Chapter 6
Twenty-seven years ago, Grant and his wife Kamila had a set of house plans. All they needed was a lot.
“My wife Kamila wanted to move here. What we found was an existing house in a nice area, and decided to make an offer, for expediency purposes,” he says with a shrug.
And that’s how the Kitzuls landed in Bearspaw.
Fast forward almost three decades, and Grant is part gearhead, part community builder. The kind of guy who answers the question, “If your life were a book, what would this chapter be called?” with: “Chapter 6.” Then lets the silence linger for comedic effect.
He’s not overanalyzing.
Because in Chapter 6, Grant’s behind the wheel of a Coca-Cola red 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible. Kamila and their youngest son Nicholas beside him. They’re headed to Cochrane for ice cream, or maybe the golf course. Because that’s what you do on a hot summer day in Bearspaw.
But Grant’s story isn’t just about polished chrome and Sunday drives. It’s about what makes Bearspaw feel like home.
“It’s a great place to raise children. Country life: quiet and safe. I can’t imagine home being anywhere else.”
Ask him what he’s passionate about, and without missing a beat, he’ll say, “My family.”
His favourite moments? The quiet ones. The nothing-special ones. “Sitting on our back deck, looking at the mountains and having a conversation with my wife,” he says. “There also might be a beverage involved.”
Christmas is one of the Kitzuls’ favourite times of year. Their two oldest, Jacob and Veronika, always make their way home for the holidays. And for Grant and Kamila, that’s when the house feels full. That’s when it feels like Christmas.
A few years ago, Grant joined the Bearspaw Lions Club. Then he became president.
In 2012, his son Nicholas suffered a catastrophic accident. It changed everything. Treatments. Rehab. A tidal wave of costs. That’s when the Bearspaw Lions Club stepped in, not with just words, but with action. Fundraisers. Support. Kindness with no receipt needed. At that moment, Bearspaw showed up for the Kitzuls.
“Bearspaw Lions is about community. A group of men and women firmly rooted in the community, people who just want to give something back. We support local charities. Sometimes non-local ones too.”
The Bearspaw Lions, in brief
Learn more at bearspawlions.com.
Chartered in Bearspaw, sponsored by the Bowness Lions Club, according to the club.
Sources:
Bearspaw Lions Clubbearspawlions.comVendors every summer Sunday at the Bearspaw Lions Farmers Market.
Sources:
Travel AlbertaCalgary JournalThe year Lions Clubs International was founded, in Chicago.
Sources:
Lions Clubs InternationalWikipedia
The 2026 show was the club’s biggest to date: a hundred cars, trucks and motorcycles, a small artisan market and live entertainment all day and into the evening. Hamilton Angus burgers and Spolumbo’s sausage were on the BBQ, served with a Cold Garden brew.
Donations raised at the 2026 Car Show & Shine, as reported by the Lions Club of Bearspaw. Photos: Lions Club of Bearspaw.
His contribution? The Bearspaw Lions Annual Car Show.
“Well, my talents are limited. But I like cars. Always have. Got that from my Dad.”
Grant’s dad used to take him to many car shows, rallies, and shine events across Alberta. They’d spend weekends walking rows of chrome-lined classics, talking engines and paint jobs, with the smell of exhaust in the air. Grant soaked it all in. The makes, the models, the stories behind each restoration.
The first year of the Bearspaw Lions Car Show, Grant’s dad came out to see what his son had built. The next year, the show was held in his father’s memory. Clubs his dad belonged to rolled in from across the province. It was personal. It still is.
That show became a tribute. And every one after? A quiet promise to keep showing up, keep building something gearheads can enjoy.
Alberta car culture, mile by mile
The province issues its first licence plates. Before that, drivers supplied their own.
Sources:
AMA InsiderWikipediaAlberta proclaims its first Collector Car Appreciation Day, now the second Friday of every July.
Sources:
Global NewsMedicine Hat NewsA vehicle needs to be 25 years old to wear an Alberta antique plate.
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Government of AlbertaGlobal NewsNow it’s a fixture. A fundraiser. While the chrome shines, the profit goes to work, supporting the Veterans Association Food Bank, the Cochrane 4H Club, and the Lions Youth Camp in Cremona. Local kids from the 4H Club help set up. Bands play. Families come for the vibe as much as the vehicles.
Car facts checked against at least two sources each, including Hagerty, RM Sotheby's, the National Corvette Museum, Consumer Guide, Street Muscle, Curbside Classic, CJ Pony Parts, Guide Auto Web and Wikipedia.
Photos by Désirée Rodgers at the Bearspaw Lions Show & Shine, July 20, 2024.
“I just hope people remember I had a lot of help.”
Grant’s quick to deflect the credit. That help includes longtime sponsors and Bearspaw local residents and business owners like Olympia Trust and Flores & Pine, who’ve backed the event since day one. It includes the Lions Club crew, always ready to roll up their sleeves.
With help from
We ask what he lives by. “If there’s something you can’t figure out, sit and stare at it. The answer will come.”
And that’s Grant’s Chapter 6. Coffee before sunrise. Wine at sunset. Preferably with a view, and Bearspaw in the frame.
Plan your next visit to the Bearspaw Lions Club
The Bearspaw Lions are neighbours having a good time for a good cause: stew nights, a summer farmers market and a car show where first-timers and hot-rod lifers park side by side. New faces are always welcome.
Text: Cover
Text: Chapter titles
Text: Years counter
Photo: Show and Shine
Photo: Lions logo
