WHAT AN INTERNATIONAL IS
 How It All Began

By Maple McElvain of Spokane Washington

 In the summer of 1961 old-car-enthusiast Edward Pargee and his wife Anne of Calgary went to Polson, Montana to visit Calgarian friends who were vacationing there. At a wiener roast the first evening Ed met a personable fellow from Missoula and very soon their mutual interest in old cars dominated their conversation. Before the evening was over Ed learned about a very active Model T Club in Missoula and vowed to pay a visit there the very next day.

 
 Armed with a few names and addresses away he went. First he looked up Wes Stranahan who proudly showed Ed his beautiful 1910 Buick. Then together they spent the day going from place to place meeting friends and seeing old cars. Ed was so pleased with the hospitality and the cars that he began to think what a good idea it would be to invite these "Yanks' across the border to show their cars, meet the Canadian hobbyists and to see their cars. With this in mind it was agreed by Ed, Wes and Ralph Starr of the Rocky Mountain Model T Club to continue their conversation at a forthcoming tour planned for Big Fork, Montana the next month. Ed also agreed to talk some other members of his Alberta Pioneer Auto Club into coming with him for what was destined to be a history making beginning.

 Home again Ed enthusiastically sold his idea to fellow club members and one month later he, with Ken Campbell, Gary Fairbanks, Bev Honor, Gus Johnk, Bill LePage, Leigh Robertson, and Lawrence Orchard went in two cars to the tour in Big Fork. There they saw a good turn-out of fine old cars and met Art Olson and Ray Schroder of Kalispell, Bob Trodick and others. Before the enjoyable event was over, together they agreed to meet again the next July I, 1962 in Waterton Lakes, Alberta for the "first annual International Old Car Meet". They chose the July 1-4 holiday week-end to accommodate people on both sides of the border. The Calgary club agreed to host the event and to invite other area clubs to participate.

 During the ensuing year, with Ed as the spark plug, the Alberta Pioneer Auto Club transformed ideas into plans for the first of a series of International meets that have grown in size, interest and prestige. Edward Pargee can truly be called "the father" and his club "the founder" of the now famous International Antique Car meets.