'This is Kitchener history': Antique snowmobile restored

Retro snowmobile restored A 1953 Eliason snowmobile has a brand new look! Spencer Turcotte tells us what it took to restore this retro sled.

A Durham, Ont. man has restored and restarted a piece of Kitchener’s history – an antique snowmobile.

Don Hamilton began snowmobiling at just 10 years old and it quickly became a passion.

“I love riding old sleds,” he said.

The sport eventually turned into a hobby.

“Restoring and riding antique snowmobiles brings me a lot of pleasure,” said Hamilton.

It’s not hard to see from looking around his garage, which has 10 antique snowmobiles. But there is one that stands out from the rest.

“The 1953 Eliason is the oldest in my collection,” he said.

Hamilton first set his sights on a made-in-Kitchener Eliason Motor Toboggan at a snowmobile show in 2011.

“I was hooked, I had to have one. And I have been looking for this snowmobile since then,” he said.

A friend told him about one for sale in Spanish, Ont. They were able to track it down and Hamilton ended up buying it.

Although, when Hamilton got it, it looked far from how it did in its prime, as seen in this archival footage of the exact snowmobile he bought.

“The sprockets were missing, the engine was missing, the steering wheel was missing,” Hamilton said, pointing to part of the original worn-down sled hanging on the ceiling of his garage.

The condition of it didn’t deter him from trying to revive it.

“This is Kitchener history and I have to be a part of that,” he said.

After two years of hard work, Hamilton took a step back in time to bring the snowmobile back to life.

Now it is red, it is retro, and the rev of its engine lets you know when it’s coming. It looks brand new.

Even though he is staying tight-lipped about how much the work cost, he says he does have his wife’s backing.

“My wife is not into snowmobiles, but she is very supportive of my efforts,” Hamilton said.

With the historic restoration now behind him, he can happily ride around on it whenever he wishes.

Hamilton noted the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum in Naubinway, Mich. is hosting a celebration of the Eliason Motor Toboggan’s 100th anniversary next month on Feb. 16 and Feb. 17.