Behind the Viewfinder

Summertime means car shows and weekly meets. On this page I plan to provide coverage of the various events around town to feature the increasing variety of auto enthusiast activities in our city and surrounding area.

All photos by Sue MacKenzie

Car season is winding down and I will finally get to all of my photos

Chestermere – October 18th

Show season is over at Chestermere – the boats have been put away, the docks are empty, and one last dinner outside was enjoyed along with a visit with Gus the doggie. ‘Twas a great season – one of my fave weekly outings this summer.

Saskatchewan photo shoot

Had a chance to get to some small town shows with my camera club and here’s one from a several years ago in Swift Current. Great show with a market alongside – got myself a nice lava stone bracelet. My fave sight to see was the dog in goggles being pulled in a trailer behind a colour-matching motorbike.

Atco Blue Flame Kitchen visit and snacks – September 15

Thanks to member Wayne, a group of us had a first-hand look at the Atco building containing the famous Blue Flame Kitchen – I remember having cookbooks in the house from them when I was little. Had a few snacks, a good visit, got to pick up some goodies for dinner from their market, and a mini car show featuring the 1964 Lincoln owned by one of the chefs. Lovely evening, thanks Wayne!

European Cars and Coffee – Porsche night featuring the Koenigsegg – September 13th

A beautiful selection of automotive history appeared on Porsche night at the Cardel Cars and Coffee – Porsches of all eras were featured and were joined by a very special Swedish supercar, the Koenigsegg. Hard to get a good shot with so many people trying to have a look! Was also the last Cars and Coffee for the year, but was a capacity crowd send off after a very enjoyable summer season. Lights out until next year!

European Cars and Coffee – Lamborghini night – July 26

A very special car made an appearance – the new Lamborghini Sian, only 1 of 63 in the world. It’s powered by a V12 engine and hybrid technology, but the combo isn’t for fuel economy, it’s for the performance boost and speed – over 220 mph! It was an amazing car to see and hard to photograph with all the spectators!

Al Azhar Show and Shrine – July 23

A special show for me as my father was the Potentate of the Shrine in 1993 and a long-standing member for several decades, and it feels like coming home when I bring his TBird. Great conversations, a super meal in the Century Downs Casino, and even got a photo op with Batman! Thanks very much to Bob Truman for the lovely photo of me with the portrait of my parents.


Euro Cars and Coffee British Edition – July 19

Lots of fun cars came out tonight along with the many British autos that were the highlight of the show. A few classics joined in the fun as well as a cool old TBird…..

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Horizon Mall July 13

Huge show this evening with something for everybody. The highlights for me were the ’58 Yeoman – my family had one – and the beautiful red TBird. Had a good chat and invited him to our show.


Chestermere – July 12

The hot weather didn’t discourage enthusiasts from coming out for the weekly show by the lake. It was packed and cars were wedged in wherever they would fit! Was a great evening to linger over dinner with friends and do a sunset photoshoot when the others had left.


Euro Cars and Coffee – July 5

This week’s edition of the show was the first public viewing of the new Ferrari 296 GTB – features a new V6 engine coupled with a plug-in electric motor! Two beautiful models were on display as well as Ferraris of all ages. Lots of other great cars in attendance as well.

Tuner Tailgate – June 30

Tuner tailgate meets have become the way of the future for the tuner scene. Private, invite only, no stunting of any kind is allowed. They have been very successful so far, and this week we enjoyed the hospitality of the Glendeer A&W. Thanks to Donny for hosting us! Beautiful sunset on the way home. #SaveTheCarMeets

Chestermere Landing – June 28

Cloudy skies kept some folks away but the trip out to Chestermere was worth it with a great dinner at the Landing and a magnificent double rainbow after the quick storm. The photo doesn’t do the rainbow justice but it was amazing!

We are the Classics Saturday cruise – June 25

The Saturday evening cruises from the Blackfoot Diner to Angel’s Drive-in are becoming the place to be! Great cars tonight, many I haven’t seen before. The convoy down Memorial to Parkdale Blvd, then through Bowness attracts a lot of attention – not every day you see a line of 20 to 30 classics forming a parade!

Iron Indians Pontiac Club Father’s Day annual Show and Shine

The weatherman cooperated for the club’s return to the Deerfoot Inn and Casino and with around 100 cars in attendance, it was a successful show! The variety of cars was outstanding, and I even got to bring my restored 1993 Suburban and 1992 Grand Prix. A delicious lunch at the Casino added to the perfect day.

Chestermere Landing – every Tuesday!

Tuesdays means dinner by the lake! Nice assortment of cars on a beautiful sunny night. Dinner at the pub was great as always.

New Horizon Mall – June 23, 2022

Great selection of cars even with the super strong winds! Door prizes and food vendors (mini donuts….!) make for a fun evening.