Ameliasburgh Fair all about sense of community (sometimes corny)

The sun shone brightly on the 33rd annual Ameliasburgh Fair weekend allowing two days of food, fun, entertainment, and most of all, community gathering.

County Magazine publisher Steve Campbell, author and columnist, highlighted community during the opening ceremony where he was invited as a special guest to declare the fair official open.

“If you have read anything that I write you know I am very big on sense of community – especially here in the County – and the Ameliasburgh Fair is a perfect example of that kind of thing,” he said. “It brings the community together. Friends can talk, catch up on things, find out how people are doing, start scandalous rumours about people that aren’t in the group you are talking to, then go home and phone everybody and spread those around – that’s the very sense of community that makes up the County,” he said to chuckes and applause from his audience. “It’s what makes us different from the big city people who don’t often know, or care, about their neighbours and who fear strangers. It’s places like Prince Edward County, and Ameliasburgh, where we can join together and enjoy our neighbours and enjoy that kind of fellowship that we have here.

Campbell reminded “Ameliasburgers” that the “village is not on the direct route to anywhere” and that, mostly, is a good thing.

“For one thing, you don’t have tourists in the summer doing 120km down Main Street and stopping for no one. Ameliasburgh people are able to take the world on, or push the world back at their own choice. I suspect that is why a lot of you live here. You have control of your own peace and quiet.”

Delighted he got top billing on the fair’s advertising billboard over the horse and cow shows, he decided he had to justify the billing by writing a song and warned that “if you’re not from Ameliasburgh, you might be offended.”

Al Bentley and Tabitha with Carol Haagsma

MP Daryl Kramp spoke of the importance, history and traditions of agriculture at the fair “to celebrate the harvest and recognize just how important the whole agricultural base is to our communities and our region.”

Todd Smith, thanked “redneck Steve for tapping his inner Stompin’ Tom Connors’ and also spoke of the importance of community noting he and Kramp travel all over Prince Edward Hastings hitting fairs from Milford to Maynooth and enjoy the “neat sense of community where everybody knows your name and has a story to tell – one of those little fibs Steve mentioned.”

To great laughter from the crowd, he assured “There’s no fibs going around right now though. We are right in the midst of a municipal election.”

Mayor Peter Mertens said he was enjoying the municipal election with a ringside seat on the sidelines before his retirement kicks in.

“I’m always impressed with Ameliasburgh, and similiar small communities in the County because we see how the community spirit is alive and well.”

Al Bentley, and daughter Tabitha, presented the Arlie Kerwin Award, honouring a community volunteer of the year, to Carol Haagsma, President of the Consecon Legion and Zone Commander for the Ladies Auxiliary.

The fair continued with shows from Hot Diggity Dog, lawnmower pulls, livestock shows, entertainment and displays from County farmers, Junior Farmers, and 4H clubs.

Photograph of the Year by R. Cullin, of Consecon.

Pencil drawing by Tanner Bell, in the age 11 and under category, won Artist of the Year award.