GULL LAKE 2024—CLOSING OUT THE SUMMER SEASON IN A COOL LITTLE RESORT

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I spent the Summer of ’69 in a place the Bryan Adams song didn’t mention.

It was Gull Lake, Alberta Canada and it was—as the song goes—the best days of my life— up to that point.

Gull Lake is still the same in many ways because the Summer Village of Gull Lake only has so much room for cabins—but they still had room for a car show.

Jerry Sutherland

There’s a community hall at Gull Lake and that’s where they held the show. It’s a drop-in show with no judging–but most people come for the pancake breakfast and the laid-back pace.

This year they had perfect summer weather, but I have been there when people were dressed for winter—it’s a coin toss in Alberta on the Labor Day weekend.

Gull Lake produced some good stories starting with a 1985 Buick LeSabre. This was a four-door car and like most four-door stories, it had a great biography. The Buick was a car that was so well-maintained it deserved to get a second life.

Now, it’s the ultimate sleeper—you’ll see its story in 2025—40 years after it was born.

Jim also spotted a 1985 Camaro Berlinetta at Gull Lake.

This 3rd generation Camaro is definitely an up-and-comer in the hobby. This example was called a Starship because of how it was optioned with 80s technology. Cars like this are part of the learning curve because you’ll never see these options again. It will appear on MyStarCollectorCar pages in early 2025

Jim found a 1966 Coronet 500 convertible story at the show.

This was one of those scenarios where there was serious seller’s remorse from the previous owner, but it ended up in great hands. The new owner has done a few things to it, and the Coronet is better then ever. You’ll see the story on MyStarCollectorCar later in 2025.    

I found a very rare 1964 Acadian Beaumont Sport Deluxe at the show.

These were Canadian-only cars, and they were sold through Pontiac dealerships. Acadian Beaumonts were basically Chevelles with different trim. This one was extremely low-mileage, and it had a great story to tell because those low miles came with a price. Look for it in 2025 on MyStarCollectorCar.

This show really captures the spirit of Gull Lake because it’s a trip back in time thanks to the community spirit that makes it work. The breakfast is a group effort, and it works well because there are so many volunteers, and the hall can handle a lot of people.

For me, the cars and trucks at the Gull Lake show were the perfect background to a time and a place back in 1969 when they were new—or nearly new. Gull Lake was where I watched the moon landing and heard about Woodstock. That summer still ranks up there 55 years later because if you can’t have fun in a resort area when you’re a kid, you must have some serious personality problems.

Great weather, cool old iron and fantastic memories in a spectacular venue—that’s how you close out the summer.

Jerry Sutherland

By: Jerry Sutherland

Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post,  Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.

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