The Antique and Classic Snowmobile Club of Canada

Canada is famous for its consistently snowy weather and frigid temperatures during the winter months. Visitors and vacationers come from all around North America to take advantage of the awesome powder that is available for winter sports and outdoor activities. Snowmobiling is one of the most popular winter activities that residents and vacationers enjoy in the provinces of Canada. As a result, an organization has formed that is dedicated to snowmobiling enthusiasts who want to preserve the nation’s rich history in regards to snowmobiling. The Antique and Classic Snowmobile Club of Canada (ACSCC) is also interested in keeping the available land and trails intact so they can continue to be used to fully enjoy the many winter sports that residents and frequent vacationers are accustomed to. One of the main activities that the ACSCC enjoys is finding snowmobiles and equipment that were built during the time when the snowmobiling industry first started. The organization enjoys rebuilding these machines and, in some instances, putting them on display to showcase the evolution of the machine’s versatility. In addition, members delight in collecting rare and vintage snowmobiles from previous decades along with those that have been used for racing. Snowmobile memorabilia is also collected in order to show the expansion and popularity of the snowmobile subculture whose members are often referred to as “slednecks.”

The ACSCC began in Ontario in 1982 as an offspring of the Antique Snowmobile Club of America (ASCOA). Canadian members from the ASCOA decided to form their own club in order to have a forum in which to gather to talk about, collect, and share their love and enthusiasm for the sport of snowmobiling. The members of the new ACSCC informally congregated and shared stories and appreciate the old snowmobiles that other members of the organization bought. The group acquired an investor shortly after – the Ontario Snowmobile Dealer’s Association - which afforded them the opportunity to rent a booth at Toronto’s snowmobile show later that same year.

Although the ASCOA considered themselves to be the ultimate authoritative snowmobile group in North America and took exception to their Canadian members breaking away, there was never an intent of ill-will in the actions of the ACSCC. The ACSCC was formed not out of an intention to break off from the American model of the ASCOA, but it was rather an organization formed due to convenience. The Canadian members of the ASCOA simply wanted to form a similar group that was closer to their hometown so they would not have to travel so far in order to share their snowmobile enthusiasm with like-minded people. In fact, the ACSCC holds a great appreciation for the ASCOA because it is the organizational model to which they try to adhere in their own group.

Since that inaugural show in Toronto, the ACSCC has flourished as one of the premier snowmobiling clubs in not only Canada, but also in North America. Currently, members of these two main organizations along with others enjoy the opportunities to gather at swat meets, races, and snowmobile shows to appreciate the equipment and memorabilia that other snowmobile enthusiasts have acquired. The ACSCC also sponsors snowmobiling events that take place year round rather than being limited to just the winter months. Some have wondered about their excitement over machinery that has not been around long enough to be considered antique, but that does not stop the ACSCC from consistently gaining new members and snowmobile-related equipment and memorabilia. The organization has come a long way from their beginnings, especially considering that it was begun on a whim without a focus or vision for what they intended to do.

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