An old snowmobile is destined to become the talk of the trail among sled enthusiasts and historians once it’s buffed up a bit and put on display at the Gimli Snowmobile Centre.
The 1961 Ski-Doo, which was nicknamed the “tin cab,” was a prized possession of a Berens River First Nation family who sold it to the recreational sports dealership.
Gimli Snowmobile Centre owners Dennis Vigfusson and his sister Sheila Cowell bought the early Ski-Doo prototype after members of Berens River family contacted them and said they wanted to find the sled a good home.
“The [man] contacted me saying he had an older snowmobile and that he wanted to find a good home for it, somewhere it would be appreciated. The family could no longer store it,” said Vigfusson. “And we purchased it from them for our collection.”
Made by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier (now Bombardier Recreational Products), the 1961 Ski-Doo is an early snowmobile prototype, along the lines of the first car manufactured for the market by Ford in the early years of the twentieth century, said Vigfusson. Bombardier made its first production Ski-Doo in 1959. The company manufactured more Ski-Doos in 1960 and 1961, enabling people to gain access to a variety of wintery terrain. The sled proved so popular that its name became a verb.
The cab or hood covering the engine is made out of metal, hence its nickname tin cab, said Vigfusson. The original owner of the 1961 machine modified it slightly by building a box under the seat in which he could carry a hunting rifle.
“It’s very interesting to see these old machines. And this one belonged to only one person; he bought it brand new and kept it all these years,” he said.
The Gimli Snowmobile Centre is a Bombardier Recreational Products dealer. The dealership carries both winter and summer recreational brand-name products such as Ski-Doo and Sea-Doo (watercraft) machines, Lynx (snowmobiles), and Can-Am ATVs and side-by-sides. In addition to a wide variety of products, the dealership carries parts, apparel and accessories and offers services such as oil and filter changes and engine rebuilds.
Currently, their snowmobiles are flying out the door.
“Our phone has been ringing off the hook. About 90-plus per cent of our snowmobiles have been pre-sold already for the entire winter here. We’re in panic mode trying to get the snowmobiles out the door. We have 160-plus machines we’re moving,” said Vigfusson.
Vigfusson said the 1961 Ski-Doo is in “running condition” and came with two engines – the original and an upgraded engine. It runs nowhere near as fast as today’s sleds go. He’ll be installing the original engine in the sled before putting it on display at the dealership. Customers won’t be able to take it for a spin.
“This sled will be for display purposes only and maybe it might spark some interest in snowmobiling. There are a lot of snowmobile collectors out there that like to see this old stuff, the same way vintage car collectors do. There are a lot of people who want to see a tin cab snowmobile and have a big interest in them,” said Vigfusson. “It’s a conversation piece to showcase the business. To get something like this, something that represents the very roots of our business, is very interesting.”
The Express reached out to the family who sold the 1961 Ski-Doo.
For more information about the Gimli Snowmobile Centre, call (204) 642-7017 or visit its website at www.gimlisnowmobilecentre.ca
The dealership is located in Gimli on Highway 9 (Seventh Avenue) at Howard Avenue.
