HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-08-24, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017. PAGE 11.
Countdown to IP4
Community quick to welcome Ringgenbergs
Life changes await
The Ringgenberg children, seen here in Switzerland one year before they'd immigrate to
Canada, were in for a big change of pace when they moved to Canada. From left: Caleb,
William, Elise and Nadine Ringgenberg. (Phot osubmitted)
Continued from page 10
Ringgenbergs didn't head straight
for Ontario. They took a rather
indirect route for their journey that
would eventually end on Canada
Company Road just south of Walton.
They immigrated to the country by
way of Montreal, but then bought a
van and trailer and travelled across
Canada for the next two months.
First they went east, all the way to
Prince Edward Island, before
coming back through Montreal,
southern Ontario and then through
western Canada all the way to
British Columbia.
The Ringgenbergs reached
Vancouver and then came back east,
venturing south into the United
States to visit dairy farms in
Wisconsin en route to Ontario.
Upon returning to Canada's most
populous province, the family
contacted a real estate agent who
had advertised in a Swiss newspaper
and had been their first contact in
regards to the potential of buying a
farm in Canada.
While the Ringgenbergs searched
for a home, they lived at a local
campground, but ran into problems
when, without a permanent
address, they would be unable to
enroll their children in Seaforth-area
schools.
The Ringgenbergs spoke very
little English upon immigrating to
Canada, so that made the transition
difficult, Annelies said. While that
part of the process was tougher
than she anticipated, she says
that their Walton -area neighbours
made life easier with their warm
welcome.
They would eventually rent a
house from the Gubelmann family,
their new neighbours, after they
bought a property on Canada
Company Road just west of North
Line. The property didn't have a
house on it, so they had to build their
new Canadian home from the
ground up, which took over a year
and a half.
They quickly made friends with
area families like the Gubelmanns,
who are also Swiss immigrants, the
McGavins and others they would
meet at Walton's Duff's United
Church.
"The people here are very nice and
friendly," Annelies told The Citizen
in 2003. "The McGavins helped
bring us into the community."
When they were interviewed in
2003, members of the Ringgenberg
family were in the midst of
preparing to file paperwork to
officially become Canadian
citizens — a process that cannot begin
until new immigrants to the country
have been in Canada for three years.
The Ringgenbergs say that Walton
residents have been extremely
welcoming over the years and
they're very proud to be members of
the community.
Farming is Albrecht's passion and
in the years since the family has
been in the community, the family
has expanded its dairy operation to
include 580 acres of workable land,
approximately 100 acres of which
will be used to stage this year's
International Plowing Match RV
park.
It was Brian McGavin who first
approached the Ringgenbergs about
being part of the match. The
Ringgenbergs say they weren't
always familiar with competitive
plowing, something that they said
isn't very popular in Switzerland.
The Ringgenbergs' first brush with
a Huron County Plowing Match was
when their daughter Nadine put her
name forward as a Queen of the
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Furrow contestant. From then on,
members of the family would attend
local matches and then eventually
IPMs.
As Albrecht has become more
familiar with the concept, he says
he has come to appreciate
plowing matches as a celebration
of all things agriculture and a
positive experience for those in the
community.
As for this year's IPM itself, both
Albrecht and Annelies say that they
hope those who attend the match
will find themselves more connected
with some of the province's farmers
by the time they leave.
"People are so disconnected from
their food now," Annelies said. "If
there are no farmers, there's no one
to grow their food."
Albrecht agrees, saying that
farming has always been his passion,
so to show that world to as many
people as possible has to be a
positive experience.
We've moved. Come visit!
Glassier
PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINIC
Join us for refreshments and a tour of
our new facility. Meet our staff and learn
about our services.
Thursday, Sept 7, 2017
3-8p.m.
350 Josephine Street
Wingham , ON
(former Wingham Adult Day Centre)
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