1st car across Confederation Bridge lands in P.E.I. museum

The first car to drive across the Confederation Bridge on May 31, 1997, is now on display at the Car Life Museum in Bonshaw, P.E.I.

Doug Parr, the owner and driver of that 1994 Dodge Spirit, died in 2019 and wanted the car to end up in the museum.

"We acquired the car in 2019. We didn't open last year due to the pandemic but it's on display out in Bonshaw now," said museum owner Greg MacKay .

"Pretty excited to have it in the collection and display it for all to see as it is a piece of Island history."

MacKay was in the third car to cross the bridge, a 1909 Maxwell, as a passenger because he was only seven years old at the time. The MacKays and Parrs got to know one another on that opening day, and Parr decided Car Life Museum was the best permanent home for his treasured vehicle.

"We want to leave it as Doug had it. We didn't change anything," said MacKay.

"He had it done up real nice with a picture of the Confederation Bridge on the engine hood and lots of stickers."

One of the stickers is a copy of that first Confederation Bridge ticket, numbered with six zeros and a one, and a time stamp of May 31, 1997 17:00:01.

The Spirit is displayed alongside the Maxwell, which shared that first drive across the Northumberland Strait.

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