> A salute to The FORT’s 15 years serving Niagara West youth, Pages 9-14 > Subaru Iron Girl sells out Pg. 5 > Lincoln Archives preserve history Pg. 6 > Leapers return from Paris triumph Pg. 8 Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015 Vol. 4 Issue 11
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Fair days ahead for Ag Society Festival of West Niagara Ag. Society ready for inaugural Fair Sept. 10-13
Art cancelled After 47 years, Grimsby’s artisan showcase stalled
Albert Witteveen, president of the West Niagara Agricultural Society and its GM in front of Richard Hall at the new fairground complex on Mud Street. Grant - Photo By Katherine Grant NewsNow Richardson Hall at the West Niagara Agricultural Society Fairgrounds combines the best of traditions of the past and the vision for the future of local agriculture. With a red and white barn-like facade, the hall’s 24,000 square feet will be ready to welcome the first visitors to the inaugural West Niagara Agricultural Society’s Fair, now just four weeks away. Albert Witteveen, ag society president and its new general manager spends much of his time at the site. The grounds have been well mapped out to make the best of the space for the fair. The two main buildings are being readied for the return of old favourites plus some exciting new additions to the lineup. “The helicopter rides will use this area for a landing pad,” he says motioning to an area in a north-east corner of the parking area outside Richardson Hall. “And the stone for
the midway is arriving today.” Richardson Hall will serve as livestock show space for the fair. Large bay doors and an adjacent wash area will provide a smooth and practical egress. “There is a big cistern beneath the wash area and the animals can be taken inside to finish grooming,” said Witteveen. The hall has a concession space with indoor and outdoor access windows. Washrooms are immediately inside the main door. To the south of the hall is the livestock building which this year will provide display space for the homecraft division. A walk between the two large buildings leads to the midway area west of the hall. “World’s Finest came to the table to help out with our first year,” said Witteveen, adding all-day ride passes will be available for $15. Alongside the midway will be the food alley, divided by a 700-foot strip of mulch. See Fair, Page 3
The wording on a media release sent out this week pretty much says it all. “After much deliberation it was decided to give the 48th Grimsby Festival of Art a year off and address all of the mitigating circumstances that lead to this regrettable decision.” It was signed by the Rotary Club of Grimsby and Community Living Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln. Both organization organize the event and count on it to bring in needed funds. It wasn’t an easy decision to cancel the nearly half-century old event, said committee member Marty Tyre. “There will be a 48th,” said Tyre, it just won’t be this year. A decline in attendees, a drop in artisans applying and no venue for this year’s event, held in early September, were the reasons cited. “There has been a declining number of attendees and there was a significant decline in artists, about
half,” said Samantha Morris, Community Living project coordinator and art festival committee member. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the decline, she added. “We were trailblazers, there weren’t a lot of art shows 47 years ago,” said Morris. The event, a major fundraiser for both organizations, was also in competition with a number of other events on that weekend. And there are only so many charitable dollars out there, she added. About $25,000 to $30,000 was divided between Community Living and Rotary, so this is a major blow to the organizations. Last year’s event was held at Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School but for most of its history, the festival took place on tree-shaded Nelles Boulevard. The festival committee will meet again in the fall to make plans for next year, said Morris.