COOKSTOWN NEWS
by Susan Stein

Cookstown Fair news

The Cookstown Agricultural Society has put together a very small fair for 2007.

It will be located at the east end of East John Street, adjacent to the old Fairgrounds, on Saturday. September 8th.

This year the focus is 4H Achievements, the Horse Show and Sheep Show, which will start at 11:00 am, the pre 4H (age 10 and under) at noon, followed by the 4H Beef and Dairy Showmanship. The ever popular kid's tractor pull and ice cream eating contest will be available.

The society for Creative Anachronism is putting on demonstrations and will conduct activities for the young at heart. Food will be available. Bring your lawn chair and help celebrate a "Family Fun Day".

For more information, the Fair Hotline call 705 -458- 1387. Many thanks to Wref Nix for this information.

Georgian Bay Steam Show

The 42nd Annual Georgian Bay Steam Show was held over the long weekend.

This special show has come a long way from being held in Barrie, Collingwood, Cookstown, again in Barrie and then Beeton. Since the acquisition of 40 acres on Victoria Street in Cookstown by the Club, it has grown not only in territory but also in the number of exhibits, venues, antique cars, tractors and farm machinery.

One thing has remained the same; The aim on which the Georgian Steam Show Club was founded - to preserve the tradition, the history of the steam engine, to show her significance in farming to young people and keep its heritage.

To accomplish this enormous undertaking, it needed the dedication, knowledge, managing skills of the Georgian Bay Steam Show Association's members. With president Bob Hickson at the helm they did splendidly - from helping with parking to providing wagon rides for a comfortable ride around the grounds, from looking after the tractor pulls, talent shows, entertainment, specials for children and the food.

I can't remember the year of my first Steam Show. It was in Cookstown, when we were still farming and although many years have gone by, I still enjoy the sounds of the show, meeting old friends of the farming community, eating french fries while listening to the music.

And as always got a kick out of Bill Vernon's crew at their Sawing Mill, slicing up those huge logs. In the tent I had the pleasure to watch the Sorensens of Cookstown - Arnie carding Ramney Lamb wool and June spinning it into fine yarn. They belong to the Huronia Spinners Guild, which encourage, expand and preserve excellence of craftsmanship in hand spinning.

It was fun to watch young Jesse Butles of Orillia working his 100 year old Corn Milling machine, Jake Arnold of Orton taking care of his model 1050 Bolens garden tractor and seeing dad and young son driving an old Allis Chalmers tractor.

The 42nd Georgian Bay Steam Show was officially opened on Saturday, August 4, by the Association's president Bob Hickson, Brian Jackson - Mayor of the Town of Innisfil, MP Peter Van Loan and councillor Lynn Dollin.

They expressed their congratulations to all who made this great event possible, how much it matters to preserve old ways and their hope for its future.

Peter Van Loan, who had just returned from PEI Heritage Day, was glad to see here other ways of preserving Canada's heritage.

My very own congratulations and thanks to each and every one.