The Rural Voice, 1993-09, Page 30It's a showcase showdown
The Family Lifestyles Program shows off
'The Best of Bruce' at the plowing match
By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot
"And Christine has planned a
fabulous show and you've got to see
what Paul is up to and, oh ya, Mar-
lene is doing something special ..."
relays the animated voice over the
phone in an endless litany of the
features and attractions at this year's
Family Lifestyles Program of the
1993 Bruce County International
Plowing Match. My car is getting
sore as I press the telephone receiver
close with my shoulder in an effort to
catch every word while my one hand
holds a paper down and the other
hand scrambles with a pen to match
the speed of her spiel. But just as it is
impossible to keep up, it's also
impossible not to get caught up in the
infectious spirit of Joan Stewart,
whose own enthusiasm is generated
by the spirit of Bruce which, in turn,
is really the essence of this year's
Family Lifestyles Program.
Joan and her team of volunteers
26 BRUCE COUNTY I.P.M. EDITION
have named their program "The Best
of Bruce" and essentially whatever is
good about Bruce, whether it be food,
fashion, horticulture, entertainment or
education, is featured in the
program's four tents — Food, Fashion,
Daycare and Arts and Crafts — which
surround a courtyard near
the middle of Tented City.
"We're going to show-
case what Bruce has to
offer," exclaims Joan, a
Paisley businesswoman who
is co-chairing the program
with Judy MacKinnon of
R.R. 3, Paisley. Were it
anything but the plowing
match, an event partially
designed to highlight
Ontario's rural industry, one
could say she's boasting, but this
long-time Bruce clothing store owner
says as a resident, she knows the
qualities of her county. She says
Joan Stewart (right) and Judy
McKinnon have been busy planning
the Family Lifestyles Program for
many many months.
when the tent flaps open to reveal the
"Best of Bruce", it will be easy to see
why she's so proud of the county she
calls home.
Which tent to enter first? There
really is no beginning or end to this
showcase of Bruce. But just as this
county revolves around its rural roots,
the Family Lifestyles program orbits
around a courtyard that may prove to
be a highlight at this year's match.
That's just what Joan and
Horticulture Committee Chair, Paul
Ribey, are hoping for. "We wanted
to have a place which people could
use as a meeting spot," says Carol
Helfenstein, publicity co-ordinator
for the Family Lifestyles Division.
She's hoping people will say "I'm
going to look at the machinery, I'll
meet you in the courtyard."
Certainly, it should provide a
scenic resting spot for those waiting
while spouses or friends inspect
another attraction or for the couple
who wants to take a break from
walking down the endless avenues
and streets that make up
Tented City. "No other
courtyard in the history of
the plowing match has been
done as extravagantly as
we're planning," says Paul,
a professional landscaper
from R.R. 1, Port Elgin,
who has focused his talents
on creating a paradise. The
courtyard will be made of
close to $8,700 worth of
flowers interwoven with
walkways and surrounded by a white
picket fence. Scattered throughout
the site will be benches and picnic
tables.
"We
to ha
place
people
use
mee
pla
wanted
ve a
which
could
as a
ting
ce. "