About Us

The Bancroft Cruisers held their first official cruise night on August 19th, 1996 when a small committed group of local car enthusiasts came together in the parking lot of the medical centre opposite Tim Hortons on Hastings Street. Within no time, the gathering had grown to the point where the parking lot could no longer accommodate everyone who wanted to show off their precious metal, kick tires and talk cars. Enter Canadian Tire with an offer to host the gatherings. Thanks to Canadian Tire Bancroft, the Bancroft Cruisers has had a home since 1996. 

Throughout the years, Dave and Gail Kinney and a small team of volunteers have pulled together yearly schedules of events, attracted sponsors, and made sure each event ran smoothly.

Thank you to all the volunteers over the years who have worked to support the Bancroft Cruisers and our events.  

The following article appeared in Old Autos, Monday April 21, 1997 by David MacLeod.

It all began when Dave Kinney went to Brinklow Auto Wreckers looking for a pair of good used tires for his van. In his search he spotted the roofline of an older truck which was all decked out with clearance lights. Instead of coming home with the pair of tires for his van, he had bought a set of tires already mounted on a 1957 Fargo pickup (for his son someday maybe) and the old truck began to take on a new life.

After a year's work of restoration, Dave and his son were anxious to show off their new toy but Bancroft had no historical vehicle club. After encouragement from a few other owners of old vehicles, and the promised help of his wife Gail, "Mr. Fargo" (newly acquired nickname) organized a schedule of showings at the Medical Centre parking lot nestled at the foot of the Eagle's Nest rock cliff, the town's picturesque and distinguishing landmark. fifteen vehicles were displayed the first evening and "Bancroft Cruisers" was born. Many spectators and other curious antique car owners came to see what was happening and enthusiastically supported the idea.

Realizing that the parking lot would be too small to accommodate the growth of this exhibition, "Mr. Fargo" made arrangements with Garry Sunstrum, owner of the Canadian Tire Corporation store, to use his parking lot every other Tuesday evening for the summer. By the end of the season, the number of vehicles on display grew to fifty and ranged from a beautifully restored 1915 Model T Ford, a 1928 Durant and several Model A's to a wide variety of cars and trucks from the 50s to the 70s.

There was tremendous support from several community businesses for promotions and door prizes which ranged from oil changes to dinners to caps and gift certificates. Each evening a 50/50 draw was held to further raise finances.

A highlight of the season was the fall colour cruise into Algonquin Park with a stop at the intriguing Visitors Centre and dinner at the nearby Spectacle Lake Lodge. The Grande Finale was a B.B.Q. provided by Paul Price Ford and Stan Blank Deli and Specialty Foods.

The new season is being anticipated with displays being held every other Tuesday evening from May 13 to September 30th at the Canadian Tire Store parking lot, Bancroft Ontario. Rumours abound of several additional vehicles being restored or being brought out of storage for display.

Out-of-town visitors are welcome to exhibit vehicles of historical or special interest or to view cars and trucks on display and chat with the owners.