive products. Watch for it.
Eco
Story: Solar Car Crosses Canada for $ 9.22
Using only as much
electricity as it would take to illuminate a 100-watt light
bulb for four days, a group of Queen's University students
set a new world record for the longest distance traveled in
a solar-powered car. The group's 30-day trip, which began in
Halifax on Canada day, ended on the weekend when the
streamlined, spaceship-like vehicle cruised into downtown
Vancouver. "Our entire trip only utilized the equivalent of
$ 9. 22 worth of electricity," said Melody Berg, tour
manager. "The equipment truck which followed along behind
had to guzzle $ 1,370 worth of gasoline just to keep up."
Traveling at speeds up to 125 km/h, the solar-powered
vehicle - christened the Radiance by its builders - logged
7,044 km far outdistancing the previous world record of
4,058 km set in 1996 by an Australian team."
It was an amazing trip,"
said Berg. "The car really held up well. There were only a
few minor troubles. And to top it all off, we really killed
that old record." The flat-topped, five metre-long,
one-metre-high vehicle traps sunlight in the solar cells
covering its surface, which then produce enough electricity
to power an electric motor. Any excess energy is stored in a
battery for use on dull or rainy days. "We definitely got a
lot of jaw-dropping and double-takes, " said Berg, recalling
the surprised looks of other motorists. " It really doesn't
look like anything else out there." The group hopes its
cross-country tour will help raise the profile of
alternative energy sources and the huge environmental and
economical benefits.
Photos from top: Lodge at
Waterton Lakes National Park, Travel Alberta; Open Road-
Jerry Bird; Old car in Coast Mountains, 1940s - Helen
Zurkowski.
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