Alberta family auctioning off one of the largest private collections of horse-drawn carriages in North America
An Alberta family is honouring the life and legacy of their father this weekend by selling off a historical collection of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs dating as far back as the 1800s.
The late Lee Bowie of Penhold, Alta., began purchasing the unique units nearly 60 years ago in what’s become one of the largest and most incredible private collections in North America.
“He was the type of person that liked fixing things and he really enjoyed working with horses and dogs so the collection sort of started out as a hobby,” said Greg, the eldest son of Lee Bowie.
“It all started with a carriage he found out in southern Saskatchewan behind a barn and it grew from there.”
Lee Bowie passed away in January, aged 90, but he left behind 27 carriages and sleighs. The collection will now go up for auction online as part of the estate sale at his property in Penhold, located just 120 kilometres north of Calgary.
His daughter Kim says each carriage has a unique historical value and plenty of memories that go back to when she was a little girl.
“Four generations have enjoyed riding on the sleighs and buggies,” she said.
“Dad used to take mom for carriage rides in the evening in a buggy with the surrey on top and go down the country roads. All the neighbours would think he was a big romantic guy and he sort of was, but a tough cowboy too.”
Some of the most unique carriage include an original McLaughlin Cutter carriage. The company was at one point known as the largest manufacturer of horse-drawn buggies in the British Empire and eventually went into automobiles as part of General Motors Canada.
Greg says another of his personal favourites is the Newfoundland Taxi, built in 1890.
“There’s only a few of them left in the world, like maybe three and one of them is selling in this sale,” he said.
“At that time, they drove on the left side of the street so the sleigh or the taxi is open on the left side and the passengers sit sideways and the driver is at the back of the unit with the lines driving in front of the passengers.”
The public was invited Saturday to view the carriages in person at the Bowie Estate in Penhold, but the auction itself is taking bids online until June 21.
Robert Klatt with Prairie Auction Services says more than 2,000 people have registered to take part in the sale.
“It’s gathered a lot of attention from the U.S. northern states and across Canada even as far as Ontario and Quebec,” Klatt said.
“This is quite astounding to see and some people I’ve talked to woke up at 5 o’clock this morning just to come on down because there’s not too many opportunities like this.”
One of those individuals who woke up early is Miles Wowk, who made the three-hour drive from just east of Vegreville.
“A lot of these pieces are 100 or 120 years old so where do you go to find a piece that is that old? It’s a piece of history, you’re buying a piece of history and this is the way the west was settled."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.