The 2023 Thresher Reunion special issue

nd

62 Annual Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association Reunion September 8, 9 & 10, 2023

The Citizen

Your Community-Owned Huron County News Source

PAGE 2. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

The executive welcomes you for another reunion

Another year in Blyth The members of this year’s executive of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association have been hard at work to make this year’s reunion a reality, building upon the success of last year’s event, which represented a return to a traditional reunion after years of the COVID19 pandemic. Back row, from left: Henry Hendriks, Jim Meagher, Tom Dickson, Director Nick Courtney, Donald Pattison, Joanne Hickey, Edgar Daer, President Cole McDonald, Second Vice-President Kevin Whitworth, Jeff Searson, Mike Searson, Treasurer Marilyn Miltenburg, Mervyn Bauer, Bill McClure, Director Jim Sloan, Sheila Orr, Secretary Trina McBride and Director Ray Hallahan. Middle row, from left:

The Citizen

Herman Mooy, Marlene Mooy, Karen Finck, Marian Hallahan, Joe Hallahan, Doug Maize, First Vice-President Laura McDonald, Director Sherry Shiell, Director Jackie Lantinga, Director Peter Hendriks, Royce Bauer, Wilma Bauer, Donna Bauer, Sharon McClure, Gladys Van Egmond and Annie Pritchard. Front row, seated, from left: Director Darrell Bergsma, Director Greg Cook and Past-President Judy Sloan. Absent were: Director Brad McBride, Dean Glanville, Marlene Glanville, Doris Hood, Dwayne VanRavenswaay, Shalena Reid, Gary Courtney, Donna MacPhee, Doug Howatt, Deb Hopper and Jakob Poels.

(Shawn Loughlin photo)

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 3.

The 62nd annual Thresher Reunion in Blyth 6

11

15

Features The Executive......................................................2 The History..........................................................4 The President and Vice-President...................6 The Past-President.............................................8 The 1914 George White and Sons...............10 The Lucky Charms...........................................11 The Childrens’ Activities.................................11 The Schedule of Events...................................12 The School Program........................................14 The Oliver Super 55........................................15 The 1929 Packard 733....................................16 The Firefighters Association Breakfast........18 The Food............................................................19 The Music..........................................................20 The Cider Press................................................22

16 20 22 Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association is published by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 Tel.: 519-523-4792 www.huroncitizen.ca Email: info@northhuron.on.ca • The Citizen • The Rural Voice • Stops Along The Way

PAGE 4. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

Thresher Reunion now in its 62nd glorious year Alex Gilbertson of Eden Mills and manned by Simon Hallahan, George McCutcheon and Elston Cardiff. The engine was pulling an Imperial separator built by Robert Bell Industries Ltd. in Seaforth and was owned by Simon Hallahan and his son Maurice.

Hallahan and Turner presented a special award that day to James Martin of RR1, Lucknow, who was

the oldest thresher in attendance.

The 87-year-old said he had threshed for 50 years. His award was a pair of tickets to the 1963 reunion, the planning for which was already underway.

The first-ever reunion included five steam engines, two separators and a tented saw mill.

The following year’s event indeed went ahead in 1963 with The

Blyth Standard declaring “Largest local crowd in years attended Thresher’s Reunion”.

The parade for the second reunion was said to be over a mile long, led down the street by the Mitchell Legion Brass Band.

Cardiff was on hand once again to officially open the show, while Rev. William Morritt of Blyth welcomed Continued on page 5

IT’S BAAACK! Blyth Festival presents

A HURON COUNTY

Christmas Carol

A history unlike any other The Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association has humble beginnings and has grown dramatically to be all that it is today, thanks to the efforts of many decadeslong volunteers, including Bill and Maxine Seers, above in 2022, who have been involved in the reunion since some of its very earliest days. (File photo)

The Citizen This year’s reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association will be its 62nd.

The first reunion was held in September of 1962, and with the 2020 reunion cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a smaller, drive-through, one-day event hosted in 2021, the association returned to a traditional reunion last year, while marking a worthy milestone.

This year, the reunion will continue to build on that momentum with a youthful president in Cole McDonald and his wife Laura as the vice-president at the helm.

The seeds that would grow into the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association were sown around the kitchen table of Simon Hallahan in East Wawanosh Township. It was a special meeting among a handful of men that would set the table for the first-ever reunion to be held in Blyth that September.

The first step was the creation of the charter committee. Harold Turner was elected the president and Hallahan was the secretary.

Hugh Chisholm of Sarnia, Jack Scott of Formosa, Stuart Muir of Paisley and Willie Joe Hallahan of Blyth were all named directors of the committee.

Once the committee was established, the next order of business was creating a program for the event. The next meeting was set for June 20 at the Blyth Orange Hall with a call going out to all local threshers seeking their input.

The committee’s hope was that by reaching out to the public, at least four steam engines could be procured for the show, which had tentatively been scheduled for Sept.

14-15.

At the June 20 meeting, members of the committee were officially named to their positions. Turner was unanimously supported as the group’s president and a motion was

passed confirming Simon Hallahan as the secretary.

Through considerable discussion at the meeting between Robert Beatty, one of the oldest threshers at the meeting, and Willie Joe Hallahan, the group decided to officially form an organization called the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association. At the meeting, the group decided to move forward with the reunion on Sept.

7-8.

Also at that first meeting, Ron Marks of Walton displayed a steam engine that he had built himself.

The committees established at the first meeting were: steam engine committee, grounds committee, entertainment committee, transportation committee and advertising committee.

After another planning meeting in July, followed by further preparation in the months leading up to the reunion, the event went forward, drawing a large crowd, benefitting from “fine” weather.

The Blyth Standard reported that an estimated 5,000 people were in attendance at the first-ever reunion.

However, in the association’s Heritage Book produced for the reunion’s 50th anniversary in 2011, some who were there estimated that there were as few as 500 people there. An official attendance has never been published.

President Harold Turner welcomed Huron County Warden George McCutcheon and local MP Elston Cardiff to the opening ceremonies for the event. Cardiff officially opened the reunion and was “greeted with a chorus of whistles from the many steam engines” upon opening the show on the Saturday afternoon of the reunion.

The two dignitaries even hung around and each pitched a load of sheaves into a separator.

The first reunion’s parade was led by the Belgrave Pipe Band, followed by a 25-horsepower Sawyer-Massey steam engine. The machine was owned by Stewart Muir of Paisley, it was driven by

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 5.

Cider press is the latest attraction for Threshers

Sweet off the press Joe Hallahan, a man whose roots run back to the very origins of the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, is seen feeding apples into the association’s new cider press last year. The artifact had been a long time coming for the association and the COVID-19 pandemic allowed them time to get it up and running in time for the 2022 reunion after all those years. (File photo) Continued from page 4 those attending to the village.

After the 1963 reunion, association Treasurer Alex Manning said the admissions totalled over $1,400, accounting for a “sizeable” balance after the reunion’s expenses for the year were paid. This successful year paved the way for a third reunion.

Turner was re-elected to the president’s position and the group

also voted to host the reunion in Blyth once again.

The Blyth Standard reported that local author Harry J. Boyle would be on hand to perform the opening ceremony at the third annual reunion. It was Boyle’s work, specifically Mostly In Clover, that would lay the foundation for the Blyth Festival less than 10 years later.

For the fourth reunion, held at the

Blyth Recreational Center, the event had its first brush with inclement weather, with just about everything scheduled for the Friday of the reunion being rained out with the exception of the Friday night dance at Memorial Hall.

Saturday brought clear, sunny skies and a large number of people to the village. The Blyth Standard reported that people travelled to the reunion in Blyth from as far away

as Michigan, Quebec and remote areas of Ontario.

Turner was the longest-serving president in the organization’s history, staying on in the top spot from 1962 to 1970. (This is an impressive stretch, considering that Ray Hallahan would eventually serve three terms as the organization’s president: 19841985, 1992-1993 and 2008-2009.)

In 1972, the reunion expanded to become a three-day event, more reminiscent of the event reuniongoers know and love today. The decision proved to be a wise one with an estimated 6,600 people attending the reunion over the course of the three days.

The momentum continued to build, as in 1973, the 12th annual reunion proved to be the biggest yet with well over 7,000 people attending.

For the 20th annual reunion, held in 1981, entertainment included a fiddling competition, a step dancing competition and performances by the Bannockburn Pipe Band and the Seaforth Community Band.

An estimated 11,000 people attended the 20th annual reunion.

In 1990, the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association announced plans to improve Blyth’s fairgrounds, which played host to the reunion year after year. The Citizen reported that, the association had earmarked $25,000 to improve the grounds.

Association President Jim Sloan presented the plans to Blyth Village Council, saying the association was prepared to foot half of the bill in the hopes that the remaining half would

be covered by a grant from the village.

In 1995, the Threshers added a new steam-powered sawmill to the list of attractions at the annual reunion. Wilbert Phillipi of Chepstow was to thank for the new attraction, pulling it out of storage and working with other volunteers to assemble it and ensure it was in good working order for the reunion.

In 1998, the reunion added a kids’ tractor pull to the slate of events, including yet another activity for the youngest attendees.

In recent years, the Threshers would go on to add a new log cabin and the Memorial Building to honour members who have passed away over the years.

In 2010, the reunion was honoured with a Cultural Award from the Huron Arts and Heritage Network as the best organization or event of the year. The following year the association marked its 50th anniversary, a milestone worth celebrating for any volunteer organization.

At last year’s reunion, the association unveiled its longawaited cider press, a massive artifact of the past that has been years in the making. After plenty of hard work, it was ready to go last year and it wowed audiences as it turned apples into cider, right before their very eyes.

Now, however, with its 62nd reunion on the horizon, it’s clear that the organization continues to thrive, with a healthy mix of younger and veteran volunteers and innovation and new ideas propelling the event forward into the future.

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PAGE 6. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

McDonalds are looking forward to looking back worthy of the event’s legacy.

Both McDonalds have the same goal: increased youth involvement.

“Our drive is to get more younger crowds in,” explained Cole.

“They’re the ones that are going to make the show survive.” Laura concurs. “I love seeing the younger group come to the show… We have a school program co-ordinator, Sheila Orr, and she’s been working her butt off.” The school program will feature activities like building scarecrows, learning square

dancing, and seeing threshing demonstrations. “It gets the next generation of people interested in the show, which will set us up for future success,” she said.

The road to the reunion this year has, at times, been a rocky one, but it’s nothing the duo can’t handle.

They’ve been thrown a couple of curveballs from the municipality with short notice, and are doing their best to meet their needs and requirements.

“We are really Continued on page 7

Welcome to the 62nd Annual Thresher Reunion

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President/Husband and Vice-President/Wife Married couple Cole and Laura McDonald of St Helens are currently President and VicePresident of the Huron Pioneer Threshers and Hobby Association. (Scott Stephenson photo)

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen In the days leading up to the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, the President and Vice-President of the association have been working together closely to make the event a success.

Luckily, the two are married, so they don’t have to travel very far when they want to meet up to strategize.

Cole and Laura McDonald are the young stewards of this year’s celebration, and they couldn’t be more excited to put their own stamp on this most venerable of local traditions.

Cole is from a farm near St. Helens. He started out with Threshers years ago, helping his cousin out with the tractor pull, and took a real shine to the culture. “I just kind of got involved, and I’ve been involved ever since. I kind of got talked into moving up to president, but to be honest, there’s not many extra roles the president has to do.”

Laura is originally from Wroxeter. She left the area for school but soon realized she missed life on the farm. “I grew up with wide open spaces, and I knew it was something I wanted to have in my life, and I found it here.”

Laura’s involvement with Threshers started out with her

following her husband in the role of dutiful wife. “Wherever he goes, I get dragged along. I just started showing up and seeing what they were doing. And, as with anything to do with Threshers, anytime anyone new shows up, it doesn’t take long for them to find a job for you pretty quick.”

She’s since risen through the ranks to become a lynchpin of the organization. Laura handles a lot of the behind-the-scenes machinations like paperwork and vendor organization. The two of them together are hoping to work with a team of dedicated volunteers to put on a reunion

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 7.

Full schedule of family-friendly events planned small train models in another area.”

So, come on out and enjoy the Threshers Reunion weekend in Blyth. Cole and Laura McDonald

are sure there’s going to be something there somewhere that will pique your interest, whatever it may be.

H Have fun f att the th Reunio R ion!

Partners in life, threshing This year’s Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association reunion takes place Sept. 8-10.

(Scott Stephenson photos)

Continued from page 6 pushing our luck in terms of getting it all sorted out to their standards,” said Cole. “But we’re going to have to do it. We just want to have everybody on the same page, which is difficult. But we’re getting there.

Slowly.”

Laura has seen signs that this year’s reunion is going to be a busy one. “Similar events in the area have had way more attendance than they were expecting, and I kind of have my fingers crossed that the same thing happens for us…. I’ve had a lot of phone calls and inquiries - last year I was pounding the pavement to try and find vendors, this year, every day people are reaching out to me and we’re fully booked with a huge waiting list. So word is getting out there, and I’m excited and hope this year is a huge success.”

It’s a complicated operation to make updates to a historicallythemed event, but Cole feels that a good balance is being struck. “The history of the 1900s is great, from when the area was being settled, but there’s also been history since then.

There’s kids coming that have never even seen a compact disc, and they’ve got no clue what you’re

talking about. Yes, we’re talking about fiddles, but there’s also some stuff we can update, just to make it more relevant to more age ranges.”

One of the more modern additions to the festivities is a modified lawn mower pull on Friday night, which is certain to be a big draw among younger visitors.

“Does it have a lot to do with history? Sure, some of them are old lawn mowers that have been fixed up, but it’s also getting people in the gate and gets them in to see the show.”

Another big draw is the musical performance that will go on at Blyth’s Harvest Stage again this year. Cole thinks it will be a real success. “We had one last year, and it was a fantastic concert. The weather was absolutely perfect for it, everybody came out and had a good time - it was just a nice open air concert, so we’re doing it again this year with the same band - Joe Gahan and the Lucky Charms… fingers crossed on the weather…. It went over quite well last year, and we had little to no advertisement for it.”

Cole is hoping they will have something to offer for everybody.

“There’s such a variety of different things going on, between the steam engines, threshing machines,

tractors, the car show, the cider press, blacksmithing, tin smithing, so much music, and the step dancing competition. And the tractor pull. I just can’t name it all.

And the sawmill! That should get mentioned somewhere. Adam Henderson has taken it over, and wood is just his thing.”

Laura thinks that the reunion is a celebration at which everybody can learn and have fun. “You don’t have to be a farmer involved in the agriculture industry to enjoy the show - all the volunteers are super passionate about what they’re doing and what they’re showing. If you get any of them talking, they’ll teach you every single thing you need to know. There’s also so many different areas! I’ve talked to some people that have been coming here for 10 years, and they‘ve only seen a quarter of the show. They come to see the horse demonstration and go to the flea market to look at the antiques, and they wouldn’t even know that we have a fiddle competition going on in one of the sheds or

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PAGE 8. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

Sloan reflects on pandemic presidency years included a handful of special events meant to mark a meaningful milestone for the association last year, though it was due to be celebrated in 2021.

Last year, to help mark the occasion, there was a special concert at the Blyth Festival’s Harvest Stage and the association also highlighted the work of Bill and Maxine Seers, long-time volunteers and association members with a history dating back to the first-ever reunion.

In addition, the organization’s antique cider press (which has been in the association’s possession for a number of years, but has only just now been repaired and installed) was finally ready for action last Continued on page 9

been involved in the association for as many years as she has, she has been a tremendous resource to the relatively (when compared to the Sloans) new members.

However, Sloan says the association is in good hands. There is a healthy number of young, enthusiastic members coming up through the ranks, the McDonalds among them, but there are still plenty of veterans on hand to keep that history and heritage alive, providing a fine combination that is sure to bring the association success.

In addition to overseeing a return to in-person, traditional reunions once again, Sloan says she was happy to facilitate the 60th anniversary reunion, which

A year to remember Judy Sloan, front, saw the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association through the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns and public health measures. Last year, she was able to oversee a proper reunion and she said it was wonderful to welcome everyone back to Blyth. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen After an extended period of time as the president of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, Judy Sloan is ready to take a step back and let the younger generation do their thing with the storied reunion.

Cole McDonald is the president now and his wife Laura is the first vice-president.

When Laura becomes the president, she will follow in Sloan’s footsteps as just the fourth woman to lead the organization behind Sloan, Trina McBride and Bea Houston.

Furthermore, the McDonalds will then follow in the Sloans’ footsteps and become just the third husband-and-wife team to both captain the association’s ship behind Jim and Judy Sloan

and Wayne and Bea Houston.

Looking back on her time as the president of the organization, Sloan says the times were unprecedented and she and the rest of the association’s executive had to be ready for anything - to make changes when necessary and to change direction on a dime when told to do so by public health entities or the provincial government as the COVID-19 pandemic raged on.

As a result, the association had to cancel its 2020 event and hosted a truncated, one-day, drive-through event in 2021 ahead of a return to a full, in-person reunion, in the tradition of so many before it, last year.

That return, she said, was “wonderful” and it felt so good to be back and to see people she hadn’t seen in years. That aspect of

the event, she said, truly embodies the “reunion” of it all, as so much of the event is about the relationships made over the years and seeing people time and time again.

Catching up and talking about their shared interests and experiences, she says, is such a big part of the reunion.

While Sloan says she is content to take a step back and let the McDonalds take the reins, Sloan says she has made herself available to help in any way she can. Having

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Sloan lending support in past-president role when the organization was looking for its next president, she said she looked around the room and it was full of people who had good reasons as to why they couldn’t take on the responsibility or who had already served as president. It was then that she began giving the top spot some serious consideration.

She felt it was time to step up, so she did, but she couldn’t have known she was signing up to see the organization through the COVID19 pandemic.

Now, however, Sloan has done her part and the reunion continues to be held in safe hands as the McDonalds lead the next phase of the reunion.

Sloan will be helping to fill in some holes along the way left by members who have either retired or passed away in recent years. She’ll be assisting with the Sunday morning church service and at the information booth, in addition to anywhere else she may be needed.

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The antique cider press, right, that now calls the Threshers’ Memorial Building home was a big attraction for the association last year after years of work on it.

(File photo)

Continued from page 8 year, which is something that association members had been waiting years to announce.

Really, though, Sloan just said it was wonderful to be able to return to an in-person, traditional reunion for the organization after so many years of cancellations, uncertainty and truncated events. It was her first (and only) full reunion as the president of the organization.

After first visiting the reunion in 1973, Sloan said she was hooked immediately.

Working her first nursing job in Wingham and engaged to Jim, the pair made their way to Blyth for the reunion and while Jim was interested in the tractors, threshing machines and steam engines, it was the crafting display that entranced Sloan.

Jim had been attending the reunion since it was first held when he was a teenager.

She said she’s always been crafty, learning to sew at a very young age through both family members and as a 4-H Club member. “I didn’t expect to see anything for ladies,” Sloan said. “I thought it would be all about the tractors and steam engines.”

In addition to the crafting display, Sloan said she really remembers the music from that first reunion she attended. After that, she and Jim continued to attend every year they could until they eventually found themselves involved in the goingson of the association.

The couple attended the reunion every year into the 1980s and one of the highlights was the cross-sawing competition, part of the special events portion of the reunion, which they always made a point to attend.

Soon enough they were helping with the special events; they attended a meeting and before they knew it they were members of the association and taking on bigger jobs every year. Jim served as the association’s president in 1990 and 1991.

For years, the pair worked on memberships for the association, which was a difficult, stressful job, Sloan said.

She and her husband worked at the membership booth all weekend long during the reunion, so not only

were they run off their feet, but every year the reunion would pass and they were only able to take in small parts of it here and there.

They worked on that station for at least 20 years before passing it along to another member of the association.

Sloan’s path to becoming just the third female president in the history of the organization began about four or five years before she took on the role, she said, when longtime member and three-time president Ray Hallahan began working to convince her to step up to the organization’s top position.

She had been a director for a number of years and wasn’t sure she wanted to take the great leap into the president’s position, so she sat on it for a few years. However,

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Its day in the sun Kevin and Mary Forstner lay claim to owning this year’s featured steam engine - a 1914 George White and Sons engine - for the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association. Kevin says Blyth “does it right” in regards to running a steam show and he looks forward to making the trip west from Toronto every September for the reunion. (Courtesy photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen This year’s featured steam engine likely has a few more city miles on it than most, hailing all the way from Toronto, Ontario and the bustling northern neighbourhood of Yonge and Eglinton.

Kevin and Mary Forstner of Toronto are the proud owners for that aforementioned steam engine a 1914 George White and Sons engine - and, while it belongs to the Forstners and spent some time in Toronto, its more permanent home is the Ontario Steam Heritage Museum in Puslinch, Ontario, about 20 kilometres southeast of Guelph.

Kevin says he can blame his obsession with antique items like steam engines and classic cars on his parents, dating back to when he was about eight or so. Since then, his collection has spiralled somewhat out of control Kevin says with a laugh.

The engine in question, which is one of five that he owns, was built in London, Ontario, but worked for much of its professional life running a sawmill in Brandon, Manitoba.

After it was “retired”, it returned to Ontario by way of Wellesley, Ontario and that’s when Kevin bought it in about 2013. Handy with these kinds of things himself, Kevin returned the engine to his two-car garage in the Toronto neighbourhood of Yonge and Eglinton and started working on it

and bringing it, slowly but surely, back up to snuff.

This miraculous transformation didn’t happen overnight. Far from it. Kevin said it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and he suddenly found himself with a little more time on his hands at home that he was able to get it to where it needed to be in terms of being operational and looking ready to be shown off.

Kevin says he owns a number of scaled steam engines, as well as a pair of Ford Model T cars and a Ford Model A. His neighbours in Toronto know him well for being the man who always has something different and interesting in his garage.

Kevin says he has been coming to the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association for somewhere between 10 and 15 years and he has always been thoroughly impressed. About the reunion, he says Blyth does it right and he always looks forward to making

the trip west every September.

As for the steam engine of the hour, Kevin says it’s currently in pretty good shape. In his time working on it, he says he only had to make minor adjustments, aside from a recent boiler replacement.

That, however, ensures that the steam engine should be running safe and sound for another 20 years, which is always a relief.

He plans on being at this year’s reunion with the steam engine, but little else. He said showing a steam engine at a show like Blyth’s is enough of a job on its own, without throwing in managing additional pieces of equipment.

The Forstners are the latest in a long line of steam engine enthusiasts to be highlighted in Blyth and honoured as the featured steam engine, gracing the cover of the much-anticipated reunion guide every year. Find the George White and Sons machine at this year’s event and you’re sure not to be disappointed.

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 11.

Lucky Charms return for Saturday night concert

Return of a favourite At last year’s Thresher Reunion, the perfect storm struck, as the Lucky Charms had just formed and were looking to play some music in the community. The Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association welcomed them aboard and what followed was a night at the Blyth Festival Harvest Stage people would be talking about for months. This year, the Lucky Charms are back again for what is sure to be another memorable night. The band is seen above entertaining the lovers of the world at the Brussels Legion for a special Valentine’s Day show. (File photo)

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen Last year’s Threshers Reunion weekend featured a first for the annual festival - an all-ages concert held on the Blyth Festival’s Harvest Stage. The show was a big hit with visitors, and crowds were so enamoured with performers the Lucky Charms that when it came time to book a musical act for this year’s concert, the local five-piece

was the first band organizers called.

What makes the success of last year’s show even more impressive is the speed with which it was put together. Lucky Charms lead singer Joe Gahan of Blyth took a few moments to reflect with The Citizen on what a whirlwind the whole experience was. “We’d only been together for three months,” he reminisced. “We weren’t even a band, we were just put together. I don’t know how it came about, it

Children’s programs continue expansion

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen This year’s Huron Pioneer Threshers and Hobby Association Reunion weekend is shaping up to be a perfect way for families to say goodbye to summer and welcome the bounty of autumn in Huron County. The celebration of historical machines and pastoral culture has been steadily expanding its youth programs over the years in the organizers’ relentless quest to have something for everybody.

On one side of things, Sheila Orr and the School Program Committee have been focusing on educational entertainment for schoolchildren.

Sydney Henderson and Shalena Reid have been working together to make sure any kid that walks through the gate has their fair share of good old-fashioned fun.

Henderson was kind enough to sit down with The Citizen to explain just a little bit about what the two upstart organizers have been up to.

“We’ve actually had a lot of very good reviews on the kids' activities.

Before, it could be hard to take your kids around because there wasn’t a place for them to sit and play. More things for kids to do means parents can stay longer.”

Henderson is an educational

assistant at Saint Boniface Catholic School in Zurich, and married into her love of threshing culture. “We started the kids’ program because my boyfriend at the time, now husband, was involved.” That aforementioned gentleman is Adam Henderson, a real wood wizard who will be working the sawmill at Threshers this year.

Both of the upstart organizers are using what they’ve learned from their experiences working with children to offer kids simple pleasures that embody the spirit of a bygone era. Traditional tactile corn boxes and a miniature log cabin are just two of the things they’ll be providing to help kids feel connected to the area’s agricultural heritage. Sydney believes that understanding the past is an essential part of learning to appreciate the present. “I think it’s super important to look back on our history and know how far we’ve come and how good we have it,” she said. “A lot of people look back and say, ‘oh, that’s how my grandpa did it,’ but we’ve made so many advances that we don’t understand how good we have it. I don’t have to walk out in the field with a threshing machine throwing bales.”

The kid’s program is teaming up Continued on page 14

just came about. It was a bit like ‘we’ll just throw you on the stage and see what happens.’”

What happened was a real happening. Almost 300 people gathered around the stately outdoor stage to listen to the band’s rendition of songs from throughout the ages. “We went from counting 50 heads at 9:30, a lot of people we mostly knew, to 10 o’clock, it was jammed with over 280 people - just like that.”

The band’s origin story could easily have played out in a movie.

Learning that coworker Malcolm McLennan of Wingham/Kintail played piano inspired the two to head over to an open mic in Goderich at craft brewery Square Brew in search of an electric guitar player, where they found Cameron Adams. Learning that Kevin Cairns, Gahan’s bass-playing friend from Toronto, had relocated to Blyth meant they only needed a drummer, which they found in Fordwich in the form of Wayne Lockie.

Only three months later, the crew was asked to grace the Harvest Stage, located only a few metres down the hill from the Blyth Campground, the home of the annual reunion. “It’s kind of surreal

- we’d only been together for three months, all we had was a playlist put together and nerves of steel. I’m used to playing live music, but not in front of all these lights on a big stage - we had a 19-year-old kid playing in front of a crowd for the first time!”

Gahan credits a lot of the smooth success of their set to the technical aid of Blyth Festival Production Manager Ryan Brink and his team.

“They were unbelievable. They set us up four hours before the gig, did sound check, and the lights. We couldn’t see the crowds because of the lights, but it was amazing. I think that Blyth is blessed to have such a wonderful theatre - they took an abandoned soccer field and turned it into a spectacular thing.”

Huron Pioneer Threshers and Hobby Association President Cole McDonald is thankful for the good fortune that brought such a great stage into such close proximity to the Blyth Campground and Blyth and District Community Centre that has long hosted the reunion. “We did get very lucky with the Blyth Festival building the Harvest Stage down there… when it’s time for the show, just go down. It’s perfect this concert, I think, is going to be good.”

Threshers First Vice-President Laura McDonald also appreciates all the support the organization is receiving from the neighbouring Blyth Festival.

“They let us use the stage for free, and they donate all their staff time to actually run the concert.”

While some of the songs performed by Lucky Charms are a little more modern than the other music you’ll hear at Threshers, (their repertoire includes everything from Hank Williams to Elvis, Johnny Cash, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) but the way in which the community has come together to put the show on is as strong a rural tradition as any.

The band has spent the last year tightening up its act by playing shows and giving back to the community that has given the members so much love and support.

Two weeks ago, they played for free on the streets of Lucknow for four hours to support an independent food bank.

The response from the crowd at last year’s show wowed the humble troubadours. “It was just amazing!

People were saying, ‘I can’t wait to come back next year to see you!’

The next day I was in the campgrounds and people would come up to me to ask if I was that guy, and telling me that they left barns to come see us play. We could’ve gotten booed off the stage,” mused the frontman. “Last year we didn’t know what chord we were going to play next… now it’s all about keeping the crowd going!”

Will the Lucky Charms get lucky two years in a row? All signs point to yes. Come join the crowd at the Harvest Stage from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 and keep the good vibes going at the Threshers Reunion weekend.

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PAGE 14. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

Youth education is the future of the past “The food is always exceptional at Threshers!”

Orr believes the future of the past is in youth education.“If these children and their parents aren’t coming out to these heritage shows, [the shows will] die. It’s really important that we know where we’ve come from. Without these shows going on 15 years down the track, it’s going to be forgotten.

And things that are really precious antiques, when mom and dad’s estate is getting cleared out, they’ll just get sent off to the scrapyard, and I think that Threshers is doing a really great job of promoting things that happened in a bygone era.”

Orr reflected on how much has changed in farming in such a short period of time. “As near back as 60 years ago, a lot of rural homes were still just starting to bring in modern conveniences like plumbing, and that’s not a very long time ago. And people should know that. Threshing now, a monstrous combine can do a 100-acre field in a pretty short time, where in the past you wouldn’t even grow that much - the labour would be too intense and timeconsuming!”

Cutting class Whether it’s the meticulously-devised school program, the numerous children’s activities, the timeless music or the myriad demonstrations to wow the eye, there is always plenty to see and do for young people at the Thresher Reunion. (File photo)

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen The organizers of this year’s Threshers Reunion weekend are hoping to attract and inspire a record number of people of all ages, with a special focus on bringing in more young people. One of the many volunteers working hard to create meaningful experiences for children is School Program Committee Chair Sheila Orr, who has worked with local schools to organize a day full of unique programming for a visiting group of students.

Orr has a long history working with young people. She worked in northern Ontario for a number of years, playing an integral role in expanding social programs for disabled adults to include children’s services.

After decades in Timmins, the notion of living on a small farm brought Orr back to the area. Her involvement with the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association evolved out of her husband’s love for the event. “My husband displays stationary engines, and we’ve kind of been doing the circuit for eight or nine years now. Threshers is our feature

show, and that’s how we got involved. Then, two years ago they were looking for someone to take care of the children’s school program, and my husband saw it come up online, and he said, ‘you know, you could do that.’ And now this is my second year doing it.”

For Orr’s first time curating the school program, she kept things simple. “We did a tour of some selected exhibits, and the people that were exhibiting did some very nice presentations, and then we did some hands-on demonstrations. It was nothing too fancy, but the kids enjoyed it.”

Having a little bit more time to put things together for this year’s Threshers Reunion meant Orr could expand the program. “This year, I had time to plan something a little more elaborate… we pulled together a committee.” Pat Roy, Cappy Onn, Joanne Melady, and herself. “It’s really boosted the program up this year from what we had last year.”

The lucky students this year will be coming from Hullett Central Public School and Brookside Public School, in addition to a group of homeschooled students who were interested in attending as well. Orr is excited about the level of student

Hello in there The Thresher Reunion’s petting zoo has always been a popular tent with younger attendees. (File photo)

engagement this year. “We’ve got a lot of activities that we have to pack into that one day…. We’ve got a big enough group this year that we’ve had to divide the children into smaller groups, and they’re going to do circuits in groups. We’ve had to look for more volunteers!”

So, what’s on the agenda for lucky local students attending Threshers this year? “We’re going to try to get everybody down to the horse demonstration early in the day. They show grain cutting, setting up the sheaves and stooking them - which shows how horses contributed to getting so much work done on the farm. It’s really good for kids to see that part first.

Then, there will be a blacksmith presentation, which connects back to the horses. Then we move on to the threshing.” Square dancing, accompanied by live music, is also on offer as part of the school program.

“We are also going to make some brooms. In this era, by and large, brooms were made at home.” Back in pioneer times, hemlock branches were a popular material used in Huron County. American founding father Benjamin Franklin discovered broom corn and introduced it to North America, making electricity his second-most exciting discovery.

“After lunch, there will be a tour of the log cabin, with a menu explaining what the meals would look like at a threshing meet, because the meals were always a big, important part of it.” While the boys and men travelled from farm to farm pitching in, the ladies of the household would put on a big elaborate meal, an activity that could become a bit competitive amongst homesteaders. “That was really part of the whole threshing experience: Who is going to be the best cook? Where are the best pies?

Very rarely was money involved, it was working from farm to farm.

Everybody helped everybody, because, if not, no one would have probably survived. In Orr’s opinion, the tradition of good eating is alive and well at the reunion.

One of the many activities students will get to experience is the lost art of scarecrow making.

“Most people don’t understand that we have way fewer birds now than we did 100-plus years ago. You had a problem with crows, starlings and purple grackles - most people call them black birds - raiding your garden. Rural people, and even city people who had small gardens in their backyards, depended on all that produce to get them through the summer, and potatoes, carrots, and turnips to carry them through the winter. The garden was really important… typical of birds, they just take a bite out of this and a bite out of that and render the whole crop useless. So everybody and his brother had a scarecrow in his garden.”

Orr may be handling educational programming, but she also hopes the students have fun while they learn. “In spite of all the work that went on, people actually had some fun activities too. It wasn’t all work, and when they did have an opportunity to have fun, they had a great time, because they worked hard to get there.”

Pair introduces new sensory tent Continued from page 11 with the Huron County Library again this year, offering “edutainment” for all the little future threshers. “The library comes and brings tech,” explained Sydney, “which we really like because we like to keep our kids’ program with the themes of Threshers - kind of keep it low maintenance and not too tech-y. So, to have the old style of kids’ program and the new style of kids’ program together is neat.”

One of the most exciting things planned for the kids is actually all about decreasing excitement - a sensory tent for young people to go to when they feel overstimulated by the sheer volume of options on offer over the weekend. “It’s something a lot of parents have asked for. It’s just books, fidgets, a chair, just a place to calm down when they need it.”

The space is meant as an aid for kids driven wild by the animals at the petting zoo, too worked up about working steam engines, or just suffering from a mild case of too much tractor. “It’s new, and a lot of parents have asked for it. I’m excited to see how kids who need the break use it. As a person in an educational assistance role, that’s something that’s always been important to me, to offer those kids that, so they can continue on with their day and still have a great day.”

Sydney is hoping to see a record number of young people and their families at the Threshers Reunion weekend this year. “How often do you get a peek back at this kind of history? It’s educational, it’s interactive, there are lots of things for you and your kids to learn and lots of things for you and your kids to do!”

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 15.

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History on four wheels Darlene Carnochan-Williams, left, and Jacob Williams are keeping the legacy of father and grandfather Ken Carnochan alive through his Oliver Super 55, above, which is this year’s featured tractor for the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association. The machine can be seen in an old family photograph, with the family patriarch on the far right. (Deb Sholdice photos)

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By Deb Sholdice The Citizen The Oliver Super 55 may be a modest little tractor, but this year’s featured antique tractor at the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association carries a lot of memories for Ken Carnochan’s family.

For his daughter Darlene Carnochan-Williams, and her sisters Pam and Fay, it was the daily workhorse on the farm that they drove to pick stones from the family farm. For grandson Jacob Williams, it was the restored showpiece that he helped his grandfather Ken shine up for tractor runs and parades.

When Ken passed in 2019, each of his daughters inherited one of his prized antique Oliver tractors and Darlene became the keeper of the Super 55, making her only the second owner and keeping the machine in its original family.

It had been purchased by Ken new in 1957 and used on the family farm. It was ingrained into daily life, appearing in the family photo album with Darlene as a toddler, which can be seen above. Once he retired, he began restoring it and adding to his collection by purchasing other Olivers.

While Ken attended many shows and parades with his collection, the Threshers Reunion in Blyth was always a highlight, often with his family in tow. The Hulley family of Londesborough introduced him to the event in its early years, and it became an annual tradition.

Ken not only took great pride in his own equipment, but was known for sharing that knowledge and expertise and helping others with their antique tractors. In fact, Adam Henderson, who he once mentored, played a role in bringing the Oliver Super 55 to be a feature and the Carnochan family knows how much the recognition would have meant to Ken. At the time of the writing, the schedule of drivers for the 55 and the other tractors is still up in the air. While everyone wants to be one of the drivers, the timing of the white bean harvest may end up Continued on page 16

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PAGE 16. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

Procters’ 1929 Packard this reunion’s featured car It’s in amazing shape and some of the restorations have modernized the car in a way that makes it a joy to drive.

They have had to do very little work on it, aside from keeping it clean, which is a little tougher with

older cars. However, the Procters agree that they’ve purchased these classic vehicles to drive them, not to admire them from a distance, so wear, tear and dirt are realities, though you wouldn’t know from Continued on page 17

Enjoy the Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Reunion

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Ken and Lila Procter of the Brussels area will be at this year’s reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association with the featured antique car - their 1929 Packard 733 - which is a vehicle they aren’t afraid to drive when a special occasion calls for a special ride in a special car. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen What better place to learn more about Ken and Lila Procter and their 1929 Packard 733 - the featured car at this year’s reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association - than in the car itself?

With a slight drizzle in the air, the Procters invited me into the car to conduct my interview. I sat on the back bench seat, while the proud owners sat in the front, turning and craning their necks back for my convenience.

The car is one of three the Procters own, but all of them are relatively new to the couple, if not new in the traditional sense of the word. Their love of classic cars graduated to ownership in the spring of 2018 when they

purchased a 1954 Ford F100. They did a lot of the work themselves to restore it to its former glory, with Ken taking the lead in all things automotive and Lila helping wherever she could.

Ken said the truck was one he’d dreamed of for many years and when the opportunity to finally buy one and fix it up presented itself, he jumped at it.

The next spring, they bought the aforementioned Packard. Neither Ken nor Lila have any historical connection to this car - Ken just saw it advertised in an antique car magazine and thought it was worth investigating further.

He travelled to Pennsylvania to take a look at it. A woman whose car-loving husband had passed away was selling it and Ken says the work on the car is incredible.

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Tractor honoured Continued from page 15 determining who ultimately gets the honour.

From the door of Jacob’s shed just outside of Seaforth, where the Oliver Super 55 was sitting waiting for its polish for show day, you can see Darlene’s barn and the barn quilt hanging there. The quilt was created for the 2017 International Plowing Match and the family worked with the designer to weave a Celtic pattern representing their heritage around the Oliver logo and colours.

The Carnochan family understood their patriarch’s attachment to the land and how that pride of place translated into the care and restoration of the antique tractors that worked the family farms and especially the Oliver Super 55, which is sure to be a parade favourite this year.

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 17.

Special dinners, anniversaries call for a Packard ride

A piece of history Ken and Lila Procter from the Brussels area were honoured when Bill Seers, one of the longest-serving volunteers with the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, called them to tell them that their 1929 Packard 733 had been chosen as the featured antique vehicle for this year’s reunion. It’s one of three antique vehicles the Procters own, but they’re not for show - the couple likes to drive them with friends and neighbours whenever the opportunity presents itself. (Shawn Loughlin photo) Continued from page 16 looking at the car, which is in immaculate shape both inside and out.

The couple then completed their holy trinity of antique vehicles when, in 2021, they bought a 1955 Clipper.

They have been able to do their own work on the cars and pitch in where they can as well. Ken is a woodworker and Lila is experienced with staining wood, so, when their vehicles have needed woodwork for running boards or more, they have been able to handle it themselves.

Ken grew up in Wingham and Lila in Dungannon, but they now live near Brussels where they own and operate a cash crop farm. The couple has been married for 39 years and have three children and three grandchildren, so they spend as much time with family as they can. They do go to some car shows to show off the fruits of their labour, but really, owning the vehicles is about driving them for the Procters.

Ken says the main activity they engage in with the vehicle is going out with friends and other couples.

They will cruise out for a night to have dinner together or to get ice cream at the Holyrood General Store (a rite de passage for anyone who lives in this area, they tell me) and that’s how they like to enjoy their cars.

The Procters and their antique vehicles have also been available for-hire, though without any compensation. They have driven around three couples who have celebrated 70th wedding anniversaries, as well as a couple marking their 50th anniversary in an effort to make the occasion extra special.

However, they have shown their

vehicles at the annual Thresher Reunion, which is how the 1929 Packard was chosen as this year’s featured car. They said they were certainly honoured to be chosen, especially with the history they both have with the reunion (Ken has been attending since before he and Lila were married and their children attended East Wawanosh Public School prior to its closure and the reunion was a fixture on the calendar for those students), but the real honour was who called to tell them the news.

Long-time antique car volunteer with the Threshers, Bill Seers, was

the one who chose the car and called the Procters to tell them the good news. With all that Seers and his wife Maxine have meant to the community and the association over the years, it made the call extra special. Seers was also a member of the Clinton Radar Circle car club alongside the Procters, so that added a bit more celebration to the occasion as well.

The car will be at the reunion all weekend and the Procters with for as much time as they can spend on the grounds. Find them and take a look at the car - you too might even get a coveted invitation to sit inside.

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PAGE 18. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

Firefighters’ breakfast a reunion staple for many

What’ll it be?

The Blyth Firefighters Association has been serving up the most important meal of the day at the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association for many years now. The event remains the association’s biggest fundraiser of the year, making money members then reinvest back into the community. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen It’s an enduring tradition of the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association that happens off-site and doesn’t involve any tractors or steam engines, but is no less important: the Blyth Firefighters Association’s weekend breakfasts.

For decades, the association has

been cooking up eggs, bacon, potatoes and more for hungry reunion-goers and locals alike, all in the name of raising money for the association, which then is reinvested into the community through a number of initiatives.

Robb Finch, a long-time member of the Blyth division of the Fire Department of North Huron and a representative of the association, took the time to talk with The

Citizen about his personal history with the event and all it means to the association, as well as to the community.

Finch just marked his 19th year with the department back in May and he says he has helped with the association’s breakfast for every year that he’s been a firefighter. He says that, for the most part, it tends to be all hands on deck for the fundraiser, which is surely the

association’s biggest of the year.

Not only do the firefighters make sure to mark it on their calendars, but it’s not uncommon for a rotating cast of about 10 or 12 spouses or children to help as well.

Finch says the event has been special for the association for years.

Not only does it cater to many of the people visiting the area for the reunion, but it brings in plenty of locals from Blyth and beyond who mark it on their calendars as the last firefighter breakfast of the year in Huron County.

In addition to the support the association gets from the community and those who come to the breakfast, the firefighters are also grateful for the support they receive on the back end of the event as well, with organizations, farmers and more donating food and other in-kind items to help bring the association’s costs down.

This year, for example, Shaun Henry, a Blyth native and co-owner of Shopbike coffee, will be donating all of the coffee for the event, which is just the latest example of that kind of kindness, Finch says.

These things are all well and good for the association, but what happens to all that money once the firefighters have collected and counted it up? Finch says the association has made many donations over the years, some more public than others.

Last year, the association donated to the Huron Residential Hospice, just outside of Clinton, as well as to the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre. Over the years, the association has made it an

annual tradition to donate enough to buy a defibrillator for the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund to place in public buildings across the province. The association has a long history with the fund, as the late former Fire Chief Paul Josling was one of its inaugural members and Mounsey himself was a Blyth firefighter until the time of his tragic passing.

The association is also in regular dialogue with local public schools to aid children who lack the financial means to take part in certain activities or lack certain tools to help them succeed at the school.

As for the breakfast itself, Finch says work on it begins about a week earlier. Firefighters work to bring the already-clean fire hall up to immaculate status, ensuring it’s spotless ahead of bringing members of the public in for the most important meal of the day.

Once the hall is so clean you can eat off of it (or, in it, rather), there is just a lot of preparation that takes place the night or two before the breakfasts, bringing in mountains of food and having it ready to go on the weekend.

For those two days, the mornings begin early. Firefighters are on site by 5 a.m. to begin setting up chairs and building the foundation of what will be another successful breakfast. Then, it’s all about cooking, hospitality and serving up a great meal.

The breakfasts run from 7:30-11 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday of the reunion at the Fire Department of North Huron hall and public works shed.

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 19.

Reunion to introduce ‘food court’ this year Lucknow, will be on hand on Sunday exclusively to bring their pizza to the people.

The Blyth United Church remains the reunion’s anchor food provider.

Located in the auditorium of the Blyth and District Community Centre, the church members will be offering a hot meal or soup-andsandwich lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and then a full turkey dinner that night from 4-6 p.m. On Saturday, the church volunteers will again offer lunch, but then a full roast beef dinner at night. Then, on Sunday, new this year, they will be offering lunch.

All options can be enjoyed there or by way of take-out.

In addition, early-rising workers from the church will provide coffee in the community centre lobby from 6-10 a.m. on all three days.

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will be one of the reunion’s outside vendors, offering from a wide selection of cakes, cookies, soft ice cream, coffee and cold drinks, while the watcher of the bean pot, a staple, will be serving up beans on all three days of the reunion.

In addition, there are a number of off-site food options a stone’s throw from the Blyth Campground. The Blyth Legion workers will be offering country suppers on Wednesday and Thursday nights, the Blyth Lions Club will be hosting a refreshment tent with food over the course of the weekend and Trinity Anglican Church folks will be serving up its famous back bacon on a bun at the church after years of being on-site.

As always, “Kernel” Gary Courtney will be hosting his nightly corn roasts, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

519-523-9551 Off- and on-site One of the best parts of the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association has always been the food, from historic options that are no longer available, like the Blyth Lions Club’s food booth, to new offerings like a collection of food trucks that will make a new food court. Above, members of the Trinity Anglican Church went off-site for the first time last year, making their famous back bacon on a bun lunches at the church, rather than the Blyth Campground. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen As with anything, but surely with the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, food is of the utmost importance to many and this year’s event is no different.

After years of the same offerings, though time-honoured and excellent in their own right, the organization has branched out to create a food court at this year’s reunion. It will be open from 3-7 p.m. on Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The food court will consist of a number of food trucks, all gathered in a central location to make finding food easier and more convenient for everyone attending this year.

Food Co-ordinator Joanne Hickey has been hard at work in the months leading up to the reunion to find new and exciting options that

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Brammy’s Food Truck will return to be part of the food court this year.

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JR’s Burger Bus from Walkerton will be on hand for the first time to provide their signature peameal bacon cheeseburger and its cousin, the peameal chicken cheeseburger, among other favourites.

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PAGE 20. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

Music remains a focal point for annual reunion in the tent again from 6-8 p.m.

Back by popular demand, the Lucky Charms will be performing at the Blyth Festival’s Harvest Stage, beginning at 8 p.m. This will be a revisitation of the wildly popular concert performed by the same band on the same stage at last year’s reunion. Meanwhile, in the community centre auditorium, the Irish Cowboys will perform beginning at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, the final day of the reunion, the church service will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Shed 3, emceed by Fred Lobb.

Later that day, the Country Versatiles will perform on the main stage from 12-4 p.m. and the step dance competition will begin in Shed 3 at 12:30 p.m. Preregistration with Susan Van Egmond at forsushie@gmail.com is required.

Kate Paradis Paradis has been step dancing in Stratford since she was three and will serve as one of the judges of the step dancing competition. She has since worked at Judy’s School of Dance for over five years teaching step dance, clogging and buck.

She has also been part of a group that has travelled to Disney Springs and Brazil to perform with other

cloggers at various festivals.

Paradis has taught clogging workshops in the U.S. and has danced at shows with the likes of Shane Cook and Natalie McMaster.

She has won multiple Canadian Open and Southwestern Ontario titles, one of which was 2019 Canadian Open Step Champion.

She is currently planning her wedding and entering her final year of studies at the University of Western Ontario in Honours Specialization of Biology.

Leo Stock At a young age, Leo Stock was introduced to both fiddle and step dancing, and has enthusiastically pursued both ever since. This year, he will be the fiddle player for the reunion’s step dancing competition.

As a member of the Scott Woods Band, Stock has toured across Canada and the U.S. playing fiddle, drums, step dancing and singing.

Leo has performed with many other artists throughout his career, which has included playing fiddle in the 2022 Drayton Entertainment production of Sorry, I’m Canadian II and numerous appearances at the Purple Hill Country Opry.

Leo continues to receive awards in both fiddle and step dance contests, including being an Ontario Continued on page 21

Fiddling and tapping Complete Collision Repairs

In addition to the robust musical schedule of the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, Saturday’s fiddle competition and Sunday’s step dancing competition remain highlights for many reunion-goers. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen If there’s one thing the annual Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association is known for, it’s steam engines, but, in recent years, it’s become more and more about the music.

Music at the reunion begins on Tuesday, Sept. 5 with a session in Shed 1 emceed by Albert Walter that begins at 7:30 p.m. On Sept. 6, Walter is back again in Shed 1 at 7:30 p.m., while Annie Pritchard is in Shed 2 as the emcee for a 7:30 p.m. session and Marjorie Love is emceeing an old-time dancing session in Shed 3 at 7:30 p.m.

On Thursday, Sept. 7, Richard Marier is emceeing in the tent from

7-10 p.m., Pritchard is in Shed 2 again beginning at 7:30 p.m. and Tom Melady is emceeing in Shed 3 at 7 p.m. Doug McNaughton will be leading a free fiddle workshop at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Blyth and District Community Centre.

On Friday, the Irish Cowboys will perform from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Shed 3, followed by sessions emceed by Richard Lobb in Shed 2 and Tom Melady in Shed 3, both beginning at 7 p.m.

In the tent that night, the Twilight Serenaders will perform from 6-8 p.m., followed by a dance in the community centre auditorium from 8-11 p.m., courtesy of the Country Versatiles.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the fiddle

competition will begin at 12:30 p.m. (registration opens at 11 a.m.), while Pierce’s Country Music will perform from 12-4 p.m. on the main stage. The Teeswater Pipe Band will also perform on the grounds at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

That night, Lavern Ferguson will emcee a jam session in Shed 2 at 7 p.m. and the Twilight Serenaders will be

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62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023. PAGE 21.

Norris, Woods to judge fiddling competition

Toe-tapping The annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association’s step dancing competition is always one of the hottest tickets of the weekend, setting up camp in Shed 3 on Sunday as one of the last main attractions before another year’s reunion slips into the history books. (File photo) Continued from page 20 Open Fiddle Finalist and a multiple 18-and-under fiddle champion. He is also a Canadian Open Step Dance Champion, and recently achieved the rare feat of winning the Ontario Open Step Dance Championships for the third consecutive year.

In 2020, Leo placed in the top four in the All That! Best of the Best Percussive Dance Contest, with contestants from around the world. Leo has released his very own fiddle album, a variety album entitled, What’s Next?

Mika McCairley-Greenwell McCairley-Greenwell will be the house pianist for the step dancing competition this year.

A champion Ottawa Valley step dancer, fiddler and accomplished piano player, McCairley-Greenwell has played alongside talents like Natalie McMaster, Shane Cook and the Leahys.

She is a member of the two-time

Canadian Open Champion step dance group, Unreel, and she teaches piano and dance lessons in Guelph and is enrolled in the Bachelor of Music Therapy program at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Richard Lobb Richard Lobb of Clinton will serve as the emcee for one of Friday night’s jam sessions, Saturday’s fiddle competition and Sunday’s step dance competition.

Richard’s father played the fiddle, which might explain his love of old-time music. He learned to chord on the piano while playing along, and then he sang in two rock-androll bands as a teenager.

He would go on to teach himself guitar and then he fell in love with the mandolin after attending a bluegrass festival in Tottenham. He now sings in a group called Audibly Awesome with his brothers and friends, performing at seniors’

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Mathew Johnson Johnson will be the second judge for the reunion’s step dancing competition.

He started fiddling and step dancing at the age of three and has been competing and entertaining around the world ever since. He is a past Canadian Open Champion in both fiddling and step dancing, as well as a four-time runner-up at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championships.

Johnson has performed in Ireland,

Austria, Holland, Colombia, the Caribbean and all over North America. He taught private fiddle lessons for many years and still occasionally teaches at camps or workshops.

After studying computer engineering at the University of Waterloo, Johnson now works in that industry.

Through his years of competition, he has always donated his trophies back, saving organizers plenty of prize money.

He currently lives in Kitchener with his wife and two children.

Kendra Norris Norris plays piano, fiddle, accordion and sings after studying classical violin and piano since she was eight. She is a multiple winner of the Canadian Open Fiddle Championship and a three-time winner of the Canadian open duet fiddling class with her brother, Scott. She will serve as one of the two judges for the reunion’s fiddle competition.

Norris now teaches private piano and violin lessons at her home in Guelph and has an Honours Bachelor of Music Education and an Associate Diploma.

She has had a long career teaching music in elementary school, but is now touring full-time with the Scott Woods Band since retiring from teaching in 2016.

Kendra and her husband Joel enjoy travelling with their Airstream trailer.

Bruce Woods Woods will be the second judge for this year’s fiddle competition.

Growing up in a musical family, there was always something musical going on for Woods. He would eventually begin performing alongside his two sisters, younger brother and parents in a family band at fairs, jamborees, fundraisers, dances and concerts throughout Ontario.

Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the family competed in the

Ontario fiddle contest circuit, honing their skills well into the night, staying at the “fiddle park” in their trailer at competitions.

In the 2000s, Woods began teaching fiddle, serving as an instructor at the Orangeville fiddle and step camp. He has also judged other fiddle competitions in Aberfoyle, Collingwood, Newmarket and Toronto.

Woods now lives in Fergus and plays the fiddle, saxophone, clarinet and drums and he enjoys singing harmony vocals.

Doug McNaughton McNaughton will serve as the instructor for the Thursday night free fiddle workshop at this year’s reunion.

The Stratford resident has provided background music for Juno Award winners, Hall of Fame members and other award-winning vocalists. He has been judging fiddle competitions for over 40 years.

McNaughton has been an AllCanadian finalist, a Pembroke champion and finalist, a U.S.A. Grand Champion finalist and a Tennessee state champion.

Gladys Van Egmond Gladys Van Egmond is the entertainment convenor for the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, which means she oversees all of the music at the show with the exception of the steam engine whistles and the morning rooster.

She began working with the reunion in 1985 and is still going strong as she follows in the footsteps of Simon Hallahan and Earl and Martha Heywood.

Gladys still teaches, but she looks after all of the dance bands, the masters of ceremonies, the judges, the Twilight Serenaders, the church services and the piano players.

As they say, “If Gladys doesn’t know a tune, you don’t need to play it.”

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PAGE 22. 62ND ANNUAL THRESHER REUNION, 2023.

Cider press wows audiences in its first year he felt it would be a shame if it sat in storage much longer.

Foxton and McBride began working and, with the help of Hendriks, who had taken the press apart 25 years ago and worked to put it back together again.

Foxton said that, after years of work, the cider press is now ready and operational and will be part of this year’s reunion, housed in the Memorial Building. Finding the necessary parts to get to this point and the work to put everything together, he said, wasn’t easy, but it’s been worth it to bring this artifact back to life.

He remembered thinking that people would be surprised at the size of the press, which is over 12

Blyth Firefighters’ Association

Something to behold Crowds observe the long-awaited antique cider press, located in the Memorial Building, at last year’s Thresher Reunion. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Last year, something that had been years in the making was finally part of the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association: an antique cider press.

The installation of the press and necessary repairs have been years in the making. And now, after making some significant progress in 2020 and 2021 when traditional reunions weren’t being held, it was finally ready and operational for the 2022 reunion.

After the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 reunion, members banded together and made significant progress, making the installation of the cider press a priority. They installed large wooden pillars in the association’s Memorial Building to house the press and they have acquired parts and made the necessary repairs to

the structure, thanks in large part to Brad McBride, Brad Foxton and Henry Hendriks, who was the only man in the organization who knew how to reassemble the press.

Foxton said Hendriks had all of the steps in his mind.

The press was first donated to the association over a decade ago, coming to Blyth by way of Ingersoll. The association took possession of the cider press before the Memorial Building was constructed, but once the new building was added, many volunteers felt it would be the perfect location for the artifact.

Edgar Daer, a long-time member of the association and a pastpresident, was involved with the donation when it was first made. He said the concept of bringing an antique cider press into the fold with the association fell perfectly in line with the work being done every year at the log cabin during the reunion.

It’s one more educational tool for

feet tall, with the housing structure nearly touching the roof of the Memorial Building.

Daer, speaking with The Citizen in 2023, said the press was an instant hit and he wished there was a way that more people could have observed demonstrations, but there is only so much room in the Memorial Building. However, he said the feedback has been entirely positive and that has made him happy after all of the work that went into it.

Daer admits that he didn’t think he’d live long enough to see the press assembled, installed and operational at a reunion, but that he’s most certainly happy to be proven wrong.

the association, he said, whether it be with the students on elementary student activity day or adults who have never seen an antique cider press at work.

Cider presses were relatively common decades ago, Daer said, and many would make their own cider in the days before it had to be pasteurized, if they were lucky enough to have a cider press of their own or a neighbour who might have had one.

Daer said the cider press will be another way to educate children in the way the Threshers encourage: hands-on education.

In an interview with The Citizen in late 2021, Foxton said that he volunteered to take on the job. He said he wasn’t overly qualified to restore the cider press, but he has always been interested in breathing new life into antique artifacts and

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