Biggar Encyclopaedia

Lions Courtesy Car

Photograph courtesy Linda Baldwin Biggar Lion's presenting the keys of a new Courtesy Car to New Horizons Front row: Lewis Craig,....?......, .....?..., Marv Ledding, Jim Inglis, Back row: James Loukota,Geoff Cook, Cliff Young,....?...., Alan Selin, Ed Young, ? Vern Suchan

Photograph courtesy Linda Baldwin

Biggar Lion's presenting the keys of a new Courtesy Car to New Horizons
Front row: Lewis Craig,....?......, .....?..., Marv Ledding, Jim Inglis,
Back row: James Loukota,Geoff Cook, Cliff Young,....?...., Alan Selin, Ed Young, ? Vern Suchan

There was a courtesy car running in the seventies with five main drivers who drove one day each week. They were Frank Paterson, Vic McEachern, Bob Selkirk, Bob Booth and Charlie Hammond. This arrangement fell through and a while later Richard and Irene Olson took over in conjunction with the taxi service. It turned out that it was hard to make a living out of this in a small town and they had to drop it. In 1986 the Lions Club approached New Horizons to see if it would be possible to start up a courtesy car. The Lions appointed Norm Jones and New Horizons appointed Dick Sully. It was our job to look into costs and operations and report back to our groups and they would make a decision on how we would proceed. The first thing needed was a car which the Lions Club would supply and service. We approached Merv Barr of Barr Motors and , as neither group had a great deal of money, Merv suggested that we lease to own. He had a black Chev Caprice coming in which was the Malt Plant’s executive car. As the Lions would get $1.50 a ride they did not feel they could handle the lease payments so they went back to New Horizons and they felt they could subsidize at the rate of 75 cents per ride bringing it up to $2.25. We now had the car, so the next thing we would need were drivers. We approached the former five drivers for their advice and they said, to be a success, to get as many drivers as possible. We divided up the phone book and started phoning those we thought might drive. We ended up with 33 drivers and have maintained this through the years. New Horizons coordinator, Joanne Kral, then took over and set up schedules for each driver for two months so you know well in advance when you were driving. It was suggested that, if you could not drive on your day, to try to change with another driver. This has worked quite well. Lion members Ed Young and Jim Loukata looked after the car and New Horizons took care of the dispatching and driving. After the car was paid for the Lions were able to put a little money away so they purchased F.M. radios for us. This was a big improvement from the beepers we were using as now you did not have to get to a telephone all the time. Jim Loukata not only secured the license for the radios but he paid the license each year as well. When Home Care moved their offices to the hospital New Horizons felt they would get into financial trouble so we asked them if we could drop the 75 cent subsidy and they agreed. In 2001 the Lions made a great donation to New Horizons. They turned over the car and radio at no cost and the operation is now run by New Horizons. The Lions continue to give us donations each year and it is still known as the Biggar Lions Courtesy Car. Contributed by Dick Sully

rwchambe	Latest page update: made by rwchambe , Nov 20 2010, 5:13 PM EST (about this update About This Update Edited by rwchambe view changes - complete history)
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