The Citizen, 2017-05-11, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017. PAGE 11.
Countdown to 1I)
1978 IPM brought Falconer family together
The Falconers
Deb Falconer, centre, is the chair of the beautification committee for this year's International
Plowing Match. Meeting her husband Les and their subsequent relationship and children all
stemmed from a chance meeting at the 1978 IPM, which was hosted by Falconer's parents at
their Wingham-area home farm. From left: Sydney, Graham, Deb, Les, Fraser and Derek
Falconer. (courtesy photo)
Continued from page 10
nefarious activity around the hosting
sign in the weeks leading up to the
match.
Atop the sign, she said, there were
flags advertising the match and those
flags were constantly being stolen
and subsequently replaced. Then,
one day after the sign was placed
under surveillance, a man was
arrested trying to steal the flags once
again. The excitement and activity of
that day, she said, still stays with her
to this day.
After the Armstrongs hosted the
match, members of the family
continued to be involved in the
world of competitive plowing in a
number of different ways.
In 1980, Falconer was crowned
Huron County Queen of the Furrow,
which meant she went on to the IPM
in Barrie in 1981. That's one aspect
of the match, she says, that has
changed quite a bit in recent
decades.
When Falconer won the
competition, the contestants needed
to know how to plow. In today's
Queen of the Furrow competition,
What a meeting!
Jim Armstrong, left, host of the 1978 International Plowing
Match and father of 2017 Beautification Committee Chair
Deb Falconer, is seen here meeting astronaut Neil
Armstrong, right, at the match. (Courtesy photo)
contestants are coached with a
person by their side during the
competition. In her day, Falconer
said, you were out in the field alone.
This meant that there was plenty
of practice ahead of the competition
and Falconer worked extensively
with a coach for weeks on her way to
the victory.
In the years that followed,
Falconer and her husband would
start their own family, having four
children of their own — three boys:
Graham, Fraser and Derek and one
girl, Sydney.
Two of the couple's three sons
would go on to plow competitively,
with Les as their coach, through the
local 4-H Sodbusters Club and then
compete at both the Huron County
and IPM levels.
While Les served as a coach for
the boys, he did not plow
competitively very often, although
Falconer recalls her husband
entering an IPM open class
competition one year.
Falconer would again be involved
the next time Huron County played
Continued on page 12
Beginning Monday, April 24th, the Township of North Flu
spring collection of leaves and yard waste.
Collection will be completed on the following dates:
Monday, April 24 Monday, May 8
n will begin it's annual
Tuesday, May 23
Acceptable Materials
Unacceptable Materials
Grass, plant material (soil removed), leaves,
branches and twigs placed in a paper organic yard
waste bag weighing less than 20.5 (45 lbs)
Any leaf and yard waste material set out in a plastic
bag weighing more than 20.5 kg (45 lbs,).
Branches, twigs and cuttings that are tied in secure
bundles that are less than 1.5 m. (5 ft.) in length and
0.6 m. (2 ft.) in diameter.
Any leaf and yard waste material contaminated with
household waste or non -leaf and yard waste such as
green bin organics.
Individual branches that are less than 10 cm. (4 in.)
in diameter
Any bag that contains sod, soil, rocks, stumps, root
balls or stones.
All Material should be placed at the curb in paper organic yard waste bags
before 7:00 a.m. on the collection date.
Any yard waste left at the curb after the Final pickup date will be subject to a mini-
mum charge of $50.00 for pick up.
Leaves and yard waste may also be dropped off free of charge at the Wingham
Landfill which is located at 39601 Reid Road during regular operating hours.
Space provided through a partnership between Industry and Ontario Municipalities to support waste diversion programs.
Blyth...
Celebrating
Blyth's Main St.
looking from
King Street
l4OYears
history • heritage • tradition
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