NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA HERITAGE CENTRE
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If you see an Edwardian buggy or a vintage car in a store at the Orillia Square Mall in the next little while, they are not for sale – they are part of an impressive new display from the Orillia Heritage Centre (OHC).
OHC volunteers were busy this week setting up the exhibit of fascinating industrial items that were all made in Orillia during the city’s industrial heyday. They include a 1909 Tudhope-McIntyre car, a horse-drawn buggy from the early 1900s, a beautiful wooden Dean canoe (circa 1905) plus a highly unusual vehicle from the 1930s called an Autotrac that’s half Model A Ford and half tractor.
The display was organized by Shannon Jackman, co-chair of the OHC (a non-profit group that acquires and restores historic industrial products made in Orillia) with the help of the Orillia Square Mall. The mall is donating the storefront space so the OHC, which currently does not have a permanent home to display its items, can show some of its extensive collection to the general public.
Of particular interest to car and history buffs is the Autotrac. It was essentially a kit produced by the Otaco company that converted a car into a tractor by replacing the car’s back end with tractor wheels. It was a big success during the Depression when a new tractor could cost $600 while an Autotrac conversion kit was only $149.
Also on display is a collection of metal Minnitoys dating from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Produced in Orillia by Otaco, these highly popular toys were originally made with metal left over from the manufacture of wartime airplane parts.
OHC volunteers will be on hand on selected days to tell visitors about the display and answer questions about Orillia’s industrial past. For more details, check out the Orillia Heritage Centre’s Facebook page.
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