Father’s Day show goes virtual
Appreciate exotic vehicles over Instagram without leaving your home
The Father’s Day Exotic Car Show, held for much of its 10-year history on the “Mink Mile” of Bloor Street between Avenue Road and Bay Street in midtown Toronto, will be “virtual” this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just like my engineering class’s quarterly lunch meeting last week. Why do I mention that? Simply because it showed the advantages of using the internet to cyber-connect with like-minded people.
In our class meeting’s case, it allowed more of us to communicate with more of our classmates than a physical meeting would.
First, it enabled those who live far from Toronto to participate. Also, at a “physical” lunch, you’re pretty much chatting only with the three or four people seated closest to you. With the virtual setup, you have more flexibility and can cover more ground.
Likewise with the virtual Yorkville Exotic Car Show, which we have planned for Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. EDT.
You don’t have to be in the GTA to enjoy it, because you can view it live using Instagram.
Just search for the account @yorkvilleecs (for “Yorkville Exotic Car Show”) on Instagram. You can then pick up the live video, which will appear in the upper left-hand corner of the page. At least, that’s what I’ve been told! If you have any issues, find a teenager...
On this virtual show, we will have sessions with a wide variety of automotive experts.
Ron Fellows, one of Canada’s best-ever race car drivers, a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Order of Canada, will be showing you the new Corvette C8 from the fabulous Mosport circuit. (OK, it is officially “Canadian Tire Motorsports Park,” but it will always be “Mosport” to me.)
At press time, we were not sure whether Ron would be able to drive the car on the track on Sunday. He and I share at least one thing — we both have driven it, on a racetrack (the Spring Mountain circuit in Nevada where Ron runs his racing school). And we agree — it is beyond brilliant.
Speaking of brilliant, a Porsche 935, the twin-turbo purpose-built race car version of the 911, will be displayed by Steve Bortolotti, manager for Pfaff Motorsports. The 935 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race overall in 1979, and Steve will tell you how it did it.
Yours truly will be on the show, live from Legendary Motorcar Company in my hometown of Milton.
Among the vast array of fantastic cars that Legendary’s owner Peter Klutt has assembled is an extremely rare
Ferrari F50 — one of just 399 ever built. I’ll give you a walkaround of this wonderful carbon-fibre-chassis car, the likes of which few car freaks will ever see in person.
Is it red? Does a bear ... well, never mind. Yes, it is “rosso corsa” — “racing red.”
I’m trying to figure out how to jump into it and drive it away. The fact that it’s on the second floor of Legendary poses a bit of an issue.
Vajid Khan is chair of Cars & Chai, a car club whose members apply their passion for fine cars to do good works in the community, such as delivering meals to front-line workers during this pandemic. He will feature his Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, a car you’re not likely to see often in the streets of — well, anywhere, actually.
Over the years, the Yorkville Exotic Car Show has raised money for Prostate Cancer Canada (PCC).
Phil Downe, the founder and chair of the show, notes that to date, the event has raised over $300,000 towards fighting this scourge. PCC is now a part of the Canadian Cancer Society, so the show’s beneficiary is now the CCC.
In these current times, it’s difficult to get much traction about any disease that isn’t COVID-19. But the fact remains that prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among Canadian men. And one of the most frustrating aspects of it is that to a considerable extent, it is treatable, often curable.
The key to either is early detection.
Adding to the frustration is that there is a test that helps determine if you are afflicted. The PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test is a simple procedure that can give you that critical early warning sign.
The Yorkville Exotic Car Show on Father’s Day has particular significance for me.
First, I am a father — four kids, who are wonderful, thanks mainly to their mom.
Second, I obviously love cars. They are my passion, my livelihood.
Third, I’ve been with the Star for a while now, and the Star is the official media sponsor of the event.
And, I am in that age range, over the age of 60 (yes, I know, hard to believe...), which has to be most concerned about this disease.
Personally, I am on what my doctor calls “active surveillance” — no symptoms or other issues to worry about so far, but it’s a way of circumventing the ridiculous situation in Ontario that prostate cancer tests are otherwise not covered by OHIP.
All other provinces except British Columbia’s Medical Services Plan (MSP) cover them.
Why not Ontario and B.C.?
You will have to ask your MPP. I mean, berate your MPP. So especially if you are over the age of 40, doubly especially if there’s a history of prostate cancer in your family — get tested.
True, there have been some issues raised about the efficacy of testing. False positives can sometimes lead to unnecessary treatment.
But it’s still the best weapon we have.
Also, depending on how old you are, the sad fact is that something else might get you before prostate cancer does; despite the advances of modern medical science, the death rate is still 100 per cent.
But there’s no point in checking out before your time is due.
So — get tested. And also be sure to join us Sunday at 1 p.m. on Instagram.
It’s gonna be fun!