A look back at 10 highlights through the decades
As we celebrate our nation’s milestone birthday this month, we decided to look back at some interesting highlights of Canada’s motorcycling history. Take a walk down memory lane as we look at some of the things that happened over the decades.
- 1903: Two companies started to produce motorcycles in Canada: the Queen City Cycle Company and the Canada Cycle and Motor Company (CCM).1
- 1911: The Manitoba Motorcycle Club was founded. They are the oldest motorcycle club in Canada and reported to be the 4th oldest in the world. They were inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2014.2
- 1912: Indian Motorcycle Company, known as Hendee Manufacturing Co., opened a plant in Toronto.3
- 1922: The Ontario Provincial Police began using motorcycles to patrol the highways.4
- 1939-45: The Canadian Army issued helmets to all its motorcycle riders in World War II. Motorcycle dispatch riders were military messengers that delivered urgent orders and messages between headquarters and military units.5 6
- 1954: The Vancouver Police Drill Team was established. In the 1950s and 1960s their displays involved acrobatic riding during parades and stadium events.7
- 1971: The Canadian company Can-Am began developing motocross and enduro motorcycles, with serial production beginning in 1973.8
- 1973-74: The Canada Safety Council initiated a motorcycle training program to help reduce motorcycle fatalities, the first program of its kind in the world.9
- 1995: Miguel Duhamel became the first Canadian to win the AMA Superbike title.10
- 2013: Canada Post created a special stamp set that featured early CCM and Indian bikes, and are dedicated to Canadian motorcycle manufacturing and design.11
Canada Post created a special series of stamps to celebrate Canadian motorcycles.
Members of the Vancouver Police Drill Team.