Showing Off for Crystal Kids

By Sgt Scott Schall
June 2006

It was several months in the planning and involved the Strathcona Mounted Troop as well as the Historical Vehicle Troop and when all the dust settled it had appeared that the Crystal Kids Youth Centre had run a very successful 7th Annual Car Show.

We started our part early on the 5th of June going downtown to the Youth Centre for a small spot on the CityTV Big Breakfast show. As usual, the fancier uniforms of the Mounted troop stole the show for the interview while Cpl Sorel had only moments in front of the Camera for his first shot at show business. All went well and the kids while they were still out of school got a good look at some of the hardware we would take to the show three days later. There were some concerned looks from citizens as we travelled up and down 87th Street especially with all the tension from the riot like Oilers celebrations days before, but was well worth the effort as it brought back memories of Germany while we drove through a city in a Lynx once more.

Saturday the 7th started in fine form with sunny clear weather and our small convoy of Lynx, Ferret and ¾ ton Dodge with the Harley made it’s way down 127th street amid more stares, high fives waves and general thumbs up. You would think that the Lynx would have intimidated even the most arrogant drivers from misbehaving around us but once again the people of Edmonton surprised us when a Smart Car cut us off and almost became a Smartie car-you know crunchy on the outside and mushy on the inside when you apply force? Once we finally waded through the construction and sorted out the fact that if you reverse the Ave and Street numbers you can find another park just where the Car Show wasn’t, we arrived amid cheers and more stares. We set up in a flash and registered for the show while kid upon kid wanted to know if they could go inside. As it turned out we had the best display possible for a Car show for while the Parents went about the show, the kids came to us…(the car owners frown upon kids pressing buttons and jumping on the rag top like a trampoline). There were over 125 Cars entered around us, but we managed to wiggle out two door prizes out of the pile – a track top that I’m Sure MCpl Bill Haberer’s wife Anne will enjoy, a two litres of Castrol that will go through the Dodge in about as many days. Cpl “Benny” Sorel had more success this time with the media and managed to scrape up a date with the 630 CHED girl when she came over to pass out stickers and Cpl Joe Mousseau frequently smiled at the therapeutic massage nurses that took regular breaks out of the building behind us.

When we finally parked back at the hanger and tucked the vehicles in for the night, the day’s sunburns were becoming evident. Although the day was long, it was worth the effort and we look forward to doing it all again next year.