The night before the fifth annual Donalda Auto Daze, organizers looked at the next day's ominous weather report and debated cancelling the popular show'n'shine car event. In the end, they decided the Saturday, Sept. 3 would go ahead, and in return, glittering cars and trucks came from far-and-wide to turn the Lamp field into a jeweled sea of vehicles.
This year was a bittersweet year for organizers of the event, as event founder Jeff Stensrud died last September in a tragic agricultural accident. Stensrud ran the event for its first two years, before passing over control to the Donalda station of Stettler Regional Fire and Rescue.
He had stepped back to help his wife, who had been diagnosed with cancer, event organizer Tasha Jaffray explained. As she went into remission, Stensrud had increased his involvement with the show again, but then last September happened. In a very bitter turn of fate, Stensrud's wife's cancer returned, and she is again battling the disease. The money raised by the event this year went to her, Jaffray said.
"I don't know how much we raised," Jaffray admitted. "I just gave her (Stensrud) the bucket."
The event's founder's death was not the only tragedy to strike the show, as in July, the home of one of the firefighters involved in organizing the show caught on fire. The Olsen family home was gutted by the blaze, and the Auto Daze materials, gear, and contact lists were turned to ash.
"This year was really fly-by-the-seat," Jaffray said.
Despite the tragedies, and despite the gloomy weather, more than 40 vehicles showed up to the event, which is held in the field adjacent to the giant lamp. The jeweled silver, blue, red and green tones turned the field into a glittering sight.
Ken Andres came from Camrose with his family and two of his vehicles, a restored 1946 KB1 International and a 1929 Pontiac. The vehicles were built from bits and pieces and lovingly restored by Andres, who did all of the work — from rebuilding to fabrication to painting — himself.
The vehicles aren't restored to original, as Andres installed modern engines to ensure the vehicles were highway ready, and he chose bright colours that suited him and his personality. The KB1 International was painted a bright, sleek bumblebee yellow, while the Pontiac was a glossy orange.
"I found a box," Andres said. "Then I found a cab. A fender here and a fender there."
The KB1 International took Andres about four years to rebuild, while the Pontiac took about seven months. The rare Pontiac meant it was hard to find parts, and Andres often had to resort to buying them online.
While some Auto Daze participants were like Andres and rebuilt their vehicles from bits and pieces, others bought their vehicles in decent condition and have taken excellent care of them since.
Audrey and Donald Muyres of Forestburg drove to the event in their 1957 DeSoto Sportsman Firedome. Only 700 of the vehicles were made, and Donald Muyres fell in love with the car when his uncle had one. Twenty-two years ago, he and his wife found the '57 on sale and bought it. It's one of two DeSoto cars the couple owns, and the one driven to Donalda was also used at their daughter's wedding.
The show has to compete with local car clubs' summer touring circuits, and this year found the best date for the show, in that it doesn't compete with other events, appears to be the first weekend of September, Jaffray said. The event, which had previously taken place in late August, will now take place in this window, she noted.
Correction: This story originally misspelled Jeff Stensrud's name incorrectly.