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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-01-14, Page 14The Seaforth " "All that is needed to make the International at Seaforth the best ever is the weather according to plow- ing match officials," accord- ing to the Huron Expositor. Unfortunately, the weather did not co-operate and the Seaforth IPM will go done in history as the 'Mud' match. The Seaforth Match was held on James M. Scott's farm in McKillop Township on the lot immediately adjacent to the northeast corner of Seaforth abutting the Agricultural Park. The Seaforth match was the first in Huron County since Port Albert's 'Victory' Match' in 1946. The decision to hold the International in Huron County was made at the annual meeting of the Ontario Plowman's Associ- ation in 1962. The choice of site was not without controversy as five other areas of the county vied with each other to host the IPM. In particular, the Exeter Times -Advocate made a strong case for a site by the Grand Bend air- port that had been used until 1963 as an RCAF Relief Station Mr. Batten, the Times - Advocate's editor believed that "the Grand Bend air- port would be an ideal site and that the tented city could be erected in such a way that pedestrian and vehicular traffic could use the runways, thus eliminat- ing any problem if adverse weather conditions did prevail." Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Batten ungenerously gloated after the Match that 'Mud makes the GB [Grand Bend] site look good.' Bat- ten's observations on the site selection had more to do with local boosterism than they did about Seaforth. So controversial was the decision that in 1966, three years after Seaforth's site selection, the Expositor was still defending the commit- tee's decision. The Expositor noted that selection "was based on a number of considera- tions. It was centrally located in the county, as well as in a prime agricul- tural area. Hydro and other utilities, including water and phones, are readily available. In addition, the site was well serviced by provincial and county roads. It was also argued that renowned Seaforth District High School Girls Band had been a regular feature at IPM matches, which cre- ated 'an awareness of the Seaforth area among plowmen.' Like all IPMs, the event was eagerly anticipated by local organizers and resi- dents alike. The impor- tance of ensuring that each plowing match is unique is a challenge that all host areas strive for and unites local communities. The importance of hosting the largest outdoor agricul- tural event in Canada was not lost on the people of Seaforth. Aside from the traditional activities such as the selec- tion of the Queen of the Furrow for young 'farmer- ettes; the IPM News prom- ised visitors 'colourful parades' complete with 'attractive majorettes' to help visitors get into a 'gay mood: 'The lady of the household' was assured there would be 'cooking demonstrations, hairstyling tips,' and a fashion show to hold her attention. Other exciting attractions mentioned were the 'art' of horseshoe pitching, tractor pulling contests, an inter - secondary school plowing competition, and an array of other demonstrations that promised to make the Seaforth IPM a worthy endeavour for all. The IPM News Wednesday, January 14, 2015 • Huron Expositor 15 Mud Match" 1966 Huron History David Yates congratulated the hundreds of volunteers who planned, prepared and organized the event for doing a 'stellar job: Organizers guaranteed that the Seaforth would 'be the best ever: The major agricultural businesses that were to exhibit their products and displays were given two years advance notice. The 'tent -city' was to cover 100 acres with a total frontage of over two miles of exhibit- ing space. In addition, local organizers had laid out a temporary city with four streets and three ave- nues supplied with electric- ity and water facilities to accommodate more than 300 exhibitors, a plowing match record up until that time. Local service clubs oper- ated concessions and infor- mation stands that were set up at regular intervals throughout the tented city to provide refreshments and act as host -guides. In short, nothing that local OPA organizers could con- ceivably foresee was overlooked. As the IPM News proudly proclaimed, everything was in place and ready to make the Seaforth Match 'the best ever' and 'well worth the effort for all members of the family: Everything was in place except the weather. Mother Nature inter- vened in dramatic fashion not only to dampen the success of the event but to drown it out almost com- pletely. Bad weather, seaforthhuronexpositor.com torrential rains and high winds hampered the con- struction of the tented city in the first week of Octo- ber. Two large exhibition tents were blown down just before the opening of the Match. Inclement weather continued through to the match's opening ceremo- nies when heavy rain, hail and gale force winds churned the plowing match site to a muddy morass. The Expositor reported that most displays, events and exhibits pulled out or were cancelled. Local com- mittee organizers decided to extend the match into Saturday and rescheduled many of the cancelled attractions. Needless to say, the weather was a major disappointment to Plowing Match organiz- ers. The rains that turned the tented city into mud forced motorists to park in town. Many cars were abandoned when they became mired in deep mud. By Wednesday, the sec- ond day of the match, park- ing lots were empty as police directed visitors to improvised parking areas within the town at such places as Seaforth District High School, Lions Park, arena and bowling alley. A shuttle service was organ- ized to carry visitors to the exhibition areas. Once there, however, many of those in attendance turned back after a shorter than anticipated stay due to the muddy conditions. Mr. Batten, the Times - Advocate editor accurately described the muddy con- ditions when he wrote "this is an event that has often seen the weather dash its successes, but perhaps there have been few times when it was quite as signifi- cant as this year's event in Seaforth. According to the description found in our trusty dictionary, the grounds at Seaforth couldn't even be listed as a quagmire. A quagmire is described by Webster as a soft, wet miry land, which yields under foot. Cer- tainly, this was not the case on Thursday during our visit to the Match. The land was yielding right up to the knee in some places, let alone just under the foot. The ankle deep mud made our tour of the grounds extremely risky— and briefer than we had expected." Although most who were in attendance at the 1966 Seaforth IPM will remem- ber the mud, there were other significant memora- ble events. Despite the weather, the opening cere- monies went off smoothly. Seaforth Mayor J.F. Flannery was met at Lions Park by a conestoga wagon preceded by the Seaforth Girls Marching Band. The IPM was offi- cially opened by the Hon- ourable J.J. Green, the Fed- eral Minister of Agriculture, in Prime Minister Pearson's cabinet. The Minister made a prediction that 'in 10 years farms will be capital- ized at $250 000: Ontario Premier John Robarts made a walk through the tented - city. County Warden Ken Stewart had the honour of 'saluting' his daughter, Amy Stewart as the 1966 Queen MAIL SH. Canada Because some wishes can't wait for someday. www.makeawish.ca 1-888-822-9474 PARK THEATRE TM4 LaDDEttiCFI 519 S-24 181. .FOR MOVIE INFORMATION— winv.rnovielinks..catu9yJ i2,?'I UI�Y. ea7 .?� of the Furrow. Of significance to local folklore, an unusual plow- ing record was set as Keith Scott, a Goderich District Collegiate Institute student, became the fifth generation of Scott family to plow the ancestral family soil on land being used for the Plowing Match that his great -great grandfather had settled in the 1840s. The Expositor on Oct. 20, 1966, bravely declared the Seaforth IPM 'A Success Despite the Weather.' Fifty - thousand people paid the admission 'and struggled along muddy roads to take part in the event.' Yet, the adverse weather made it one of the most memora- ble occasions in Huron County history. Many are the yarns of a generation of Huron County school chil- dren who remember half- day trips remember slog- ging through the mud. Years after the event, it was said that rubber boots continued to be turned up by plows in the old parking fields. Leg- endary tales of stranded motorists in vehicles stuck up to the axles were pulled from the mud by a sympa- thetic farmer and his trac- tor. The Seaforth Interna- tional Plowing Match was a powerful reminder of the impact that the forces of nature have on agriculture in Canada. � `w �,*;s+4 41411; a Phil fire foil g # sib Make YOU' OMPA n Imr1 S+tint. [ qk—r,,aril'FruitV.ini• keadj olito hill C1M EFI[Gi 524.132" AW 5 SEAFORTH OPTIMISTS 2014 TRAVEL THE WORLD & CASH LOTTERY JANUARY WINNERS AIR FARE TO IRELAND Jim and Dianne MacLeod $100 CONSOLATION • Deb and Len Jamieson • Marjorie Cartwright