Canada Day Recovery - 1943 C8A Heavy Utility Ambulance

[Terry Witiuk]

Have been driving past this for years on our way up to the cottage but never knew what it really was as I could only see a bit of the back end. It was painted green so I figured there was a good chance that it was military. Back in May, I finally stopped to have a closer look and with some help from Brian Gough, it was quickly identified as a C8A Heavy Utility Ambulance built in Oshawa. The data plates were still attached to the dash which showed a build date of January 6/43, Order No. LV310. After a quick chat with the owner who knew that it originally was an ambulance, we shook hands and he agreed to sell it to me. He further, explained that it had been used as a tool truck for a rock drilling company near Hunstville, Ontario and once they were done with it, it was made into a hunt camp vehicle. She's kind of rough but figured she was worth saving from being scrapped.

This past Canada Day long weekend, I got up early on the Sunday morning and arranged for a flat bed tow truck to meet me at the truck. We had to get it out from buddies back yard via an old railway bed (now recreational trail) as the HUA was not accessible from the road. The HUA is now back at the cottage...what an awesome Canada Day long weekend.

Cheers, Terry.