Vehicles built in 1940 or earlier invited to Sunshine Highway Relic Run
Have you ever heard of “The Sunshine Highway”?
Frequently, I would hear “old-timers” around Crystal City refer to the highway between the U.S. border and Crystal City as the “Sunshine Highway”. But did it extend past Crystal City? And if so, where did it go?
A few history buffs in the region decided to find out what they could about The Sunshine Highway.
Coincidentally, Mike Webber, a volunteer printer and tour guide at the Crystal City Printing Museum, has been researching The Sunshine Highway for several years.
It was in Crystal City Courier newspaper files from 1921, that Mike discovered information about its opening. He has found the original route maps and the Route handbook, extolling the virtues of the towns along the route, and their dining, hotel and “automobile servicing facilities”.
The handbook even provides the name of a Highway representative (or ambassador) in each town who would assist tourists if needed, and it reminds them to be sure to follow the stylized “S” in a circle for Sunshine Highway. Signs along the roads marked right and left turns with an R above the circled S for right turns and an L above the circled S for left turns.
This Sunshine Highway is not a highway along the Pacific coast, this historic route starts right in Manitoba at Brandon, wends its way south through the Brandon Hills, Wawanesa, Glenboro, Baldur, Glenora, Rock Lake to Crystal City and then to the U.S./Canada border, to Sarles then through other little towns, south to Devil’s Lake and South Dakota, ending after a grand total of 700 miles at Sioux City, Iowa.
The Sunshine Highway was officially opened at a ceremony in Crystal City on July 23, 1921. Mayor Dinsdale of Brandon, plus the mayor of Woonsocket, South Dakota, Mayor Dalton, who was also the President of the Sunshine Highway, accompanied by 75 officials of the Highway, took part in the ceremony at Crystal City. They were on the road to Brandon by 10 a.m., although some stayed a little longer at Avery’s “our famous summer resort” at Rock Lake to enjoy the “inviting waters of the lake”.
A committee of Alan Melvin, Charlie Baldock, Bill Sandercock and Mike Webber joined with Dr. Gordon Goldsborough of the Manitoba Historical Society (an author and radio personality) to plan to re-enact that opening day with a journey of about 110 miles from the U.S. border south of Crystal City to Brandon. The trip will be called The Sunshine Highway Relic Run and vehicles built in 1940 or earlier are invited to take part. Like that initial opening day journey, the committee is hoping for 30 vehicles to make the trek … although many of the roads will be gravel, not paved highways, so this may limit who will be willing to risk dust and stone damage to their old vehicles.
The committee proposed that the cavalcade of vintage vehicles make stops at some museums along the route to break up the driving and give the Relic riders a chance explore some local history. The Sunshine Highway Relic Run is set for this summer July 22nd, with a rain date of July 23rd. For more information or to sign-up to take part, contact Alan Melvin at 204-529-2104 or email akmelvin@gmail. com or Gordon Goldsborough at gordon@mhs.mb.ca The committee is also keen to hear from anyone with stories or memorabilia of the Sunshine Highway, especially any of the signs.
