Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-09-13, Page 1475th Annual Belgrave, Blyth, Brussels M MOHR+ tO, NSHIP Ottit: 44,s MORRIS TOWNSHIP HOWATT BROS. TRANSPORT LTD. local and long distance hauling In Ontario LIVESTOCK & GRAIN Doug & Ron Howatt RR 1, Belgrave (519) 523-4500 , • 1 REAL n _ ESTATE Zpv LTD.A,6 ti, BRIAN POTTER Office 519 - 357-3622 Township of East Wawanosh 519-357-2880 f,'zz--- .,.... i 1 11 1 • ',‘' VILLAGE , -301-i",OF .I.) 0 ...: l i ,)-. BLYTH 4.- 7 7 & BLYTH P.U.C. The Baron County Board of Education oucti4,„ e..44 ..1, ..., 1 --%. # 4,4 0 EDGAR FEED & SEED Niel & Kathy Edgar R.R. #3 Wingham Fall Special on Animal Health Products 357-2122 CO-OP Your complete farm store for • Fertilizer • Seed • Chemicals • Feed • Hardware and much more BELGRAVE 1-800-267-2667 357-2711 AUBURN 526-7262 BELGRAVE VARIETY Belgrave (519) 357-1254 C itizen Blyth 523-4792 Fax 523-9140 Brussels 887-9114 Fax 887-9021 School-Fair Friday, September 15, 1995 Parade at 1:00 p.m. followed by opening ceremonies (Fair officially opened by Don Pullen former Huron County Ag. Rep) • Children's games at the park • Display of schoolwork, hay, grain, flowers, fruit, poultry, sheep, 4H, calves, pigs, horses & much more. .00kotfimiThoti ;•ra Thanks to our sponsors for their generous support! PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1995. Be' grave Fair celebrates 75 years of tradition For 75 years, the community of Belgrave has been the site of an annual school fair. Once the main- stay of agricultural life and educa- tion, like Christmas pageants and music festivals, these student fall fairs were abundant. Today, the Belgrave Fair stands as only one of two remaining in the province. A spirit of its early years adds vintage flavour to the fair, which is devoted to the same thing it was in the days of one-room schools. To help commemorate this anniversary year, which will be marked Friday, Sept. 15, Harold Vincent, who was a young school- boy at the first fair in 1920, and his wife Edith, have compiled an extensive history from memories and documents. Vincent recalls how much time and effort has been donated so willingly by community people towards the fair since its inception. It all began in 1920 when an agricultural representative with the county met with some school trustees to organize that first event. There were nine schools taking part, three from Morris Twp. and six in East Wawanosh Twp. The first fair was held on Oct. 5, with several buildings being used to house the exhibits. It was a time to draw the community together and has, every year since, with the exception of 1939 when a polio epidemic resulted in the cancelling of the school fairs. In 1921 the first school fair con- cert was held in the Forester's Hall. It continued for 45 years. The first concert was put on by the school children, while subsequent ones featured adult talent as well. The concerts sometimes took the form County council defers decision The council deferred any deci- sion on supporting Ontario Hydro's proposal to burn recycled nuclear material from U.S. warheads as fuel at the Bruce Nuclear Power Development. Hydro officials had appeared at the July meeting of council to explain the project which would require the nuclear material, with armed escort, to be trucked through Huron County. Hydro asked for a resolution of support "in principle" but the Administration, Fiance and Personnel committee recommended there wasn't enough information for council to provide such support. *** Five years after county council had given its approval for a zoning amendment to allow Clarkey Hold- ings to build a seniors residential development in the north end of Brussels (July 5, 1990), the Huron County Planning and Development department was informed- by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs that they intended to deny the applica- tion in a letter sent June 30, 1995. Municipal Affairs was acting on recommendation of the Ministry of Environment and Energy which expressed concern that the develop- ment should be fully serviced with municipal water and sewers before the amendment is allowed. The partners in the application told planning and development officials they didn't want to proceed with the development at this point because of the high cost of providing such services. of contests between Morris and East Wawanosh, with themes such as Scottish versus Irish, Vincent recalls. In 1970, the Belgrave fair was 50 years old and a celebration was planned with the music festival and variety concert being held on May 15. The children put on the pro- gram at the Belgrave arena. There was a princess contest and the new board of education began an annual grant of $800. In 1987 this was raised to $900. An impressive parade marked that fair with a pipe band and a trumpet band taking part. It began with a parade of dignitaries and school children, some of them on decorated bicycles. Eleven floats from former school sections and one carrying the exhibitors from that first fair, were highlights. The school parade is still a major part of the fair. In 1990 Vincent helped prepare a float for the parade which carried 26 of the participants from the first Belgrave School Fair. The following year saw a new addition to the arena front in Bel- grave which meant some changes to the fair. Opening exercises, where the youngster shuffle impa- tiently waiting for the fun to begin, took place at the home plate of the new ball diamond. The games were also moved to the diamond. That year the fair parade marked the celebration of East Wawanosh's and Canada's 125th anniversary. Though 75 years of success is behind it, the Belgrave Fair Associ- ation has not been without some anxious moments. On April 9, 1932 the government decreased its fund- ing so that the students would no longer be supplied with vegetable and flower seeds. In 1935 the Department of Education donated the seeds, and since 1936 the Bel- grave School Fair Board has pur- chased them from fair funds. In 1939, an agricultural repre- sentative attended a directors meet- ing and informed them that there was strong urging to drop school fairs. Vincent says a carload of people representing the Belgrave fair went to a meeting to discuss its future. They were told that a letter had been written to the Department of Agriculture in Queen's Park and the reply stated that the Belgrave Fair should continue. When the little one-room schools were closed and Brussels, , Blyth and East Wawanosh central schools were established in 1967, Vincent says some felt this would be the end. "We were not about to give up." The committee sought funding from the board of educa- tion and received $700. That is what the survival of the Belgrave School Fair has been about all these 75 years. It is an event that has 100 per cent commu- nity support and involvement. The dedication of individuals has made it the event it is today. It is a piece of history that has withstood changing regulations and changing traditions.