The Citizen, 1995-05-31, Page 35"THE OLD TYME
RADIO CENTRE" n Stop in and see our
NEW VICTROLA ROOM
GARY & NELLIE CLAYTON
9 Queen St., Belgrave, Ontario, Canada NOG 1E0
(519) 357-4304
Antique Radios Sold & Restored
Antique Auto Radios Repaired
"VISIT OUR SHOWROOM"
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
community 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.
The 75th celebration will be as special as
its predecessors, began with the variety
concert.
On fair day, to be held on a Friday this
anniversary year, Sept. 15, will wrap up with
a community barbecue and dance.
"This fair is unique in that it is strictly a
school fair. If it was not for the co-operation
of the executive, the support of teachers,
parents, judges, school inspectors,
educational boards, ag reps and many, many
more it could not have had the success it has
enjoyed," Vincent says.
"The future will bring changes, but
nothing will dim the keen interest of this
community in its school fair, which has
made it worthy of the name, 'The Biggest
and Best School Fair in Ontario'."
Page 11
- - - - Stops Along The Way
Participants recount changing face of school fair
Rolling along
For 75 years the Belgrave School Fair has been rolling along each summer,
beginning many of those years with the school parade.
Continued from page 10
former school sections and one carrying the
exhibitors from that first fair, highlighted
Belgrave, Blyth and Brussels School Fair. that parade.
There were also many new exhibitors. The school fair parade is still a major part
Vincent recalls that the board of education of the event, but Vincent remembers that the
did not want to give pupils the customary first 40 years there were prizes given for
Wednesday fair day off, so the fair was held marching. "Children were trained for days to
on Saturday. Not a popular choice, it march in step, eyes forward, left, right, left,
eventually returned to the traditional day. right. The schools in the parade were judged
It was a golden celebration in 1970 with on marching, deportment and banner."
the music festival and variety concert being "The teachers went to a considerable
held on May 15. The children put on the amount of work, dressing the children in
program at the Belgrave arena. There was a fancy hats, ribbons and crepe paper
princess contest and the new board of costumes and constructing banners bearing
education began an annual grant of $800. In the school section number."
1987 this was raised to $900. Funding for this, he says, usually came
An impressive parade marked that fair from the teacher's purse.
with a pipe band and a trumpet band taking Though prizes were discontinued in
part. It began with a parade of dignitaries 1960, one local man donated a special prize
and school children, some of them on for the school doing the best marching.
decorated bicycles. Eleven floats from In 1990 Vincent helped prepare a float
Raceway a day for everyone
15 years.
Beginning June 25 and running through
Sept. 24, Clinton Raceway features 10 races
each Sunday afternoon with a post time of
1:30 p.m.
For the crowds, which range between
1,000 and 1,200, the Raceway offers a
children's park, pool and picnic area so the
entire family can enjoy the day.
Aside from the usual concession stands,
each Sunday, a barbecue is held after the
races as a fundraiser for different local
groups such as minor ball or hockey.
A highlight of the racing season is the
Ontario Sires Stakes which is run on July 9
and Aug. 23.
For those interested in thoroughbred
racing as well as harness events, the track
has evening teletheatre performances year-
round at the arena, televising up to 50 races
per day from Toronto and other locations.
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 Belgrave which meant
sonic changes to the fair. Opening exercises,
where the youngster shuffle impatiently
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 Association has not been
without some anxious moments. On April 9,
1932 the government decreased its funding
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 Belgrave
School Fair Board has purchased them from
fair funds.
In 1939, an agricultural representative
attended a directors meeting and informed
them that were 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 education and received $700.
Welcome
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Paola (519) 524-6362
By Janice Becker
For a change of "pace", why not go to the
Clinton Raceway on a sunny, Sunday,
summer afternoon and take the entire family
along?
The raceway is one of 17 harness racing
tracks across the province offering
everything from fast-paced excitement and
topped-ranked horses and drivers to a
community pool and playground for the
youngsters.
Known as "Ontario's Family Track",
Clinton Raceway's board of directors
consists of a group of 10 volunteer horse
enthusiasts who took over the operation
from the Clinton Kinsmen and Kinettes in
1982.
"The service group found the track was
becoming too much work for its membership
so the volunteer committee was formed,"
says Ian Fleming, track manager for the last