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A Brief History
Franklin Prouse loves ships and the water.
While attending UTS in Toronto, Frank worked his summers as a waiter on the Canadian Pacific passenger vessel ’Keewatin’ (Below). The Keewatin ran between Port McNicoll, Ontario and Ft. William/Port Arthur passing thru and stopping at the Sault 26 times each summer. This is how Frank, a Brampton native, initially discovered the Soo!
Its not surprising then that he attended Royal Canadian Naval College in Victoria B.C. (Royal Roads) during World War 2. Graduating in 1946 (Below Left) Frank trained on a number of vessels in the Canadian Navy. One of them was HMCS Cresent (Below Right).
Frank opened his first GM dealership in Acton, Ontario just north west of Toronto in 1956 (Below).
In 1962, General Motors offered Frank the Pontiac Buick store in Sault Ste. Marie. With his love of the area (specifically the ships and the abundance of water) he jumped at the opportunity, opening on Queen Street at the current Western Tire store (Below).
In 1966, the volume of business dictated a larger facilty causing Prouse Motors to move to 44 Great Northern Road, just north of the current Pit Stop gas bar (Below).
Fifteen years later another move was necessary. Frank and his wife Nora moved Prouse Motors to its current location in 1980 at the corner of Great Northern Road and Third Line East. Sault Ste. Marie had only one way to expand and that was north (Below).
Grand opening night of this facilty was October 1st, 1980 (Below). It was a family affair!
Pictured left to right : Thornley Virene (close family friend), Franklin, Robert, Elizabeth, Nora, Leslie and Gordon. Almost 30 years ago!
