Ten years ago a group of local car enthusiasts hatched the Queen City Cruise in Nelson. Though hardly ground breaking — public displays of pride in your ride is as old as the automobile industry itself — these locals wanted to turn the weekend into a community celebration.
When the tenth annual Queen City Cruise revs up its engines tonight, the Nelson Road Kings organizers can take pride in having accomplished their mission.
Nelson seems like an unlikely place to stage such a significant celebration of chrome and rubber. With an accelerated eye on the environment, trumpeting machines that consume gasoline seems like an unlikely fit. Yet, if you wander through the huge crowd on Saturday you will be left with a different impression.
Car lovers are not enemies of the environment. They are passionate folks with a hobby and love for nostalgia. Like any pursuit, they take pride in the hours they put in and the outcome of their toil. In events like the Queen City Cruise, they are able to celebrate their zeal for wheels. We are happy to join the party with them.
Busy weekends like the one now upon us are vital to the local economy. Whether it was the Kootenay Pride weekend that kicked off September or a winter full of Nelson Minor Hockey tournaments, the more reasons we give for folks to visit and feel good about our little slice of paradise, the better.
Congratulations to all those who have been part of the Nelson Road Kings event over the past ten years. You have cemented the Queen City Cruise in the early-September calendar and Nelson is better off for your efforts.