New Year, New Challenges

2008 is going to be a year of challenges for our hobby.

Ethanol is coming to a gas pump near you if it's not there already. Provinces are announcing legislation on emissions testing. The Federal Government will be putting more money (and more weight) into programs designed to retire older vehicles. As provinces try to target street racers, they will continue to introduce legislation that is detrimental to our hobby without guidance from the collector car hobby. This has already become an issue in Ontario where the Provincial Government has made attempts at an outright ban on performance enhancing aftermarket parts.

What can you do? Become informed and become involved.

Becoming informed is as easy as keeping track of the news. Whether it's online (CanadianDriver.com has an excellent daily newsfeed on Canadian auto-related news), in print, or on TV, pay particular attention to news items that look to 'fix' a potential automotive problem.

Becoming involved is just as easy. Join a club that has a strong provincial or federal voice and join the SEMA Action Network. The link to SEMA is at the bottom of the page and I will be writing more on this organization at a later point in time. Joining a club with a strong voice will take a little more effort on your part. How do you know the strength of their voice? Ask if they belong to NAAACCC (National Association of Antique Automobile Clubs of Canada, Corp. or commonly known simply as 'National'). National is a Canadian organization that is made up of car clubs from across Canada. They have representation in every province and their mission is to work with legislators to protect the hobby from restrictive legislation. Again, I will be writing more on this organization at a later time, but for now, check out the link at the bottom of the page.

The reason that I suggest these two organizations is that they both are involved with imparting knowledge about the collector car hobby to government officials in an effort to make them aware of the impact our hobby has on the local economy and the environment. Moncton, NB has played host to The Rolling Stones and the Pope, yet it is the annual Atlantic Nationals that is recognized as Moncton's #1 event. Environmentalists and auto industry analysts use derogatory terms like 'clunkers', 'beaters', and 'smokers' to demonize older vehicles and paint them as environmental hazards. While these mental images are making their way on to the news and into public perception, nothing could be further from the truth. Again, more on this later but I just wanted to let you know about the obstacles facing our hobby.

2008 will be a challenge for our hobby but by speaking out with a unified voice, we can face that challenge and overcome the obstacles. Be sure to make your voice heard.