CCM: A healthy pursuit

For several decades, one Canadian company symbolized both biking and skating — enjoyable outdoor activities that together make for healthy a year-round fitness regimen.

The story of the Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd., better known as CCM, was irresistible for John McKenty, a retired high school principal and local history writer in Perth, Ontario. McKenty is also a collector of CCM memorabilia. While conducting research for a book about brothers who ran a small local hardware store, he says he “kept coming across these neat old newspaper ads for CCM bikes, skates, and hockey equipment.”

He also discovered that no comprehensive history had ever been written about the company whose products were sold both in small stores and at large retailers across the country. The same company also produced the Russell motor car.

For his book Canada Cycle & Motor: The CCM Story, McKenty interviewed former CCM executives and workers, scoured archives and old newspapers, and met with collectors and enthusiasts. The images below show a few of the CCM ads that caught his attention.

To find out more about McKenty’s fascination with the company, or to obtain a copy of his book, visit VintageCCM.com.