May 16, 2024

Dumaresq de Pencier- Exit the Horse: The Early Years of Canadian Motoring

How and when did Canadians start driving? Between the 1860s and the 1910s, Canada underwent a series of transportation revolutions, leaping from the horse and carriage to the locomotive, bicycle, streetcar and automobile. From steam cars to experimental electrics to the first Canadian-made gasoline vehicles, join Dumaresq de Pencier as he explores the unusual and often chaotic early history of the Canadian automotive revolution. Discover the origins of the gas station, why Canadians drive on the right side of the road, how bicycle clubs helped build the Trans-Canada Highway, and more!

April 18, 2024

Dale Johnson- Ford Factories Across Canada

After establishing its first Canadian plant in Windsor in 1904, Ford soon began setting up other plants across Canada, and had assembly plants in Vancouver, Winnipeg, London, Toronto, Montreal, and – briefly – in Saint John, New Brunswick. These century-old buildings are still standing. Automotive author and award-winning journalist Dale Edward Johnson shares the stories of these Ford plants – why they were built, why they were shut down, and what they’re used for today - as well as facilities in Windsor and Oakville.

March 21, 2024

Jon Noad- The Science of Fossil Fuels and Where They Come From

There is a prevailing myth, fueled by companies like Sinclair Oil, that oil comes from dinosaurs. Oil is actually generated by the fossils of microscopic animals while gas is sourced from fossil plants. Once fossilized, a specific chain of geological events needs to occur to turn them into hydrocarbons. Join Jon Noad for an evening of palaeontology (we’ll even throw in a few dinosaurs!) and some organic geochemistry to find out what fuels your vehicle.

February 15, 2024

John A. Heitmann- Stealing Freedom: a Brief History of Automobile Theft

As early as 1910 Canadians recognized that cars were easy to steal and, once stolen, hard to find, especially since cars looked much alike. Model styles and colours eventually changed, but so did the means of making a stolen car disappear. Though changing license plates and serial numbers remain basic procedure, thieves have created highly sophisticated networks to disassemble stolen vehicles, distribute the parts, and/or ship the altered cars out of the country. Stealing cars has become as technologically advanced as the cars themselves. Join John Heitmann as he covers this intriguing and relevant part of automotive history.

January 18. 2024

Ashley Hardwick- Canadian Carriages

As an important precursor to automobiles, horse-drawn vehicles were both numerous and diverse in Canada. Join Ashley Hardwick from the Remington Carriage Museum as she explores the impacts of transportation fueled by literal horsepower at the turn of the 20th century.

December 14, 2023

Leslie Kendall & Autumn Nyiri- Tesla in Canada

Since the production of their first electric sports cars in 2004, American auto manufacturer Tesla has become a household name. Their products have made headlines, but not always for the right reasons. In a country like Canada, electrics, which suffer from range limitations and poor cold-weather performance, have always had their flaws. Join Autumn Nyiri and Leslie Kendall from the Petersen Automotive Museum as they discuss the history of this electric car giant, and its successes and failures on Canadian roads.

November 16, 2023

Dr. Dimitry Anastakis- Pearson and the Auto Pact

As Canada’s 14th Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson is best-known for his work as a diplomat and peacekeeper, and for winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. In the automotive world, he is largely responsible for the Canada-US Auto Pact, which changed the face of the Canadian car-building industry forever. Auto historian Dr. Dimitry Anastakis explores Pearson’s relationship with cars and the auto industry, and how the Auto Pact affects Canada to this day.

October 19, 2023

Andrew Philips & Neville Britto- Volvo in Nova Scotia

Between 1963 and 1998 Volvo produced almost 240,000 cars in Canada from an assembly plant on the outskirts of Halifax. Join Andrew Philips from the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry as he explores why a Swedish car manufacturer decided to open their first overseas plant in the Maritimes, and how the Halifax Assembly produced some uniquely Canadian cars.

September 21, 2023

Alexander Gates - 60 Years of Collecting Canadian Cars

Today, the Canadian Automotive Museum is home to the world's most significant collection of Canadian cars, but when the museum opened in 1963, the organizers needed to rent cars to fill out the displays. Over the course of 60 years the collection has grown and evolved into the world-class collection visitors can view today. Join curator Alexander Gates as he explores how the collection of the Canadian Automotive Museum came together and what the future holds for collecting Canadian vehicles.

May 18, 2023

Bill Jarvis - Early Cars of the Maritimes

Since Georges-Antoine Belcourt drove P.E.I.'s first steam car in 1866, the Maritime provinces have had a long and colourful automotive history. Some of the first cars to hit Canadian roads were designed and built in or imported through the great seaports of the East Coast, and the wealth and industry of the Maritimes would join in the auto boom of the early 20th century. Join auto historian Bill Jarvis as he explores the huge range of cars made and driven throughout the history of the Maritimes, from familiar brands like Ford and Volvo, to forgotten pioneers like the Victorian, McKay and the Maritime Singer.

April 20, 2023, 7pm

John Kastner - Running on Hot Air: The Brooks Steam Car

The Brooks Steam Car is one of Canada's most unique and intriguing automobiles. A century after they were built in Stratford, Ontario historians debate if the cars were created by Oland J. Brooks as a scam to cheat investors or if they were legitimate alternative energy vehicles. Only a handful of Brooks Steam Cars survive with one in the collection of the Canadian Automotive Museum and another in the Stratford Perth Museum. Join John Kastner from the Stratford Perth Museum as he explores the local history and legacy of Canada's scandalous steam car.

Canada is not a country you normally associate with motorcycles, but in the early 1970’s Bombardier launched an award winning motocross bike; the Can-Am. The world sat up and suddenly associated Canada with dirt bikes. Join historian Chris Marsh as he discusses the early years of the brand, commencing in 1971, and how a small team of largely amateur designers developed a bike that would achieve world records, motocross championships and ISDT gold medals all within its first year. In 2023, Can-Am will mark the 50th anniversary of its 1973 market launch.

Between 1963 and 1966, Studebaker exclusively produced automobiles in Hamilton, Ontario following the closures of their South Bend, Indiana assembly plant. It was the end of the line for a once prominent American auto manufacturer with its final years spent in Canada. Join Andrew Beckman from the Studebaker National Museum and Richard Barlas from the City of Hamilton Museums as they explore Studebaker's Canadian connections. 

50 years ago astronauts drove three electric vehicles on the moon. Join Erin Gregory and Valeria Wood from the Canada Aviation and Space Museum as they discuss the Canadian connections of this historic event. (December 2022)

As part of the museum's current exhibition, Wires to Wheels: Electric Cars of Canada and Beyond, Dumaresq de Pencier takes a closer look at the electric and alternative energy vehicles in the Canadian Automotive Museum's permanent collection. (November 2022)

Dumaresq de Pencier dives into the history of the electric car in Canada from the 1940s to the present day. (May, 2022)

Journalist Dale Johnson unpacks the enduring friendships and cultural exchange brought about by the founding of a GM plant in Regina. (March, 2022)

Samantha George from Parkwood National Historic Site helps debunk some of the myths and falsehoods about the life, death and legacy of auto baron Sam McLaughlin. (February, 2022)

Scholar and historian Dr. Gretchen Sorin explores how car ownership and travel were tools for social advancement and justice in the United States and Canada. (January, 2022)

Dumaresq de Pencier examines the surprisingly early origins of the electric car in Canada. (December, 2021)

Author Rudy Croken untangles the semi-mythical tale of the Belcourt, Canada’s first steam car, and its legacy. (November, 2021)

Historian George Webster races through the founding, growth and success of the Canadian Grand Prix race in the 1960s and 1970s. (October, 2021)

Auto entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin chats about his many automotive ventures, from the Canadian-made Bricklin SV-1 to the much-beloved Yugo. (September, 2021)

Sandor Piszar looks ahead to the future of General Motors vehicle production in Oshawa, and what is to come for Canada’s Auto City. (July, 2021)

Oshawa’s Automotive community: 1945-2020

Learn about Oshawa’s more recent industrial history in this second seminar adaptation of our Oshawa’s Automotive Community exhibit.

The Oshawa Auto Worker at War: 1939-1945

Jeremy Blowers review’s Oshawa’s massive contribution to the war effort in the Second World War, and the impact of production on the people of Oshawa.

The gm oshawa strike of 1937

Lisa Terech takes us on a tour of Oshawa’s complex union politics, and the story of the city’s greatest industrial strike.

oshawa’s automotive community: 1867-1937

Learn about the beginnings of Oshawa’s industrial history in this seminar version of our Oshawa’s Automotive Community exhibit.