The Brooks Steam Car is one of Canada's most unique and intriguing automobiles. A century after they were built in Stratford, Ontario historians debate if the cars were created by Oland J. Brooks as a scam to cheat investors or if they were legitimate alternative energy vehicles. Only a handful of Brooks Steam Cars survive with one in the collection of the Canadian Automotive Museum and another in the Stratford Perth Museum. Join John Kastner from the Stratford Perth Museum as he explores the local history and legacy of Canada's scandalous steam car.

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:

John Kastner is the General Manager of the Stratford Perth Museum and is a lifelong writer, having spent 33 years as a journalist. He began his career as a sports writer at the Stratford Beacon Herald and retired as the managing editor in 2012. In 2013, he began a second career as the General Manager of the Stratford Perth Museum. During his career at the Stratford daily newspaper, he often wrote about and organized the coverage of the meteoric rise of local teenager Justin Bieber. He is a life-long resident of the Stratford area and a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with majors in History and English. John is very involved in sports and is the Commissioner of the Intercounty Baseball League and he is also on the board of the Ontario Hockey Federation, a branch of Hockey Canada.

The Stratford Perth Museum welcomes history buffs and tourists alike, and LOTS of Beliebers!