The rumble of engines often heard at 124 Government Road hasn’t changed much in almost a century.
Boasting one of the oldest buildings in Black Diamond, the property served as either an automotive repair shop, car dealership or mechanical shop since 1930, according to Town records.
What is now Navntoft Motorsport began as Oilfield Motors by brothers Kenneth and Arthur Crawford, whose family moved to Black Diamond when they were youngsters.
Oilfield Motors operated as a service station, mechanic shop, gas station and car dealership in Black Diamond’s early years.
The brothers started the business after opening the first Imperial Oil Service Station at 17th Avenue and 1st Street SW in Calgary.
They then returned to Black Diamond to buy a service station on the corner of Centre Avenue and Government Road where they sold Imperial Gas, as well as raw gas right from the gas well, unrefined, leaving a terrible odour in the air, according to In the Light of the Flares history book.
The brothers served the people of Black Diamond for 30 years at Oilfield Motors. The building was three times larger than it is today, with a showroom at the front displaying the latest models and a back lot overflowing with used black Ford Model Ts.
It served as a local gathering place, where coffee was always on and conversations was always lively, according to In the Light of the Flares.
In the following decades, the property served as an oilfield supply distributor, parts store, heavy-duty equipment repair shop and gas station.
The building maintains its original boomtown façade and is surrounded by a perimeter fence constructed in 1979 from stem pipe and oil drilling bits on every fence post.
In the early 2000s, Checker Auto Parts was sold to Rudy Sorge, of Planet Auto in Turner Valley, and Denmark native Nick Navntoft purchased the Government Road building and opened Navntoft Motorsport in 2004.
At age 22, Navntoft realized his dream of starting a business.
“I wanted a motorcycle shop since I was 16,” he said. “I thought this would be a good start for my business to be close to Highway 22 traffic. It’s just a great location.”
Navntoft said he’d earned his licence as a motorcycle technician in Denmark at age 19 and, after moving to Canada, worked for a motorcycle shop in Calgary for three years.
“I’m definitely a small town guy,” he said. “I really enjoy the community out here and the connection that you get with people is so much more sincere.”
The business offers repairs for all terrain vehicles, motorcycles and snowmobiles, and continues to thrive despite tough economic times, said Navntoft.
“Even during the oil crash we’ve been able to stay very steady,” he said. “We even had a small growth in this recession.”
Navntoft attributes customer service and the small town atmosphere to his success.
“I have guys coming out of the city for tires and service,” he said. “They like that they get to meet us and know which mechanic is working on their bike. It’s not just a random guy in the back. It’s me and two other guys.”
