Over 400 boating enthusiasts packed the Gravenhurst Opera House on the opening night of the 33rd Muskoka Antique and Classic Boat Show to view MAKING WAVES: The Story of Canada’s Miss Supertest Team, a documentary produced by History Lives Here Inc.
The documentary traces the early years of the Thompson family of London, Ontario, owners of the Miss Supertest gas station franchise, as they experimented with engines, crews, drivers and boat designs to build a winning team. In successive races held in 1959 in Detroit, and in 1960 and 1961 in Picton, Ontario, Miss Supertest III swept to victory over her American competitors.
James Thompson, the designer of the boat, introduced the documentary, which kicked off the annual boat show featuring the fully restored Miss Canada IV as the centerpiece attraction among the displays of over 150 classic vessels. Miss Canada IV was originally built for the Wilson Family, but later purchased and re-named by the Thompsons as Miss Supertest I.
The Miss Supertest documentary will be featured Saturday, September 28th at 2 PM at The Empire Theatre in Belleville as part of the city’s Culture Days celebrations.
