.jpg)
Albert E. Peacock Collegiate is holding its first Show ‘n’ Shine since the pandemic tonight from 4 to 7 p.m., and although the main purpose is to demonstrate how many talented, passionate students they have, it’s also open to the public.
“I’m a car enthusiast myself,” said Peacock Vice-Principal Brad Raes, one of the organizers. “And not being from Moose Jaw originally, I was always taken aback by the amount of classic cars and the amount of car culture in this city.
“A lot of members of that community would certainly have a Peacock connection, so come back to your roots and support some other people that are on a similar journey.”
Raes said the car show has been on a break for a number of years, but with Peacock’s enormous autobody shop — and plenty of high schoolers using it — it was inevitable they would bring it back.
“We’ve got so many kids with projects that have done such a tremendous job, you know, and there’s parents and alumni and people I talk to all the time whose passion for cars started around this building. It’d be really great to get some people back in the area and celebrating.”
Peacock obtained a Moose Jaw Police Service permit to close Ross Street in front of the school this evening. They’re going to fill the street and the school parking lot with as many cool vehicles as they can fit.
Entrance is by donation, with all proceeds going to restore Peacock’s old racing car, the Firebird, to its former glory.
“Many alumni would have fond memories of working on and racing the Firebird,” Raes said. “The school still has it, and we are working on getting it back on the road.”
There will be hot dogs and drinks for sale, as well as some specialized AEP shop merchandise for purchase. Anyone who has visited the school’s autobody shop will have a lasting memory of it — it’s well-equipped and roomy, even with several dozen projects ongoing.
“It is a very big area,” Raes explained. “People that haven’t done a school tour are always taken aback when they enter that workshop. We have approximately 30 student vehicles in the mechanic and autobody shop at any given time. And that could range from small projects right down to a full-blown, frame-off restoration.
“We have a professional-grade paint booth, we’ve got four hoists — it is a very, very impressive facility, and we’ve got some staff members who are, themselves, car guys, and they’re very knowledgeable people. When you share a passion with a bunch of kids like that, some pretty neat stuff can happen.”