It’s time to buckle up as just one day remains until the popular Northwest Deuce Days cruises into B.C.’s capital and marks its triumphant return.
Scheduled for Thursday, July 14 to Sunday, July 17, the tri-annual Deuce Days is back under new ownership to offer spectators a free look at the world’s largest display of Deuces and pre-1952 vehicles.
Rather than providing its usual sponsoring duties, Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) announced last July that it had purchased all assets, goodwill, and intellectual property associated with the event from owner and chief organizer, Al Clark.
That was good news for classic car enthusiasts and came following an earlier 2021 announcement from organizers, stating the event was officially over following a more than 20-year run.
“We’ve been doing it ever since 1998 and just got to the point where we kind of wanted to retire,” Clark told CHEK News. “Anyhow, Destination Greater Victoria got a hold of me and said they were interested in taking it on.”
As DGV geared up to take the lead with help from event coordinator Jay Donovan, Clark said he’d stick around as a consultant.
“A friend of mine, 28-year-old Jay, has taken it on and is doing a great job,” exclaimed Clark in an interview.
A joint release from Clark and DGV states Deuce Days is held every three years, with the last event in 2019 welcoming over 600 Deuce coupes — ushering in a local economic impact of $2 million.
That’s because attendees and visitors usually stay in the region for around five nights before tagging on trips to explore more parts of Vancouver Island, DGV says.
The Northwest Deuce Days Spectator Guide is out! 🏁 Visit our Instagram or Facebook post for a detailed guide on all the classic car events lined up from July 14 – 17!
Instagram: https://t.co/uKBstwRhVn
Facebook: https://t.co/1IGhkwW2xq#NWDeuceDays | #ExploreVictoria pic.twitter.com/EaorRRpByB
— Destination Greater Victoria (@victoriavisitor) July 5, 2022
For Clark, the event has always been “a labour of love.”
“It just got bigger and bigger every year. We’ve had participants from all over the world, including New Zealand and England. It’s a big deal,” he said.
Clark says registration stopped at around 1,300 cars this year as organizers celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Deuce — a Ford hot rod produced in 1932 that got the nickname “Deuce” after the number 2 in 1932.
Kicking off Thursday, the public is invited to watch as over one hundred hot rods unload the Black Ball ferry from Port Angeles, Wash., at 2:15 p.m.
“They booked the whole ferry,” according to Clark.
Come Friday, a public social is taking place at Hotel Grand Pacific from 6:30 to 10 p.m., followed by a Saturday gathering of cars along Dallas Road at Ross Bay from 7 to 10 a.m.
Then on Sunday, Deuce Days wraps up with its main show at the Inner Harbour and B.C. Legislature grounds from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a 3 p.m. awards ceremony at the Legislature steps.
More details about Northwest Deuce Days 2022, including the full event schedule, can be found online here.
Ethan Morneau
