Weather a factor as low numbers impact the 34th annual Threshing Festival

One of the big draws to the festival is the tractor pull, unfortunately a key piece of equipment was sold earlier this year which resulted in the cancellation of the crowd pleasing event.

Steele explained how this impacted this year’s festival.

“Any money we raise out here goes back into improvements, without the tractor pull; we’re going to take a bit of a bath this year. The weather Saturday didn’t help bring people out either.”

Steele is optimistic though about next year’s festival, there is talk of the club building a sled to be used for future tractor pulls. Something he is positive will make the job of the new president easier.

Steele said he is ready to hand the mantle over to someone else.

“After fourteen years, I will be retiring this year. I want to do some travelling and maybe see the Blue jays play again.”

Bob Mortimer, one of the thresher demonstrators for this year’s festival, explained the importance of the machine and how it brought neighbours together during the harvest season in the past.

“In the old days, when I was on the farm all the neighbours got together to thresh each other’s grains,” he said.

“We had four farms and then ours. Six to eight teams of horses would bring it into the machine, from farm to farm until the harvesting was done. It was a lot of work because you had to set up the stationary machine. The machine had to be maintained every day, today we have it much easier with the combines doing most of the work.”

Mortimer said it was great to see youth out to the festival, he said around ten to 12 years of age is when the youth start becoming interested in both history and mechanics.”

Speaking with Mortimer, his enthusiasm was infectious; especially when he described the moment when kids get the excited gleam of curiosity in their eyes.

“The sound of the thresher takes me back to my childhood…Always good memories,” he said.

The Vintage Power Machines museum and heritage site will reopen in September for school tours.

On Twitter: @mmdbrodie

by Mel Gervais

Weather a factor as low numbers impact the 34th annual Threshing Festival

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