Seaside Cruizers Car Club – Seaside Cruizers

Our journey begins…

Born from the marvellous mind of Dave Gray in 1993, the Seaside Cruizers Car Club is a testament to the love of automobiles. Departing from his previous club’s rigid structure, Gray envisioned a laid-back haven for car enthusiasts who desired nothing more than to gather, share their passion for cars, and kick-start an intimate annual Show n’ Shine event. That very year, another car club on Vancouver Island bolstered the initiation of an annual Father’s Day Show n’ Shine in Parksville during Father’s Day weekend. The fledgling Seaside Cruizers attended the show and discovered that future shows would necessitate continuous involvement and sponsorship or they may be cancelled. The Cruizers seized the opportunity to help continue the event by providing their support with the date and location. After approaching a fellow by the name of Len Thomson who managed part of the Island Hall Beach Resort, the Cruizers confirmed a venue for future shows. The Island Hall Beach Resort was a great spot!

Early growth

In 1995, a dual-location event was organized from the Island Beach Hall, with the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre providing all-day activities on Saturday. The event featured renowned radio personality Red Robinson, who hosted a dance at the Civic Centre to tunes from “The Way Too Cool Review”. This part of the event was so popular that it sold out two weeks in advance. The weekend festivities continued into Sunday with a second Show n’ Shine at the Island Hall Beach Resort. During this period, it became evident that additional assistance was required to organize and manage this expanding event successfully. Consequently, there was an increase in club membership – Dave Gray, along with Bob Lins, Steve Palmer, Rick Dickinson, Bill Lineham, Lou Vernon, Chris Ipson, and Dan Weflen among other like-minded car enthusiasts with volunteers and Island Hall Resort staff.

Time to move

Following the conclusion of the 1996 show, and in light of the impending closure of the Island Beach Hotel, the organizers made a strategic decision to relocate the event to a new venue – the Rocking Horse Pub in Nanoose Bay. However, before hosting the show at this new location, extensive preparations were required. The dedicated Club members took on various tasks including mowing grass to ensure a neat and tidy appearance, dismantling old fences that were no longer needed, filling holes in the parking area for safety reasons, and even removing stubborn stumps from the grounds. In particular, Colin Springford played a pivotal role in facilitating these preparations by generously providing excavating equipment and investing countless hours into grading and levelling the area. This invaluable contribution greatly contributed to creating an optimal environment for hosting subsequent shows. The collective efforts exerted by Club members did not go unnoticed as they were richly rewarded with successful shows that took place on those very grounds until unfortunate circumstances arose.

In 2000, it was announced that Rocking Horse Pub would also be closing its doors permanently. Consequently, this final show held at Rocking Horse marked an end to an era characterized by memorable performances, loyal attendees, and vibrant atmospheres.

A new home is found

The year 2001 marked a thrilling new chapter for the Seaside Cruizers as they relocated their event to the vibrant downtown core of Qualicum Beach, where it has been hosted annually ever since. This was also when they launched their first-ever organized Friday evening “Cruise Night” at Parksville A&W, complete with Car Hops – how exhilarating! In addition, to ramp up the fun and enhance the Father’s Day weekend experience even more, Seaside Cruizers introduced a Saturday morning “Poker Run”, perfectly complementing the annual Saturday evening dance at QB Civic Centre. It’s an entire weekend packed with cars and amusement !

The 2003 Show & Shine was made even larger with another QB Civic Centre Dance hosted by Mr. Red Robinson and a band called “The Hitmen.” Our Show & Shine was named by Ms. Oprah Winfrey in 2003 as one of the top 10 things to do on Father’s Day, in North America! The Seaside Cruizers Weekend is second to none in terms of location, design, atmosphere, and function.

Time to make it official

On April 4, 2005, the Club was officially incorporated as a non-profit Society under the laws of British Columbia. Ever since then, this incredible organization has been making a significant impact in the local community by generously donating its net proceeds to various deserving charities each year.

Let’s talk numbers because they speak volumes!

In the year 2017 alone, the Club made an astonishing donation of over $ 35,000 to support and uplift their community. Just imagine the positive ripple effect this has had on so many lives! And if you thought that was impressive, hold your breath because here comes a mind-blowing fact: since its inception back in 1994, Seaside Cruizers has contributed an awe-inspiring total of more than $ 230,000 to those in need. Such acts of kindness and unwavering dedication are truly commendable. The Club’s outstanding commitment to giving back is a shining example for others to follow. It’s through organizations like these that we can witness the power of unity and compassion transforming lives and creating a better future for all.

Our journey continues…

Years later, thanks to the continued efforts of numerous past and present members and volunteers, the Seaside Cruizers Father’s Day Show & Shine Weekend has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the premier car events on the entire West Coast. Our participants come from all over British Columbia (Most notably Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland) and other provinces including Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Plus many come from the USA, including: Washington State, Oregon, California, Montana, Arizona, and more!

The club currently boasts over 80 members. What started as a show with just 65 cars has now grown into a full weekend of events. It all kicks off on Friday night with a Cruise Night featuring close to 400 cars. On Saturday morning, we have a Poker Run with 150 cars, followed by our free Qualicum Beach Street Dance in the evening. And on top of that, we welcome an impressive 625 cars along with over 30,000 spectators and registrants!