The First Trans-Canada Auto Trip

Halifax: August 27, 1912 <<<    >>> Victoria: October 17, 1912

Daily News: September 7, 1997

St. Catharines: Home of the Reo

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Today's Statistics: Travelling from Toronto, Ontario, to St. Catharines, Ontario
Distance: 35 km Driving Hours: 1 h Fuel: 8 l Weather: Cloudy Temperature: Min. 14 Max. 18

Today the 1997 travellers spent the day in St. Catharines, where Reo motorcars were built from 1909 to 1913. Although St. Catharines was not visited by Thomas Wilby and Jack Haney on their 1912 trip, the 1997 pathfinders wanted to "bring the Reo home."

The travellers were very warmly welcomed at a reception hosted by Mr. Arden Phair at the St. Catharines Museum. The St. Catharines Deputy Mayor presented greetings from the city and other greetings were presented from the province, the museum, Speedy Auto Service, the CAA, and the Reo Owners Club. A special guest was Mr. Norman Swan, nephew of Jack Haney. The museum had their own 1912 Reo roadster on display.

The St. Catherines Museum is located at lock 3 of the Welland Canal. The canal links Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Since Lake Erie is about 100 m higher than Lake Ontario, a series of 7 locks are used to lift the ships from one level to the next. Visitors to the museum can watch the freighters going through the locks from observation decks.

On the way to the St. Catherines Museum the motorcade, which included a 1953 Reo truck, stopped at the Victoria Lawn Cemetary and visited the gravesite of Jack Haney and his wife, Annie.

The visit to St. Catherines was a memorable one for all involved.

St. Catherines








St. Catharines, home of the Canadian Reo Factory from 1909 - 1914
























Haney's Grave







Jack Haney was buried in St. Catherines in 1935









lock




Freighters enter the Welland Canal locks to travel from Lake Erie to Ontario









To see how a canal lock works, click this button... More Photos

Picture of the Day ... Home for a day - Writer John Nicol is reunited with wife Ann and children Emma, Alexander, and Annika during the stay in St. Catharines.


On this day in 1912 ...

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