History

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUTOMOBILE CLUBS OF CANADA CORPORATION changed its name from the NAAACCC to the NAACC in 2009.

The revised name left out the word ‘Antique’ so that the association would encompass all collector vehicles.

By the unanimous vote of the Board of Directors on November 28, 2008 an official name change request was submitted. The Special Resolution presented to the Federal Government was signed by NAAACCC President John Carlson and Secretary Thomas Woodhouse. The official change took place on February 11, 2009 with an issue of a Supplementary Letters Patent signed by the Federal Minister of Industry.

The NAAACCC has discontinued the use of the word Antique in its title. The old initials NAAACCC have been replaced by NAACC. Any reference to the old name or initials on this website is because those reports were created before the name change.

A Brief History of the NAACC formation and some of what it has accomplished.

In the early 1960’s a group of old car enthusiasts from Ontario and Quebec started to work together to lobby the Federal Government to remove the duty and taxes charged on old cars and related parts at the U.S./Canada border. Car clubs from across Canada were contacted and asked to help support their cause. Canada‘s Centennial was to be celebrated in 1967. A group from the Historical Automobile Society of Canada (HASC) promoted the idea to have an Antique Car Tour that traveled across Canada. Antique car clubs across Canada were contacted and invited to take part. The tour started in Victoria, B.C. and traveled to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Nine cars covered the total distance under their own power. This tour was hosted by the various clubs as it passed through their areas. Hobbyists joined the tour when they wanted and stayed on tour for as long as their holidays allowed. There were 125 official registrations. This tour unified the car club community from coast to coast and was a big step to the formation of a Canadian Chartered Organization.

Lines of communication were kept open between the clubs and by 1969 the Canadian Historic Automobile Federation (CHAF) was operating. This organization was operational through the early 1970’s. In 1973-1974 CHAF became the NAAACCC. The newly named organization produced VINTAGE CANADA ‘THE ADLETTER’. It was offered to all car clubs in Canada. The name NAAACCC was now used exclusively. In August 1974 the first publication of VINTAGE CANADA was offered to the public and to all of the car clubs across Canada. This 8 1/2 by 11 inch publication totaled 44 pages. Peter A.B. Weatherhead was the Editor and Lloyd A. Brown was the Associate Editor. The NAAACCC Chairman (President) was Al Litke from Edmonton Alberta. The executive of the newly named group was Chairman Al Litke AB, Finance Paul Greening SK, Membership Sam Macbeth QC, Activities Garth Scott NS and Publications Peter Weatherhead ON. Financial assistance was offered by the Craven Foundation. Lloyd Brown ON was the liaison representing the Carven Foundation for the two groups. The organization’s name was officially changed to The National Association of Antique Automobile Clubs of Canada Corporation (NAAACCC) under Letters Patent on August 30th 1976.

In 1977, the Craven Foundation withdrew their financial support and the Craven Foundation’s historical car collection was sold to private owners. Subsequently the magazine was taken over by Wheelspin News. Eventually the magazine was discontinued due to lack of funds, but the operating body of the NAAACCC remained intact. Membership dues were restructured and the dedicated Board of Directors continued to work long hours to keep the National Association in the forefront of the hobby.

It was during this period that the NAAACCC was instrumental in bringing about major changes to the Federal Tariff Regulations so that there was no longer ‘Tariff Duty’ on vehicles and parts 25 years and older. Thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours and many written submissions by the NAAACCC helped bring about this change. Many other clubs across Canada helped and lent their support. The ACCCC, HASC, and the VCCC were just a few of the larger groups that assisted the NAAACCC to bring about this change.

Along with changes to the Tariff Act came the request by the Alberta Provincial Government for standardization of safety regulations in the hobby. As a result, the Federal Government wanted all collector vehicles to adopt modern vehicle safety standards. Can you imagine airbags, daytime running lights and padded dashboards being required in your collector vehicle! The NAAACCC helped the government to realize that collector cars should be exempt from modern day requirements. Keep in mind that collector vehicles date back to the late 1800’s. The NAAACCC had a great influence in stopping the standardization for a Safety Standards Equivalent for collector cars and also new model cars. At the same time the Federal Gas Guzzler’s Tax was introduced. The National Association was instrumental in doing away with the Gas Guzzler’s Tax altogether.

In the mid to late 1990’s Federal Bill 241 proposed that all older vehicles, pre 1978 vehicles including modified vehicles, be taken off the public highways in Canada. From 1994 through 1996 the NAAACCC lobbied the Federal Government to do away with the Canadian National Action Plan Program (CNAP), which proposed to remove all pre-1978 vehicles from the public highways through a buyback program. This program was proposed to reduce emissions, but unfortunately, it did not include lawnmowers, chainsaws, snowmobiles, airplanes, steel smelters and coal fired furnaces and many other polluters. Collector automobiles seemed like an easy target.

Our then president Harly Plougmann presented over 87,000 hand written petitions to The Honorable Ann McClellan then Minister of Natural Resources in Ottawa. She was also a member of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (C.C.M.E.) which along with the Canadian Council of Energy Ministers (C.C.E.M.) formed Canada’s representation to the world’s Symposium on Climate Change, including various world meetings such as “The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change”. Through NAAACCC efforts the program was put on hold. This showed our membership once again that our associations’ efforts are effective. These kinds of laws could have seriously restricted the collector car movement. It is a well established fact that our hobby has no real impact on environmental concerns as our surveys have confirmed that our vehicles are driven, on average, less than 400 miles per year.

Some provinces have many more concerns than others. In provinces such as BC, Alberta and Ontario Specialty Vehicle Associations (SVA’s) have been formed to provide input to local and Provincial Governments. The other seven Provinces do not have any local organized provincial groups. As an example, in BC through the efforts of the NAAACCC and Collector Car Club Council of BC, lobbying efforts persuaded the British Columbia Government to make an exemption for antique and collector cars from their stringent emission testing program under the B.C. Clean Air Act (2000-2004). The (CCCC) Collector Car Club Council was comprised of various groups including the Coalition of Concerned Collector Car Clubs, Vintage Car Club of Canada, NAACC and Specialty Vehicle Association of BC. The group interacted with the government from 2002-2014 through regular meetings.

The NAAACCC sat on the Advisory Board to BC’s Air Care Commission from its inception, 2002-2014. The Advisory Board met with Allison Coffee and Nigel Mathews from the ICBC Department of Motor Vehicles. As recently as 2016 the NAACC continues to provide input to various ICBC related topics and requests for help. The NAACC also interacts directly with the Provincial Government.

ln 1992 the NAAACCC organized a Cross Canada 125th anniversary tour. NAAACCC National Director Joe Weir served as the wagon master. The NAAACCC met many times to discuss the Tour and to provide input. This tour started in St. John’s, NL and ended in Victoria, BC. It was a huge success. The social fellowship among clubs and members was something to be part of. Many new friends were made as this tour traveled across Canada.

The NAAACCC received applications for another Coast to Coast Tour in 2000 through tour organizers Frank and Diane Unrau of Alberta. There was a great deal of support and interest in this tour. It started in Victoria BC on July 9 2000 and finished in St. John’s NL on August 18 2000. This tour had been in the planning stages for two years. It was completely full with approximately 200 participants taking part. As an aside, no NAAACCC funds were used. The tour was completely self- funded by the participants. On completion of the tour a complete financial summary was provided to the executive board of the NAAACCC.

Under the guidance of long time Vintage Car of Canada member Fraser Field, another NAACC sanctioned Cross Canada Tour took place in the summer of 2010. In June 2017 another Cross Canada Tour will take place commemorating the NAACC’s 50th anniversary. It will depart from Victoria BC on June 28th and arrives in St John’s NL on August 28th (please refer to the NAACC web site www.naacc.ca or call up Coasters Cross Canada Tour for information). Please note that this is a NAACC sanctioned event.

In 2003 the NAACC dealt successfully with Bill C-32. We also were successful in dealing with Bill 241/20 in 2003.

In 2008 NAACC lobbied the Federal Government re the leaded racing fuel ban and were able to obtain a government extension until the end of 2010. As of 2017 the use of leaded racing fuel is still permitted in Canada. We have helped amend the emission legislation in British Columbia and are currently working in all Provinces across Canada. The continued use of lacquer based paint was also a direct result of NAACC interaction with the Federal Government.

It should be remembered that as well as dealing with a great many Provincial concerns across Canada the primary focus is dealing with proposed Federal legislation which will adversely affect collector car vehicles. This includes modified vehicles as they are considered collector vehicles.

In November 2009 John Carlson president/CEO of the NAACC was asked to assume an HVA Board position to represent the NAACC in Canada with the newly formed (HVA) Historical Vehicle Association in the USA. The HVA and FIVA and NAACC joined forces officially in November 2009.

Approximately one year later the NAACC and the HVA separated. The two groups are no longer associated with one another. The HVA in the early stages of its tenure wanted the NAACC to relinquish its involvement with lobbying the Canadian government stating that they would look after the car related politics in Canada. The NAACC, thankfully, said no and that they would continue to be the voice of the hobby in Canada. The HVA in 2017 has nothing to do with government related restrictive legislation in Canada. The NAACC partnered with SEMA/SAN several years ago and works side by side to make sure the collector car hobby is looked after in both Canada and the USA.

Membership fees in the NAACC are based on a per member, per club, per year structure. This fee is used to conduct the operations of the Corporation, i.e. phone conferences, mail-outs, vehicle judging, safety certificates, maintaining an Internet web site, newsletter and the overall expenses incurred in lobbies. The NAACC dues also pay our membership fee for the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).

Most Canadian Clubs want to support a ‘National’ organization that is concerned with unifying and representing the ‘hobby’ across Canada; an Organization which is recognized and respected by both the Federal and Provincial Governments alike. Although we cannot guarantee success in preventing frivolous legislative proposals, we do know that by being watchful and acting on behalf of all hobbyists in Canada we can lessen the severity or eliminate restrictive legislation.

In closing, the 2017 NAACC Board thanks the many early pioneers of the hobby for having the foresight to form this group fifty years ago. Again, we are completely non-profit and average hundreds of hours of work each month on your behalf.

At your next club meeting please let your membership know how important it is to be part of the NAACC. We need a strong voice with the Government!

Board of Directors
NAACC

Hey Model A, where have you been in your day?
What type service were you subjected to?
No doubt you’ve traveled far, beyond many modern car,
And now you sit, your traveling days are through.
Who broke your glass and could not walk past,
without breaking , bending and tearing away at you?
Why what disgrace is this, you sitting here like this?
Could it be that you’re my restoration cue?
Now my task is done and you glisten in the sun
With your high spoke wheels and stainless steel bright.
Cloth and glass have been replaced, cowl and rad have been laced,
You’ve been lovingly rescued from your dreadful plight.
Now behind the wheel , I cannot help but feel
That praise to myself should not be.
For inspite of hours of toil and dirt and grease and oil,
You’ve waited almost fifty years for me.

Poem by past President Dave Lemkay