Motorcycling in Canada - A Ride Through Our History - Part 7

Atlantic Canada's motorcycling history is not as old as in other places of the country, but the history that is chronicled is as varied and interesting as that of any other region!

Motorcycle racing was not as big a pastime in Atlantic Canada as it was in other regions of Canada until the 1940's.  Car racing was the big thing!

Atlantic Canada has has it's fair share of people who have impacted motorcycling.

One of those people is Jack Canfield. Jack raced both cars and motorcycles and throughout the years his contributions to both disciplines are many.

From the time Jack was 14 old, he was racing and winning. During the 40' and 50's he participated in
scrambles, hill climbs, trials and dirt-track races taking home many a trophy. His accomplishments in the 50's and 60's include road race wins at Mosport & Daytona, but he competed all over eastern Canada and the eastern USA.

Jack Canfield - The Chronicle Herald

He became a sponsored rider with Suzuki after he took home the Canadian Motorcycle Grand Prix Championship trophy at Mosport. He won on a home built 250 Suzuki beating all of their factory riders!

Probably one of the biggest reasons that the name Jack Canfield is so loved and revered in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada is his passion and vision to see the Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S become a reality. He not only spearheaded the park, but also launched the Atlantic Motorcycle Competition Riders’ Association.  Although Jack loved all motorsports, motorcycle racing was his passion and he contributed much to the sport he loved.

Heralding from Charlottetown PEI, Joseph Bolger lit up the motocross tracks in the 50's and 60's.

Like so many racers, his passion was derived early in life. Born in 1930, he owned his first motorcycle at 14, it was a 1931 Indian Four.  At 16, Joe moved to the States but retained his Canadian citizenship. The move was made out of necessity. There was little to no work available on PEI. 

Joe Bolger - Motorcycle Hall of Fame

His racing career took off in 1956 aboard a 500cc AJS.

Not only did he win the 1959 Canadian National Motocross Championship in the expert 250 class, he was sportsman of the year 5 times, and won the Eastern USA Motocross Championship series 5 times as well.  He was undefeated in the 1965 Eastern USA VS Canada International Motocross series!

As a racer, he also found himself developing parts and tools to support the sport.

He designed and built footpegs, motor mounts, wheels that were lightweight and soon found his products being carried in the Motocross Engineers catalogue. Many of the speciality tools he designed were picked up by Honda and carried in dealerships across North America.

His parts caught the eye of another manufacturer, and in 1975, Yankee Motors released a special Ossa that sported the Bolger Long Travel giving their machine 8 inches of rear suspension travel.  

Only 150 Ossa BLT's were ever produced.

Joe also had a passion for writing and was a long time contributor to both Cycle Sport and Cycle World magazines.

Roy Blakney - The Chronicle Herald

Roy Blakney of Moncton New Brunswick made numerous contributions to motorcycle competition He was an official, a promoter, a sponsor and offered his assistance locally, nationally, and internationally. He won numerous championships and races with his aggressive riding style between 1951 and 1966.

His list of firsts and seconds is amazing. It was estimated that he had logged over two million miles during his 71 years of riding. 

Roy competed in Canada, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.


John Johnson was the Norton motorcycle distributor for the Maritimes. 
He not only sold bikes but he raced vintage motorcycles.

John Johnson (L) Gary Gates (R)  with a 1950 Norton Manx

Photo from Brit Cycles

In 1950, the bike pictured on the left was sent by Norton to Daytona to compete. In 1959, John Johnson used this machine and any Norton rider available to promote the races in the Maritimes.

In the early 1990's, the Norton Manx was brought out of the mothballs it had lived under for almost 20 years and Thane Gillies would race it while John maintained it.

a number of vintage races were won on this bike including the first of the reunion races at the original track for the Laconia Nationals held at Gunstock. In 2006 the Manx raced for the last time.  Gary Gates, pictured in the photo with John is the new owner of the Norton.
John Johnson was also well known in the Maritimes as a mechanic and machinist whose talents were heavily relied upon. His generous nature made him an appreciated sponsor of motorcycle racing and riders as well as a valued friend. Because of his passion, many a rider was introduced to the sport of motorcycling in the Maritimes!

I hope you enjoyed our short journey through the history of  motorcycling in the Maritimes.
Motorcycling has a storied history in Canada.  We have literally hundreds of racers and pioneers of the sport to thank for making motorcycling the enjoyable pastime it has become for so many.

While most of the historical facts and stories focus on the contribution of mechanics, engineers, machinists and racers, there truly is a more social aspect to the sport and that is touring and cruising.

Beginning back at the turn of the 19th century with bicycle clubs, the motorcycle became the natural benefactor of man's need to belong to a tribe and almost every club that was formed up into the 40's had a more social and less sporting side to it.  Road Riding was incorporated into pretty much every club that sprang up, but they all had their roots in racing.

In the 1940's the Red Devils opened up the first MC in Canada and our community would never be the same.

Join me next time as we explore the beginning of the One Percent culture in Canadian motorcycling.

Belt Drive Betty, Editor & Rider


Interesting Historical Tidbits:


1908 - "Anne of Green Gables" makes Lucy Maud Montgomery of Clifton, Prince Edward Island, Canada famous

1912 - Thomas Wilby and F.V. Haney make the first cross-Canada trip by car, travelling from        
            Halifax to Victoria in 52 days in a Canadian-built Reo

1923 - Drivers in Nova Scotia began driving on the right hand side of the road.

1927 - The first ever nationwide radio broadcast, was held to mark the 60th anniversary of      
            confederation, and could be heard as far away as South America and Britain.

1930 - Actor Gordon Pinset is born Grand Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador

1935 - Actor Donald Sutherland is born in Saint John New Brunswick

1944 - Rita MacNeil is born in Big Pond Nova Scotia

1949 - The Maritime Motor Maids started out as the Eastern Canada District. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador.

1949 - Newfoundlan becomes Canada's 10th province.

1957 - Canada becomes the first country with a two screen theater.  Nat Taylor, owner of the Elgin Street theatre in Ottawa Ontario went on to invent the Cineplex or Multiplex style of theatres.

1964 - The Canadian Social Insurance Number comes into use.

1974 - Atlantic Motorsport Park opened.

Research for this article:
Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame
Maritime motorsports Hall of Fame
The Chronicle Herald
Hemmings.com
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Brit Cycle




Disclaimer:

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Motorcycling in Canada - A Ride through Our History Part 6

Motorcycling in Canada - A Ride through Our History Part 6

Borne in St. Ulric, QC on December 10th 1879, Jacob DeRosier would move to Massachusetts at the age of four and went on to be one of the winningest motorcycle racers in history.

The wiry DeRosier started his racing career riding bicycles. In 1898m he got the opportunity to ride on one of the new French pace bikes owned by Henri Fournier.

They were large-engined two-wheelers that were used for pacing bicycles in an effort to help the riders achieve faster speeds.  Fournier agreed to let DeRosier try one and he demonstrated so much skill that he was hired to ride the machines at bicycle races in Paris.

In 1901, Jake who was considered one of the top cycle pacers in the US, met the co owner of Indian Motorcycles, Oscar Hedstrom. He was offered a job and a motorcycle to race.

DeRosier worked for Indian for a short time, but ended up becoming a factory sponsored board track racer.

DeRosier had not only won the National Federation of Americas Motorcycles Championship in 1908, but held every FAM speed record there was to hold in 1911.

It is rumoured that his departure from riding Indian Motorcycles was as a result of George Hendee being disappointed in DeRosier's showing at the Isle of Man TT in early 1911.  As a result, Jake DeRosier ended up riding for Excelsior.

Excelsior's V-twin, pocket-valve motor was nearly unbeatable.  At Chicago's Riverview motordrome, in August of 1911 an Excelsior set a record for the mile, burning up the boards at an average speed of 88.9 mph.

By September, the former Indian rider was in the saddle and not only did he win the feature event at Riverview, he set an unofficial world record for the kilometer, at a speed of 94 mph. With DeRosier riding, Ignaz Schwinn's motorcycle company, Excelsior quickly became a serious race contender. Excelsior was being hailed as the fastest bike on the boards! DeRosier's tenure at Excelsior proved brief.
Jacob DeRosier's career, which saw him ride in over 900 races, came to an end on March 12, 1912, he suffered severe injuries to his left leg and thigh at Los Angeles.

Enduring three surgeries, as doctors attempted to repair the damage to his left leg, he succumbed to complications of the last operation on Feb. 25,1913.  Jacob DeRosier was laid to rest in Springfield Massachusetts, the home of Indian Motorcycles. As his funeral procession passed the factory, it was to the flags of the Indian Motorcycle Co., being flown at half mast and all production at the plant was ceased. DeRosier was 33 years old.

Quebec has had it's share of talented riders!

Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki have many things in common.

They all got their start in Japan.  Of the four, Kawasaki was the late entry to Canadian manufacturing. Honda came to Canada in 1969, both Suzuki and Yamaha entered the market in 1973; Kawasaki did not arrive until 1982.

They all proved one thing, very quickly!

They could dominate on the racetracks of the world and one Canadian racer, Michel Mercier, rode all of them, winning many championships on each brand, covering 4 disciplines!

 

Michel Mercier - Pierre Nadeau, LA Tribune

Born in Thetford Mines Quebec in 1953, Michel, like many a young man began his racing career in motocross.  He won many a motocross championship and held the prestigious #1 Canadian National Ice Racing plate 5 times!

During his 18-year career as a rider, he road raced for 10 years, dirt tracked for 3 years, Ice raced for 7 years and motocross raced for 4 years and all of those years and races netted him:

25 Canadian National Titles

5 Canadian National #1 plates in Ice Racing

3 Canadian National #1 plates in Road Racing

People like Fred Deeley and Raymond Greff helped this great Canadian racer when he road dirt track. He was given a Harley-Davidson XR750 to ride in 1978 and he did not disappoint H-D either!

In fact this man, Michel Mercier was one of the first Bombardier team riders – in other words, he rode everything two wheels and did it like a champion!

Today Michel is the owner of Fast Riding School.  He teaches at Shannonville Motorsports Park.

No article on Quebec motorcycling would be complete without talking about the Gref family.
The Gref family is another of those families that has motorsports in their blood.

Charles Gref Sr. was born in 1912. His love affair with the motorcycle began in 1937 and by 1947 he was the Canadian Champion in the expert class of the Canadian Trials. He went on to be a director of the CMA and the president of the Montreal Motorcycle Club.

Raymond Gref - Moto Internationale

His son Raymond, a founding member and the first president of the Club Moto Saguenay spent over 50 years in the motorcycle industry. As a competitor whose racing career spanned 8 years, Raymond was only defeated once.

He went on to be a driving force in Quebec motorcycling. Not only did he found Moto International and Harley-Davidson of Montreal, but he was responsible for organizing many a race and could always be found promoting the sport.

Normand Gref, Raymond's brother won 153 trophies during his racing career. Today, Normand is the used motorcycle sales manager at Moto Internationale.

Like his grandfather before him, Charles Gref Jr., the president of Moto International and Harley-Davidson Montreal had the motorcycling bug, only it found Charles Jr. much earlier in life.

At the age of 13 he had already won a number of trophies. He won the Miller Trophy, which in trials riding is the top honour in Eastern Canada, in both 1976 and 1977. His first win of the Miller Trophy came exactly 26 years AFTER his grandfather had won it!

Charles Jr. excelled in motocross, enduro, acceleration competitions and snowmobiling and the experiences he gained from being a competitor has helped him continue the tradition of Moto Internationale and Harley-Davidson Montreal being consistently top dealerships in Canada.

Quebec has produced so many inspiring motorcyclists, Yvon Duhamel, Duc du Four, Marc St Laurent, Pierre Corbeil, Paul Noiseux and many, many others.  It is no wonder that Quebec has one of the highest concentration of riders in Canada.


I hope you enjoyed our little ride through Quebec's impressive history of motorcycling.

Next time we begin exploring Atlantic Canada!


Interesting Historical Tidbits:

1901 - The Montreal Canadians are founded

1912 - Louis Cyr, born in Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville QC the world's strongest man dies of Bright's Disease (Kidney Disease)

1922 - The first prototype snow machine called the Snowdog was engineered by Joseph-Armand Bombardier

1928 - Women became recognized as legal "persons" by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

1929 - Montreal QC becomes home to the third oldest motorcycle club in Canadian history, The Sports Motor Cycle Club (SMCC).

1931 – Canada's first television station, VE9EC, begins broadcasting in Montréal

1936 – Air Canada founded on August 11 as Trans-Canada Airlines.

1940 - Quebec is the last province (of the time period) to grant the vote to women.

1940 - Canadian, Fred Moffatt of General Electric invents the electric tea kettle

1941 - Legislation is changed to allow women to enlist in the Canadian Forces.

           45,000 + women volunteer for full-time military service other than nursing. All three services              establish women's divisions. 

1941 - Elizabeth "Betty" MacRae, Canada's first female neurosurgeon is born as is activist and folk                singer Buffy Sainte-Marie.

1942 - Montreal celebrates it's 300th birthday

1942 - The Women's Royal Canadian Navel Service (WRENS) is established.

1942 - Genevieve Bujold, a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in the                    1969 film Anne of the Thousand Days is born in Montreal

1947 - General Electric invents the electric washing machine

1948 - Barbara Ann Scott becomes the first Canadian woman to win the World Figure Skating                         championships.

Research for this article
Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Charles Gref Jr.
1909, The Great Motorcycle Invasion by Mark Dill
American Motorcycle Hall of Fame
FirstSuperSpeedway.com
Findagrave.com
Indian Motorcycle Classics
Chronologie de l'histoire du Québec Canadian Encyclopedia - Women in the Military

Fastridingschool.com

LA Tribune



Disclaimer:

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.