An early gas pump

In the days of the Kelowna Regatta, the parade was always an important part of that annual celebration.

Floats with visiting “royalty” and bands — including pipe bands from near and far — were quite numerous.

Shriners, driving their tiny cars or riding on motorcycles, zoomed back and forth.

Another group of parade entries consisted of a number of different “cycles” from Cap’s Cycle in Sapperton.

Cap must have had an inventive mind, as his machines had great variety. I recall one which was made from an old iron bed head board.

This meant that the rider sat about eight feet off of the ground.

Another vehicle had off-centre wheels and no pedaling mechanism. It was propelled by the rider, who stood on a platform, shifting his weight back and forth. Some of the others I have forgotten, but there was usually a dozen or more, some ridden by clowns, all making an amusing part of the parade. They came to Kelowna for many years.

To digress a bit: at Jenkins Cartage, we had a gas pump that stood in front of the old barn, right on Water Street, with an underground tank. It had a hand crank which worked a rack and pinion device. This went up the centre as you cranked, and the gallons were marked on it. At the top, it would point to five gallons. This served us well until a new pump was installed in the back, with “gasoline” on one side and “diesel” on the other.

The old pump was obtained by Cap the Cycle Man. I remembered that the glass top from the pump was upstairs in the old hayloft. It had two round glass sides with “Imperial 3 Star Gasoline” on them and a light bulb inside. Cap was pleased to obtain the whole thing.

After seeing the contraptions year after year in the parade, I was at the coast and happened to drive by Cap’s Cycle store in Sapperton.

As I recall, it was near the Lucky Lager Brewery and across from the B.C. Penitentiary. Sapperton is on the right when leaving the north end of the Pattullo Bridge.

This was the old route into the city. New Westminster is on the left. Anyway, I decided to check out the store, knowing that Cap had earlier gotten the gas pump.

On entering Cap’s store, I discovered numerous antiques, but then Cap came along and informed me that this was only a beginning. He led the way to the basement of his store, where he had an automobile museum.

Several cars were nicely restored, but one model-T roadster looked well worn. It had some items used by a rancher in the Cariboo, even some hay.

The donors had given the car to the museum on the understanding that it remain as it had been.

It was sort of a memorial to the dad, who had passed away.

We then went to the basement of the store next door. There, Cap had a variety of radios, telephones, clocks, etc. and, of course, gas pumps. Cap continued on to the garage behind his house, which was about a block away, then to the basement of his house.

Every location was crammed with old stuff. I think that I spent about two hours there.

I felt honoured to receive a personal tour.