Callander Bay Heritage Museum & Alex Dufresne Gallery Event

In the mid 1930s and early 1940s, a group of fiercely independent girls from the United States drove over 71,500 miles, made 8 major trips, travelled through 44 US states, parts of Mexico and Canada in a 1926 Ford Model T Touring Car dubbed “The Silver Streak”. Along the way they attended the New Work World’s Fair and San Francisco World’s fair, met movie stars and moguls, dignitaries and corporate leaders by day – such as Henry Ford twice – while sleeping in parks, schoolyards, jail cells and the side of the road by night.

In 1937 they came to Callander to meet the reclusive Dr. Dafoe and watched the Dionne Quintuplets play. Now, 80 years later, The Silver Streak returns to Callander.

John Butte, the son of one of these adventurous women and the nephew of another, had heard stories about these trips from his mother. As a result, his book “Darlene’s Silver Streak and The Bradford Model T Girls” was published and he was able to track down the old tin lizzie.

This summer, John and his wife decided it was time for the Silver Streak to hit the raod again and revist some of the locations the girls had travelled. Quite remarkably, the car has never been restored and still runs.

On Tuesday July 4th, the Silver Streak will indeed be back in Callander and it will be parked in front of the Callander Bay Heritage Museum (107 Lansdowne St. E.) from 1 until 2pm. Following the showing of the car, John will lead a presentation on the journey and his book, and will be signing copies of his book until around 3:30.

The car will be at Brantford’s Canada Day Celebration July 1, at the Canadian Automotive Museum July 2, here in Callander on July 4, at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade Quebec July 8-9, Dorval Quebec July 12 and the Brockville Museum July 13th! We’re so lucky to have the opportunity to be part of such a tour.

We anticipate a high turn out for this event, so please email us at [email protected] to secure a spot! This event is free, but donations are welcome.