Bronte Stag Weekend 2019

Every year for the past 18 years, Tony Fox, TSC USA Canadian Director, together with family and friends, has hosted a three-day get-together for Triumph Stag owners on the days prior to and the day of British Car Day. Now in its 36th year, British Car day is held at Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville (just west of Toronto, ON) and is organized by the Toronto Triumph Club.

The Bronte Stag Week-end provides an opportunity for Stag owners to attend British Car Day, the largest gathering of British cars in North America, but to also participate in a number of enjoyable drives through the southern Ontario countryside, often visiting museums or other destinations with a transportation interest. Lunch and dinner outings are also arranged to enable Stag owners to socialise and talk about their beloved cars.

The annual Bronte Stag Weekend, organized around the Toronto Triumph Club's prestigious British Car Day (BCD) was held over the September 13-15, 2019 weekend and attracted 16 Stags from Ontario, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

The weekend followed a familiar format with participants arriving at the Burlington, ON Holiday Inn on the Thursday afternoon.

A leisurely drive was organized through southern Ontario farm country on the Friday for a luncheon destination and visit to the Alexander Graham Bell (of telephone and other invention fame) homestead and museum at Brantford, followed by dinner back in Burlington.

On Saturday, Stag owners were invited by the Toronto Triumph Club to a picnic lunch at the BCD show site and afterwards to join a 30-strong contingent of British cars for a drive in the Niagara Escarpment country with a refreshment stop at the Wildhagen greenhouses; followed in the evening by the annual Stag banquet.

On Sunday morning, it was an early start to convoy over to Bronte Provincial Park for the 36th British Car Day. Temperatures at this year's show were at a much more comfortable 16-20 C compared to the near record upper 30s C encountered last year. A few intermittent showers sprinkled the site during the late morning but did not significantly interfere with participants' enjoyment. A heavier shower closer to noon did require soft tops to be raised and umbrellas to be taken out. And so the weather gods teased us on and off for the rest of the afternoon, causing some minor inconvenience but by the time the awards presentation was over, the intensity and persistence of the rain increased making the clean-up process somewhat damp. This was only the second time rain has been recorded at British Car Day in 36 years and resulted in an approximate 15% decline in the number of participants and spectators present. One big disappointment was the inability of the Great War Flying Museum to fly their bi- and tri-planes over the show as they were grounded by really bad weather at Brampton airport.

Stag winners at BCD were: 1st - Chris & Vickie Tank; 2nd - Robin & Rea Searle; and 3rd - Matthew West. Congratulations to all! In 2020, to celebrate the Stag's 50th anniversary, we plan to have 50+ Stags in attendance at Bronte Stag Weekend and BCD. Please make sure you will be part of this outstanding show of Triumph Stags.