Today, the Canadian Automotive Museum is home to the world's most significant collection of Canadian cars, but when the museum opened in 1963, the organizers needed to rent cars to fill out the displays. Over the course of 60 years the collection has  grown and evolved into the world-class collection visitors can view today. Join curator Alexander Gates as he explores how the collection of the Canadian Automotive Museum came together and what the future holds for collecting Canadian vehicles.  

This online talk will take place over Zoom and is part of the Canadian Automotive Museum's Third Thursday lecture series. These online talks are free and open to the public, but registration is required. The Canadian Automotive Museum is a registered Canadian charity and a suggested donation of $10 goes toward covering the cost of hosting these virtual events. Donors who make an annual contribution of over $25 will receive a charitable tax receipt. 

About our speaker:

Alexander Gates is the executive director and curator of the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, Ontario. Since 2014, he has focused on Canadian content in the collection and has overseen the reinterpretation of the cars on display. He previously served as the Director and Curator of the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma, Michigan. Gates holds a B.A. in International Relations and History from Drake University, a Masters of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, and studied French at the Sorbonne in Paris while he was a tour guide on the Eiffel Tower. His award winning exhibits include Women in Baseball: Bloomer Girls of Berrien County & Beyond (2011) and Oshawa's Automotive Community (2021).