Kane Ambulance Service, Willowdale (North York)
The following information provided by Ken Kitchen: It was a 1959 Pontiac Parisienne Station Wagon. The original roof was cut off at the B pillars. The roof was raised approximately 10 inches and corner lights were moulded into each corner. The original tailgate door with power window was retained. A hinged flap at the inside base of the door lowered and raised automatically when the door was opened and closed, to allow the stretcher to roll in or out with relative ease. The rear of the roof had a hinged door which would allow a patient to be placed into or out of the patient compartment while in a sitting position. This door appeared to have been salvaged from a mid '50s Dodge or Plymouth station wagon. The siren was mounted on the roof in the center of the front cab.
A partition was built behind the driver's seat with a sliding window in the centre. The oxygen cylinder was suspended at roof level on the left side of the partition. The rear seats were removed and a solid floor was installed with a trap door opening to the storage area for the spare tire, etc. A permanent jump seat for the attendant was installed on the right side. There also was a very small three cornered seat at the front left corner of the attendant's area. The stretcher bar was mounted on the left side. On the right side rear of the patient area was a wooden cabinet for first aid supplies, blankets, etc. The vehicle was painted a Cadillac color, Azure Blue, and had matching blue interior. The floor was dark blue.
The vehicle was converted at the body shop of the local Pontiac dealer, Lauria Motors of Willowdale.
This photo was taken in 1962 for PR purposes for the Bethesda Hospital in Willowdale. Ken Kitchen is at left, the "patient" is a clerk from the hospital and Walter Tillinghaste is at right.
Photo from Bruce Newton.
