"Hi there, I am writing on behalf of my other half, Mike Lawrence, of Grand Forks, BC. We would love to receive the free certificate for an oil change in exchange for a story about our Focus, so here goes."

"Last winter, we had an enormous amount of snow both on the mountains and passes, and here in town (Grand Forks). The old timers said it was more than they'd seen in years. The snowmobilers also hailed it as one of the best years in recent memory. We decided we'd better get some snow tires on our new little Focus or we'd spend the better part of the winter digging ourselves out of our alley-backed driveway and sliding down the hill as we entered our road. As it often seems to happen, the best of intentions don't always come to fruition. A week turned into a month and a month turned into the return of spring. We never did get those snow tires. Amazingly enough, that little Focus did not let us down once. We plowed up and down hills and through a foot of snow with no slip in traction or control. We made several trips to Trail, Vancouver and Spokane on what we thought were going to be clear days, only to find the return trips engulfing us in blizzards and even a few ice storms. We always felt safe and secure in our wonderful Focus, enjoying both the heated seats and defogging mirrors. We even left the F150 4x4 on the driveway most of the winter. We were never stranded and I never even had to break out the shovel from the trunk. I heartily recommend this little car for any part of Canada after our wintery experience with it. It never missed a lick!"

Sincerely,

Danielle France and Mike Lawrence ( Close )

"February 10, 2005, is a day that I will always remember. Not only because it was birthday, but because it was the day that I purchased my brand new Ford Ranger! Fred delivered my Ranger that day in February, which was my first contact with A.M. Ford. I was amazed at his patience, as he spent hours answering all my questions in detail making sure that I understood what he was trying to explain to me. He made a difference."

"So far, the best adventures in my Ranger have been my scheduled service appointments at A.M. Ford. A.M. Ford in Trail has treated me like part of their 'family'. Dave in Service is probably one of the best assets for the company. He has great enthusiasm, listens to details and quickly acts to resolve any issues. Plus... he owns a Ford Ranger! Lorne (I call him the Grand Father of them all) is always getting me with a smile and laughter when I arrive. He takes me to the coffee station and tries to fill me with popcorn. Dan (The Boss) seems to always have time for a quick hello, and if I need to discuss something with him, he makes time for that too. It is the smallest of things that make the biggest difference."

"Just before Christmas in 2005, I had a couple of friends over for dinner. One person decided to ask why I bought a Ford. Hmmmmm, First On Race Day was my response."

"I am sure this upcoming year will see new and exciting adventures in my four-wheel drive Ford Ranger - and no matter what the terrain or the weather, we will make it there and back."

Janet Hughes ( Close )

"We were unable to take any long trips with our new Explorer until the fall. From April until October we were looking after my ninety-four year old mother who had broken a hip and had a partial hip replacement."

"In September, my sister from Calgary came to help and we were able to go to Penticton for two or three days to visit with our youngest daughter and grandchildren. Then in mid-October, we traveled to Calgary to visit with our oldest daughter and her family. We left our Explorer at her home and flew to Ontario. From there we drove with friends in their car to their condo in Florida. We flew back to Calgary near the end of November, picked up my mother who had been visiting there, and drove back home. We found the Explorer very comfortable and smooth riding. We also found we had plenty of room to carry luggage as well as wheel chair, walkers etc for mother."

"We drive to and from Kootenay Lake once a week, in the winter, to check on our summer place. Other years we had had to leave the car up on the road, or use the neighbour's driveway. With the four-wheel drive, we have been able to use our own driveway, even with several inches of snow. Recently we drove to Calgary again, this time for a funeral."

"The Explorer has only 10,000 kilometers on it. At home, we drive our Mercury Topaz most of the time, but we have found that the Explorer is not too hard on gas."

Marianne Penner ( Close )

"We love our Red Ranger. We now go places and do things, that until now, we only dreamed of. We've been up hills so steep that you feel like just a little more and you will tip over backwards. We've been over bush roads with boulders and roots so big, you have to drive in 4x4 and just creep. Back roading is so much fun. New vistas. Wonderful camping. Red Ranger has opened up a whole new way of life for us."

Betty and Jim Martin ( Close )

"Last January (2004) I bought an Escape. I had been wanting one since they hit the market...right size...front wheel drive...five passengers...haul cargo. I have the 2 litre engine with standard transmission...superb mileage (35 mpg)....keeps up with traffic on our mountain roads. The gear shift is silky smooth and the exhaust has a nice sound. My purchase price was reasonable....all the luxuries...the back door very handy compared to many competitors. I can drive all day with no sore back and I am 68 years old. I have bought over 20 new Fords and I think the next one will be an Escape Hybrid."

Keith Campbell ( Close )

"We went shopping for a car that would meet our needs....Our Ford Focus station wagon  meets all our needs...great gas economy...we can put the back seats flat to accommodate ladders, wood, coolers etc. It is a very comfortable car....Our family was impressed with the car...Our service at the garage (AM Ford) has been courteous and satisfactory. Any problems were solved professionally. Thank you - we have told our friends."

Ike and Joan Bosse ( Close )

"We have had many notable trips in our 2003 Focus station wagon. We traveled to Princeton...then up the mountain to the old Allenby town site...the Focus is a very road worthy car. Easy to drive and comfortable. The air conditioning makes this car environmentally comfortable. I am pleased with my purchase. I have also found the service of AM Ford to be top notch!"

Judy O'Neill ( Close )

"We had a very busy fall going to different places in the East Kootenays and Okanagan for hockey tournaments and have been enjoying the summer going to the lake. We are completed satisfied with our new Ford Focus and would recommend one to my friends and family."

Lauren Moorhead ( Close )

"I have owned my Escape for one year now and have found it meets all my needs. Great fuel economy, size, comfort, design and looks make it the perfect vehicle for me. It is small enough to park anywhere yet it is big enough to handle all I want to carry. Makes getting to and from the lake every weekend that much easier."

Kathy Stanesic ( Close )

"I would like to say we are extremely happy with having purchased a Ford Focus. We have taken a couple of excursions, our first to Walla Walla, Washington and our second to Vancouver. We found both to be very enjoyable. The Ford Focus wagon is very roomy so we have found it excellent for packing luggage, purchases and most important...GOLF CLUBS. We often golf with other couples and find that we have no problem fitting four sets of clubs in the wagon.

In closing I would like to say that Denis and I are very happy with the way our Ford Focus performs, with the way it handles in the snow and with the service provided by the staff at A.M. Ford in Trail. Thank you."

Sherry Hand ( Close )

"In regards to our 2002 Ford Focus, we are very happy with it. We put only 10,250 kms on it this year and it is unreal. You never see the gas gauge move, even with the air on and it runs very quiet. The service at AMFORD is unreal, also! Thank you!"

John and Pat Vallee ( Close )

"Exactly one year ago, we purchased our 2002 Ford Windstar. Our adventures began from the moment we drove off your lot! In fact, your sales team expedited the process as we were leaving right away to go to the Merritt Mountain Music Festival! Our next major adventure was driving to Vancouver to get married last August! Since then, we have taken countless trips to Vancouver, the Okanagan, all over the Kootenays, attending dance competitions, Girl Guide events, and even Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquets. While at a banquet in Kaslo, we met the Regional Director for the RMEF, who invited us to join the newly-formed Castlegar chapter.

Now, we, in our Ford Windstar, have traveled to the Cariboo, to the Okanagan, to the Coast, as local directors, and are excited about our first-ever fundraising banquet to be held November 1, in Castlegar. (Chances are our van will take us there, too!!) In fact, AM Ford was actually one of our first donors for our banquet raffle!! While we are busy with this new endeavour, we still find time to do the dance competitions, the Girl Guide events, the high school graduations, the swimming lessons, the birthday parties, and even, occasionally, the odd dinner for two.

We're looking ahead at another busy year, and probably another 30,000 km, but you can bet that our A.M. Ford Windstar will be part of the action! It has been an exciting first year in so many ways for our family! Thanks to all of you at A.M. Ford for your continued service and customer care!"

Dennis and Laurine Ostgaard ( Close )

"Last weekend we celebrated being Escape owners for one year. We are just as happy with it as we were the day we brought it home. I should mention that our golden retriever, Rudy, loves it as much as we do - I think he prefers it to my husbands F150.

One of our favourite Escape adventures was to Harrison Hot Springs in November. Our daughter and her husband met us there. They also own a 2002 Escape - bought after they drove ours...

Whenever I am asked how I like my Escape it is my pleasure to give it and your dealership high praise. Our neighbours bought an Escape from you after seeing ours and we spent the $100 (from AM FORD's BirdDog Referral Program) on a dinner for all of us.

We look forward to many more journeys in our Escape."

Linda Torske ( Close )

"Our first real experience with our new Focus was near the end of April of last year. We made a trip up to Prince George to watch our grandson play hockey. The trip was pretty good until we ran into snow and cold weather at Quesnel. We headed out from there. It took a little longer to get to Prince George because of the road conditions, but our little Focus got us there without any problems. We stayed over night in a hotel were we stayed warm and cozy, but our poor little Focus was to left to the elements.

We had to be up bright and early the next morning and we were not sure if our Focus would start. The temperature had dropped to -28 degrees Celsius. We got in turned the key and to our surprise the car started with no problem. The only thing that didn't work was the LED clock. It certainly didn't like the cold. But as the temperature became more durable, the clock began to work fine again.

We are very pleased with our Focus. Have A GREAT Day!"

A.R. (Bob) Letoria ( Close )

"We were able to travel very comfortably, thanks to our almost year old 2002 Grand Marquis. We also have enjoyed the smoothness of travel...we don't feel every bump on the road and any passengers we have comment on the quietness and comfort of the vehicle. We are pleased with our purchase, and the great care given both to ourselves and vehicle at AM Ford, Trail."

Chris and Norma Pfeiffer ( Close )

"Thank you for the letter on my one year anniversary of my 2001 F350. You are right I still enjoy it every time I drive it and am very happy with it's performance and the way it handled out 5th wheel. The comfort is great even on those back roads of the East Kootenay. I get a lot of nice comments on the truck and don't have a problem telling them we got treated royally at AM Ford."

Ivan Smith ( Close )

"My Focus ZX-3 has been a very good little car. Last winter during one of our first snow storms I was on my way home from work, having to crawl up the highway from Castlegar towards Grand Forks. There were 2 big trucks jack-knifed on the highway, vehicles sliding backward in attempts to stop, and some folks already stuck in the ditch.  I was forced to stop and wait. I saw a safe opportunity to get around the stranded car in front of me. I proceeded carefully, and to my amazement I made it up the icy road and home safely without sliding once! I felt really good about how the car handled in those wintery conditions.....We're always impressed with the gas mileage as well as the cargo capacity....It's been a gratifying experience being a Ford Family (we also have an F350 which we love as well) and have recommended the product as well as AM Ford because of your excellent service. Thanks for the opportunity to show my appreciation."

Trena Lattanzio ( Close )

"We are very pleased with our new truck and have had quite a year with it.... Our fist trip was March 11 to Green Lake Saskatchewan to bring back our grandson's truck with a flat bed trailer.....We traveled to Creston, Cranbrook, Sherwood Park and Nordegg, Alberta....We went to Spruce Meadows in Calgary with our 5th wheel.....We are very pleased with our truck and find the performance of the truck is improving with every trip."

Andy and Ivy Peluso ( Close )