Cameron Collins always appreciated cars. From an early age, the young autistic boy from Niagara Falls would visit local dealerships and auto shows, marveling at the sleek models on display. By Grade 3, Cameron knew he wanted to hold a car show at the school he attended, Martha Cullimore Elementary. With that in mind, Cameron approached his teacher, James Stewart.
How Cameron’s vision came to pass, and how his community gathered to support him in the spirit of acceptance and inclusion, is a story that needs to be told.
“I love cars,” explains Cameron. “I visited Storm the Falls Car Show when I was eight, and then I got the idea of having a car show at my school.” Ultimately, turning those dreams into reality would have to wait until Cameron reached Grade 5, when James Stewart, who was his Grade 3 teacher, was his teacher again.
Hilary Abbey, Martha Cullimore’s Principal, first heard about Cameron’s dreams for a car show soon after she arrived at the 340-student school at the start of the school year. “Mr. Stewart told me right away that he wanted to do a car show this year for Cameron.”
“I was a Grade 3 teacher the first year I got here, and Cameron was in my class,” said teacher James Stewart. It was just after Cameron had visited the Storm the Falls that had left such a deep impression on him. “Cameron mentioned the idea, and I could tell right away that he loved cars. He knew everything about them.”
“Cameron’s enthusiasm for the project was infectious. It created immediate support among both staff and students," says James. “We turned this car show into a class project. All the advertisements from posters to promotional videos; everything that you see - the setup, the cardboard arcade - has been done by 10- and 11-year-old kids.”
In preparation for the event to be held on June 20th, the word went out, engaging with Niagara’s car culture. Posters were distributed and invitations were sent into the community. “We did a walking field trip last Monday, a week before the car show, and handed out flyers to the community members,” says James.
The cars came to Martha Cullimore. Cars of all types, sorts, and styles, ranging from the chrome-dipped cars of the '50s through to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s, to the exotics and family haulers of the recent past, filled the field behind the school. The cars and the drivers lined up on the quiet residential street in front of the school, waiting their turn to be admitted into the car show. In the school, the Grade 5 students built and operated an arcade of games ingeniously built from cardboard boxes. At the gate stood Cameron, happily checking in the cars. “I want to get more cars,” said Cameron, as he took a break from his duties. “I'm going to let the cars in, even if they're not really registered.”
“I don't really like sports cars or anything like that,” adds Cameron. “I like more simple cars - not really old, old, old, but rather just old cars... from the ‘80s to 2000.”
“It was appropriate that Autism Ontario was one of the few community groups invited to participate, which was a measure of our involvement and impact in the community,” says Janine O'Brien, Autism Ontario’s Regional Fund and Volunteer Coordinator - South Region, who attended the event along with Dawn Tuckwell, Autism Ontario’s Stakeholder Engagement Manager. “We were invited to be a part of the event because one of the family members who has utilized our program has been involved with our services, and it really made a difference for the individual to have us there and be a part of the event.”
Autism Ontario’s information booth at the school’s car show was well received, says Janine. “A lot of families really hold in their heart that we’re the ones they reach out to help with that initial navigation and where they can go to get those supports. So, it was amazing to see that connection being made during our involvement in the show.”
“This is a beautiful school,” says Hilary, who is not surprised at the school-wide effort. “We’re 70 years old this year. There’s a legacy. Families that have parents and grandparents have been here.”
Cameron has already begun thinking about next year’s car show. He hopes next year's show will have even more cars, big enough to borrow the space of a neighboring school. "I mean by double the amount of cars, even stretching out into the Prince Philip field," comments Cameron.
James doesn’t doubt for a second that this will happen. “He's been with his classmates since kindergarten,” he says. “Cameron’s created lifelong relationships with them, and they've been nothing but respectful and supportive the whole way through. It’s a very welcoming and inclusive school.”