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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-07-21, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016. McGavins celebrate 80 years with their community The population of Walton boomed to unheard of levels on Friday as McGavin Farm Equipment celebrated its 80th anniversary. Approximately 2,500 people attended the celebration which included a midway, a ferris wheel, a petting zoo and numerous other attractions. Brian McGavin, one half of the McGavin brothers duo that runs the family company, said the event went better than he and his brother Jeff could have hoped. "We couldn't be any happier," he said. "I said to one of the visitors that it was both exhilarating and humbling. It's amazing to have that many local people respect your hard work and dedication and come out to celebrate with the family." The company was started by Gordon McGavin and then was taken over by Jeff and Brian's father Neil, who recently handed over the reins of the company to his sons. McGavin, during a speech at the event, said the celebration was as much for the achievements of the business as it was for the enjoyment of the staff, community and customers that have made the business a success. "I know that marking every five years might seem silly, but it's more of a get-together," he said. "It's a way to say we appreciate the customers. It's a good day to rub shoulders with neighbours and clients you haven't seen in awhile." McGavin said that, while he and his brother are often referred to as the faces of the company, the real success comes from the staff and he hopes that they realized the day was for them as well. "The staff is really the heart of the place," he said. "Everyone does their job and it pays dividends. People remember how they are treated and, while everything is getting bigger and bigger, it's nice to see that smaller entities can survive through remembering customer service." Thompson doc. now in post -production Continued from page 19 "When dad came back, he was excited about theatre and saw that it was actually an active dialogue with society. The idea is you have a dialogue with your community and make them a part of a discussion." She said her father discovered how much he loved feeling the energy of a play, not just that of the actors but that of the audience as well. "He wanted plays to be real, and relevant," she said. "He wanted the actors he worked with to be affected by the audience, to listen to feedback, to look at what works and learn what doesn't." She said he broke the fourth wall as well as every other wall in theatre and didn't want plays to be about pretending, but to be exploring creative impulses that created the stories they are telling. "That's how it all started," she said. "That's why you can't hide from dad's shows. You feel them." After returning to Canada, Paul worked with Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto with founder Jim Garrard. "They did all these cool, alternative versions of plays," Thompson said. However, when Garrard left the theatre in 1970, Paul took over as Artistic Director. "He was a stage manager at the time and he was left with the keys to the theatre," Thompson said. "He saw the opportunity to do something and decided to follow some of the ideas he had learned about in France. He wanted to make real plays and tell Canadian stories." Canadian theatre received a big boost when Paul took over, according to Thompson, as he started giving people seed grants to start ideas. Those grants would produce some prolific plays like Billy Bishop Goes to War by John MacLachlan Gray and Eric Peterson. Thompson was also interested in the 1970s because of how formative a time it was for Canada. "It was a time of nationalism," she said. "People were trying to figure out what it meant to be Canadian. We weren't American and we weren't British. The plays followed the spirit of that time and it was exciting." While not dealt with directly, Blyth plays a part in the documentary. James Roy, one of the founders of the Blyth Festival, saw The Farm Show and 1837: The Farmers' Revolt, which Thompson was involved with, and got excited about what he saw. Those plays would show what local theatre was capable of and Roy, who was connected back to the area when he sought seed money from Theatre Passe Muraille and Paul, along with others, would create the Blyth Festival as a result of that revelation. "It wasn't just Blyth, though," Thompson said. "At that time there were three companies producing Canadian work, now there are over 300. That wasn't just dad or the theatre, but that impulse that led to the present was definitely there." The film will feature four of Paul's collective plays: The Doukhobors (1970), The Farm Show (1972), 1 Love You Baby Blue (1976) and Maggie & Pierre (1980). The documentary is currently in post -production and Thompson is now looking forward to presenting it at film festivals and companies that can get the word out about it. This is the second film Thompson has produced with its roots tied to her father's work. The first was called The Donnellys, based on his work on stage with the family's story. "It's a 21 -minute piece that looks at understanding why people are so attracted to the Donnelly story which was evident with the great success of The Outdoor Donnellys," she said. "Each time my father does that story, it's different and his upcoming Donnelly play will be his sixth time." She said the Donnellys shows Canadians' complicated relationship with historical characters where they don't want to make heroes of people, but the tale is incredible and captivating. "The Donnellys is such an amazing, tragic story, which is why we keep going back to it," she said. "The film focused on Bob Donnelly who was brought to life by [current Blyth Festival Artistic Director] Gil Garratt in the play and I had him narrate the film." Thompson, a graduate of Blyth Festival's Young Company, said that her parents' involvement with the Festival and theatre is apparent in both her and her sister's work. The business and the McGavin family received several awards that day to mark the work they had done, one of which was the President's Club award from New Holland. The award, which is given to less than 10 per cent of the 800 New Holland dealerships across the country, marks what makes the business a success according to McGavin. "It's a combination award," he said. "There are a bunch of areas they mark us on like sales, marketing and service. It's kind of neat we were able to get that." McGavin said the day was meant as a family celebration where customers and community members could bring out everyone and have fun and mark the occasion. He said he couldn't say enough about the people who came. "We really want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us," he said. "It means an awful lot to Jeff, dad and myself and all the McGavins and the staff. "We are looking forward to seeing people at the 85th in five years," McGavin said with a laugh. Recognized The McGavin family has a lot to be proud of after marking their namesake company's 80th anniversary on Friday. As part of the day, several awards were presented including one from the Canada East Equipment Dealer Association (CEEDA) that was presented to the family. From left: Abby, Brandon, Shelley, Brian, Shannon, Jeff, Marie and Neil McGavin being presented a plaque by Jerry Martyn of CEEDA. Absent are Jacob, Mackenzie, Teegan and Tyson McGavin. (Denny Scott photo) Take time for yourself... Enjoy a good book O,HEF SECRETS or Flc,,EP.S AGGIE'S VOICE Donna Mann continues her series of novels based on the life of legendary Grey County farm leader Agnes Macphail. Now a young woman, the feisty Agnes is off to Stratford Normal School to train to become a teacher. $20.00 ROSES LOVE GARLIC Companion planting means planning your garden to take advantage of natural friendships between plants. Discover from one of North America's most beloved gardeners how flowers help or hinder nearby vegetables and other flowers. $22.95 ORGANIC BODS' CARE REC.]PES /75sr x„! ea ..f frt natural cleanse WALKING HOME ORGANIC BODY CARE RECIPES Discover the joy and fun of crafting your own personalized body care products using herbs and other ingredients that nourish, pamper, and protect the skin. 175 homemade herbal formulas. $25.95 413 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792 DANCE WITH THE ONE THAT BRUNG YA: More Rural Adventures with Hap and Edna The second book of Bob Collin's humorous GROWING AND USING HERBS SUCCESSFULLY Betty Jacobs helps you get the best results with 64 herbs. Tips on how to start herbs indoors and out, how to avoid buying costly perennial plants, how to harvest and store, and how to market them so you can make a profit. $18.95 WALKING HOME The former CP Rail line from Guelph to Goderich is about to become the 127 km. Guelph to Goderich Rail Trail. In 2014 Lynda L. Wilson and her husband Doug walked the future trail and this book tells of the adventure and the people they met. $17.95 Dahee with the Ohe That Bruhp Y More Rvrol Adoent..res with Hep and Edna by Bob [.flies series on BC farm couple Hap and Edna Fitzpatrick, includes stories on Bonnie the Clyde(sdale) and a hunting trip. $19.95 See our great selection of books at... The Citizen I-(OMENIADE hrAND JAE—DOWNS HOMEMADE & HAND-ME-DOWNS Arnold Mathers' stories have been entertaining Rural Voice readers for years. This new collection of 46 stories includes 17 which haven't been published in previous books. Mathers sees the humour in the way we were. $28.00 A CAMPER'S GUIDE TO ONTARIO'S BEST PARKS From national and provincial parks to conservation areas, Donna Carpenter runs down the attractions of 48 parks across Ontario. $19.95 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114