MS: Road to a Cure and The Toronto JDM car community that participated.
Despite having fewer cars, smaller shows bring together people with passions
We often talk about the idea of “finding our tribe”: that group of people that create a wonderful positivity around us. They support you. They sustain you. They empower you. They make you feel welcome. And while the internet has done a fair bit to promote this - connecting people with similar interests across large geographic areas - there's nothing like an in-person meet.
When car season starts in Toronto, there are a number of bigger and smaller meets out there. And while I don't have to tell you about the big ones, I feel it's important I point out some of the small ones, because the small ones will give you something the big ones can't - connection.
Size matters
ImportFest is Toronto's premier JDM event. Usually around late July or Early August, the Metro Convention Center in Toronto is crammed slammed, bagged and boosted Japanese metal.
And don't get me wrong, I enjoy going. You get to see a lot of cars.... and I mean a-lot-a-lot of cars.... the best mods time, effort and money can buy. The variety is astounding, as are the crowds.
But for all the people, it can feel a little lonely.
You see the car, but don't get to meet the person behind that dream ... because that car is more than a car, it's a story.
Small show. Big heart
'MS Road to a Cure Charity Car Show' happens on the Labour Day weekend. It's a charity grounded in a very personal story for its founder. She is both a passionate car enthusiast and someone afflicted with Multiple Sclerosis. Having lived with MS since 2008, she currently has minimal use of the right side of her body including her right leg and arm. But she has never let that handicap slow her down and has been an active member of the car community for over a decade.
The charity's focuses on raising funds to alleviate the financial burdens faced those afflicted by Multiple Sclerosis by providing subsidies: for the purchase of accessibility equipment, to the cost of local transportation needs and for household cleaning services.
Compared to ImportFest, it's a small event with maybe around 100 cars of JDM, American Muscle, and historic persuasions. But it raises money for a good cause, and it attracts a good group of people. And that last point is probably the best point…
Nerding out over cars
This event was small enough that you could reach out and touch the public that was expressly told not to touch your car ;) But that's a nice thing. You meet the owners (and the attendees) and hear the stories.
My first conversation was with the owner of 300ZX who was parked beside me. He'd bought it for $1300 it from a gent that was going to sell it for scrap. My next was a grandpa sitting beside a Mustang Mach 1, going on about how he'd trained his granddaughter to drive her 2014 Ford Shelby GT500 and laughing about how many young drivers with 'stangs and Challengers seemed to have an almost magnetic attractions to phone poles. And my story, as a business owner and exhibitor (yup, MS Road was my first show ever), it was a real treat to see people's jaws drop when they saw my RX.... and how incredibly dirty it was.
In my defense, I had no intention of actually 'showing' the car that day. I just wanted a nice long drive and a bit of throttle therapy!
It was so great to share stories and pains, but still see that smile and pride of ownership. Sure there is a bit of ego stroking here, but you bought yourself a JDM car to stand out. What did you expect to be stroked if not your ego?
On a similar note, York and Durham Regional Police were out there with some of their historic cruisers and vehicles, meeting and greeting participants. Speaking to some of the officers, I was entirely unsurprised, but incredibly pleased, to find out that some of them were also JDM owners themselves!
Heck, they even agreed to do a photo shoot with my RX!
Flocking together: the joy of spontaneous community
Things just happened spontaneously. Around 3:00 when things were wrapping up and cars were pulling out, I ran into a fellow car owner pulled up. “ Hey, we're doing a shoot in a local park. You want to bring your RX along?”
That's when I realized I had hooked up with the “Mitsubishi Mafia” (my own name for them, they're not an official group or anything): a bunch of Lancer owners (and one Eclipse!) who were griping about how their Evo 10s turned like bricks. They had found each other at the show. Then, one thing lead to another and ended with the thought that bringing along an RX and a few Nissans to the shoot was going to be great
The “Mitsubishi Mafia” and their Evo 10s. The more the merrier!
Rolling 10 cars strong to the shoot, your grin is just splitting your face ear-to-ear; blaring "Act A Fool" and revving loud, you feel like you’ve fallen into a Fast and Furious franchise. Hitting the park and staging the shots was great, but it was also just fun being able to share and tell stories of the cars we love.
Of course, you should always be cautious; there are bad actors in every community. So send some shots to friends and let them know what you are up to; car theft in Toronto is a VERY REAL THING. Take precautions. You wouldn't want to be jumped for your ride.
But this was just a legit spontaneous gathering of people with a passion for cars; it is so wonderful when you find your tribe
Finding your space: Guerilla Photography
We all oggle Instagram and YouTube, looking at the videos from the-lowdown.com or amazing shots that Larry Chen managed to put together, and we dream that we're in a position one day to make our cars look as awesome.
The Bloomington GO Station is one of those places on weekends where that could absolutely happen. It has the architecture and the lines that will make your ride pop.
And if you're lucky, and perhaps visiting on a weekend when the buses aren't running in the trains aren't running, you might come across a fellow car enthusiast (like ☠️@𝕯𝖗𝖚-𝕭𝖔𝖓𝖊☠️) doing some shots, and then it becomes a spontaneous photo shoot with two or more awesome cars.
Dru and I were even fortunate to find a pro photographer who'd been contacted by another group of car owners, but had to wait for them to show at the venue.
So, kc.captures04 asked if he could shoot our cars. Of course, we were more than happy to oblige. @kc.captures04 does some phenomenal work. Here are some of his post-production shots.
Yeah,... I really need to learn LightRoom.
Final words of advice: Have fun, be smart
Small show and events like this are possible because of community: people acting in good faith, alongside the people they are with, and the community they inhabit.
So, just remember:
find your tribe,
be respectful of the venue and your fellow drivers ,
and be patient ... there is usually a lineup for the halo on the 4th floor ;)
~DREAM
COMMENTS: Do you have some great small car gatherings you'd like to promote or any shot locations in the GTA or surrounding? Share in the comments below!
come-for-the-cars-stay-for-the-people-small-canadian-carshows
Comments