HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-04-13, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017. PAGE 15.
Countdown to IPM
Walton is deserving of 2017 IPM says Craig
A tasty patchwork
One of the most talked -about attractions at the 1999 International Plowing Match in
Dashwood, still to this day, was a commodity mosaic constructed specially for the match in the
manner of a quilt. Graeme Craig of Walton was the chair for that match. Later in his career he
would go on to serve as president of the Ontario Plowmen's Association in 2008 and now as
the Ontario representative on the Canadian Plowing Organization. (File photo)
Continued from page 14
first time," Craig said.
When the time came for Huron
County to host the match in 1999,
Craig said he was more than willing
to put his name forward and lead.
However, he said he had a great team
around him that he knew would be
able to pull off hosting the match.
Without them, he said, it wouldn't
have been possible.
Now, he said, he's looking forward
to the IPM coming to Walton. It's a
great community that deserves to
host a match of this size, he said, and
the people will be fantastic hosts.
"It's important for a lot of these
small communities to feel like
they're part of something this big
and this good," Craig said. "It's good
for the people of Walton to get a
little different look at life through
the IPM"
It was Craig, however, who first
pitched the idea of hosting the 2017
IPM. He knew it would be the 100th
match and that it happened to fall on
Canada's sesquicentennial and felt it
would be a fitting celebration in a
community that has meant so much
to competitive plowing and
agriculture over the years.
For this year's match, though he
has been involved since its
inception, Craig has taken a bit of a
step back, which he said has been
refreshing compared to his level of
commitment in past years. For this
year's IPM he is one of the major
fundraisers, which is a challenge, but
nothing like chairing the match.
His work began at home, in a way,
when he and Helen and their
daughter Shannon, along with her
insurance business, co-sponsored the
purchase of the 2017 IPM
merchandise truck that has been
travelling around the county in
recent months.
"Graeme is connected to
resourceful people from different
involvements over the course of his
life which have allowed them the
opportunity to meet and get to know
people," says Jacquie Bishop, chair
of the 2017 IPM. "This is a very
important part of who he is."
Craig's connections run deeper
Travelling the county
Graeme Craig and his daugher Shannon are seen here
with the trailer that they co-sponsored for the 2017
International Plowing Match in Walton. It will bring match
souvenirs up and down the county. (photo submitted)
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than the Huron County community,
Bishop said, and expand through the
province and even the country
thanks to his decades in the world of
competitive plowing.
Bishop served as the secretary for
the Huron County exhibit at the
1999 match, working under Allan
Carter, who was the chair. Bishop
says that she and the rest of her
family moved to the match for the
week to ensure they could give it
their all at the IPM.
One of the highlights from the
tent, Bishop says, was a 40 -foot
commodity display by Glen and
Vanda McNeil and Lorilie Marshall,
who designed it. It brought together
produce and beans produced in
Huron County to create a quilt -like
design that Bishop says is still
remembered today.
Craig has kept busy in the world of
competitive plowing in various
capacities over the years.
After being a chair at the Huron
level, Craig would go on to serve as
a director with the Ontario
Plowmen's Association in 2003 after
fellow Walton resident Neil
McGavin retired from the post. He
would then serve on the executive
two years later in 2005.
Craig would work his way up
through the ranks to become
president of the Ontario Plowmen's
Association in 2008, overseeing the
IPM held on the McKague farm near
Teeswater in Bruce County.
His work at the head of the
provincial association, Craig said,
was mainly to direct traffic and
ensure that the match went off
without a hitch.
In 2011 Craig was honoured with
a special award for 50 years with the
organization. He continues to be
involved with the organization and
has recently been appointed the
Ontario Plowmen's Association
representative with the Canadian
Plowing Organization.
Craig says he finds the work both
interesting and challenging. Some
provincial organizations don't even
have representation at the national
level and have a long way to go. It's
at this level, he says, that one can
really see how lucky Ontario is in the
world of competitive plowing and
the dedication of its participants over
the years match after match.
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
Join Our Board of Directors!
A voluntary Alliance formed in 2003, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
(HPHA) operates as one system with four sites - Clinton Public Hospital,
St. Marys Memorial Hospital, Seaforth Community Hospital and Stratford
General Hospital. The Alliance consists of a single Board, Administration
and Staff, separate Foundations and Auxiliaries, with an operating budget
of approximately $130 million.
The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance Board of Directors is recruiting
for a Governor to serve on our Board from the catchment area
served by the Seaforth Community Hospital
Comprised of dedicated volunteers, the HPHA Board of Directors is
charged with the duty of managing the affairs of the organization, aligned
with HPHA's Mission, Vision, Values and Guiding Principles. Individuals
interested in pursuing this volunteer opportunity are encouraged to visit the
HPHA Website (www.hpha.ca) and attend the Information Session listed
below. Information packages and application forms will be available at the
Information Session. Applications are also available on our website.
HURON PERTH
HEALTHCARE
ALLIANCE
Information Session
Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Seaforth Community Hospital: Conference
Room (Lower Level)
Please RSVP to Sue Davey:
519-272-8205 or susan.davey@hpha.ca
www.hpha.ca
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