The Citizen, 2008-09-25, Page 1The 147th Brussels Fall Fair has
come and gone – with good weather
and a good crowd.
Although the International
Plowing Match was just up the road
in Teeswater the fair once again had
a wide selection of exhibits in all
sections, said Brussels Agricultural
Society president David Blaney.
Exhibits were up in many of the
sections with flowers defying the
previous week’s wet and windy
weather to produce an excellent
display. Fruits, vegetables and crops
also produced a particularly good
selection and the canning section’s
addition of pie fillings was well
received.
Opening night on Tuesday was
well attended and after the opening
ceremonies and the official opening
by Fair Ambassador Kerri Bell,
Allan Johnson of Ethel entertained
the audience with a wide selection of
music.
Wednesday opened with the
school program in the morning,
which mixed fun and education in
equal measure. The students from
Brussels and Grey elementary
schools visited Maple, ‘the cow on a
mission’, where they learned about
dairy farming. Maple is one of the
very few cows guaranteed not to
kick, so anyone could try their hand
at milking the old fashioned way. It
helps, of course, that Maple is made
from fibreglass.
After that the students broke into
smaller groups to try their skills as
farm hands or firefighters.
This year the Wednesday parade
was started at 11:30 a.m. to allow the
school children more time for their
activities before they left the
fairgrounds to marshal at Victoria
Park. Led, as always, by a Brussels
Fire Department truck followed by
the Brussels Pipe Band the parade
featured Brussels citizens of the
year, Fran Bremner and Nora
Stephenson,and a range of local
dignitaries.
Don McNeil was there with his
parade car, which this year featured
an attachment so strange that even
Spiderman dropped in for a closer
view. A nattily dressed Hank Tenpas
occupied the rumble seat and
assaulted the drums to the delight of
the crowd.
For the sportsman who likes to
multi-task Jim Armstrong brought
along his son’s
motorcycle/lawnmower creation.
The machine can claim the
excitement of moto-cross with the
practicality of lawn care. “The
parade organizers are quietly hoping
that the fertile Armstrong brain trust
does not have an 80 kilometre per
hour manure spreader in the works
as a float for next year’s fair,” joked
Blaney
On a more sedate note a local
group composed of Jim Lee, Karen
Cardiff, and Don Cheshire provided
the afternoon’s entertainment in the
auditorium, with Phyllis Mitchell
sitting in for a few tunes.
“The fair was a great success,”
said David Blaney. “ It was a great
tribute to all the volunteers who
worked to put it together.”
The McGavin boys did Huron
proud with their achievements at the
International Plowing Match in
Teeswater last week.
Brandon McGavin, 16, of RR4,
Walton, son of Brian and Shelley
McGavin attained the Ontario Junior
Tractor Championship. He will now
compete at the Canadian
Championship Plowing Match in
Alberta in 2009. McGavin was also
awarded the Norwell Dairy Systems
and DeLaval Special ($200. and a
coat and hat) when qualifying to
compete in the Canadians.
He was further recognized by
earning the Sidney Sisler Memorial
Trophy awarded to the Junior
Champion Tractor Plowperson and
the Elliott Moses Memorial Special
(a piece of Native pottery) awarded
to the contestant with the greatest
number of points for individuals
born after 1988.
Brandon's cousin, Jacob McGavin,
13, also of RR4, Walton and son of
Jeff and Shannon McGavin, won top
scores for young people plowing all
week who had not reached their 16th
birthday as of the first day of the
Match. He won a monetary award
from MGM Townsend Tire,
Londesborough, which was
presented by George, Matt, Lucas
and Mitchell Townsend.
A pocket watch, the Fred and
Helen Davenport Memorial Award,
was presented to Jacob as well.
Kevin Haney, 15, was third in this
same class. Steven Haney, 20,
Kevin's brother, and sons of Matt and
Elaine Haney of RR4, Seaforth, was
reserve winner in his class of young
plowmen.
Approximately 30 young
contestants competed in a separate 4-
H rivalry on Saturday, the final day
of the match. Again, Brandon
McGavin came out on top, as he not
only won his class but was all-over
winner of the three classes
competing that day. Brandon earned
several monetary awards, prizes and
trophies throughout the week for his
fine accomplishments, as did Jacob
McGavin who attained top honours
for his 4-H class.
Zachary Doerr, 11, also placed first
in a class of young plowers who had
never competed in a 4-H competition
at an IPM. Fraser Falconer did well
and achieved third in this same class.
Steve Haney came out with a good
showing of fifth place in his class
that day.
The county was well-represented
15 plowpersons in attendance, five of
whom had never competed
previously at an IPM.
First-time competitors were
Huron's 2007/08 Queen of the
Furrow representative, Margaret
Vincent of RR1, Wingham, Falconer
of RR5, Clinton, Doerr of Ailsa
Craig, who recently joined Huron's
very active 4-H Sodbuster Club,
George Townsend, antique tractor
plowman of RR4, Seaforth and horse
plowman, Brian MacDonald of RR1,
Seaforth.
Vincent, one of 33 Queen
contestants, was required to plow
one land on Wednesday. All other
tractor, antique and horse
plowpeople competed each of the
four days of plowing that was judged
during the match.
Other able area competitors were
tractor plowmen Paul Dodds of RR1,
Seaforth, Bill Feeney, Darryl
O'Rourke and Shawn Flanagan all of
the Dublin area, Jim Cartwright,
antique plowman of Auburn and
horse plowman John Dekroon of the
Dublin area.
Sun smiles on 147th fall fair
Milking it
Jaden Martin gave the cow-milking simulator a try at last week’s 147th Brussels Fall Fair. With
the theme Udderly Amaizing Cows and Corn, the simulator was a great fit and a popular
attraction for fair-goers both young and old. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
The Huron County Federation of
Agriculture, in preparation for the
upcoming federal election, will be
hosting an all-candidates’ meeting
on Friday, Sept. 26 at the Goderich
Twp. Hall in Holmesville starting at
8 p.m.
The candidates will be answering
an array of written questions
developed by a panel of Federation
directors with input from the
audience, as well as questions
directly from the audience members.
While farmers make up a core of
the rural constituency voters, all
have a vested interest in a healthy
agricultural sector. Canadian
agriculture is not just about a high-
quality food supply for domestic and
export consumption, it is also a
major contributor to the economy as
one of Canada’s top five industries,
contributing eight per cent to
Canada’s GDP and providing over
two million jobs.
Canadian agriculture provides
many services that all Canadians
benefit from – services that preserve
the soil, preserve and protect water,
provide wildlife habitat, and
sequester carbon to reduce the
buildup of green house gases in the
atmosphere.
It is the responsibility of everyone
in the agricultural community to
ensure that the candidates
understand the issues facing their
sector, and provide them with
pertinent questions at the meeting.
For more information on some of
the agricultural issues of this
election please visit the Canadian
Federation of Agriculture website at
www.cfa-fca.ca
McGavin cousins
bring home awards
CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008
Volume 24 No. 38REMEMBERING- Pg. 256th annual memorialservice at garden THEATRE - Pg. 27‘Caesar and Cleopatra’winning pairWINNERS- Pg. 13Brussels Fall Fair resultsbeginPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
All-candidates at
the table, Sept. 26
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