The record, 18 août 2011, Supplément 1

- Supplement August 2011 é; Hi® Wi0M ' Page 2 Thursday, August 18, 2011 COOKSHIRE FAIR newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record By Claudia Villemaire COOKSHIRE Well, actually we’re roaming Compton county where one can admire the hilly slopes once covered with hardwoods, the faint outline of stage coach trails, the occasional huge stump, three or four feet across, poking through long grass or brush.Folks heading for the Cookshire Fair will find a choice of side roads tempting passersby to take a side trip and get acquainted with this corner of the Townships where organizers have been making the effort for generations to plan this weekend county fair for nearly 170 years.In this region of the Townships, lumbering on a grand scale and beef cattle provided early settlers the means to survival.The county museum located in Eaton Corner presents a fairly complete picture of life in the 1800s, making special note of the specialized industry that was part and parcel of this budding cluster of villages, well worth the time spent wandering through displays of ladies fashions, circa late 1800s, historical documents, home furnishings and a very interesting collection of tools.There was once a black powder mill in the region and sawmills and lumber yards gave birth to tiny villages where today, travelers on the byways of this county, would be hard put to recognize the signs where once dozens worked the giant circular saws, powered by water or even by a horse on a treadmill.Country roads widen near old railway beds, the remains of railway track sidings are barely visible, testing the powers of observation of adventurers looking for echoes of this bustling past.But the relics of this colorful past when settlers left their home and hearth to work in the vast forests, or were hired as teamsters to travel to the lumber camps with their best team of horses and strongest double sled, ready to spend the winter transporting the logs down the difficult hills to mills in nearby valleys can still be traced.Old barns and stables still stand like guardians of the overgrown land around them on these back roads.Some seem tipsy, time and tide wearing walls thin, frost heaving timbers ever so slightly After nearly 170 years of practice, this fair is near perfect ' Jk.I The reward for climbing the stairs in the Main building, a fairyland of flowers and plants.and with a century of service accumulated, just being upright attests to the expertise that built them.Huge timbers that tell the story of hardwood slopes of virgin maple, ash and elm so large, an average-sized person couldn’t circle the trunk with their arms.Those timbers tell a story of men with cross-cut saws, sweat running in their eyes, shirts soaked, swinging in the back and forth rhythm that pushes and pulls the broad blade across those huge trunks.There were no mechanical saws or winches, trucks or even stationary engines that could tackle these challenges.Manpower and horsepower, sturdy chains and harnesses and, sometimes, a large enough river nearby that would carry logs to nearby mills during the spring snow-melt were the tools these stalwart men depended on.The county fair here is not nearly the biggest.But friendship is high on the list of attributes at this exhibition where old friends meet and new friendships begin.There are commercial exhibits in the historic main building, but the agriculture theme is carried on by a determined group of volunteers who turn the second storey into a fairy land of flowers, plants, vegetables, fruit, home cooking and preserving.An enlarged children’s section fills nearly half this vast space with categories for just about anything young imaginations can dream up, from rock and leaf collections to miniature cookies and squares.The handicraft section where exhibitors like Verna Westgate, 103-years-old, come back year after year with a variety of handmade articles that CLAUDIA VILLE MARIE include knitted and crocheted pieces, hooked rugs and quilts and a wide assortment of garments and accessories.The folks upstairs have a ‘sweets’ corner where visitors can find a homemade treat and tea or coffee and the few pennies they charge adds up to a large portion of the prize monies exhibitors have earned.The dairy barn with its specially designed milking parlor where spectators can watch the milking process, as milk gurgles from the rhythmic vacuum milking machines, through the pipeline to the huge cooler.An ideal spot to explain the source of a city family’s daily milk and dairy products requirements.See Practice on page 5 ville de Cookshire-Eoloii Welcome to all visitors and exhibitors to the 2011 Cookshire Fair! The Record newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com COOKSHIRE FAIR Thursday, August 18, 2011 Page 3 A tale of devotion and determination Mac Fraser is a reluctant hero By Claudia Villemaire COOKSHIRE There’s no question about it! Although Malcolm Fraser is neither tall nor husky, anyone trying to fill his shoes or follow his footsteps would find them far too large to fit.The Quebec Farmers’ Association honoured Malcolm Fraser with a special presentation last fall at their annual meeting.This is his story - a tale of devotion and determination and dedication to family, farming and community and all that steadfast determination to make things better entails.“I guess my Dad figured a big family could be a great help on our farm,” Fraser says, that twinkle in sharp blue eyes belying his words.But the family farm is perched on some of the steepest terrain on the edge of town here and local legends tell of the stubborn determination of those first settlers to clear the hardwood slopes and as quickly as possible, turn over that sod and get started on some honest-to-goodness farming traditions.“So, I was the fourth of 12 children,” he begins, reluctantly agreeing to an interview that hopefully would explain this man who is already a legend in his own time.“We always loved the fair.I remember the stories about the first exhibitions when often they were at the beginning of the week.Some years the fairgrounds were at the other end of town, other years closer to Birchton, but my family has been coming here to this spot for at least three generations,” he says, adding he couldn’t remember his first visits to his beloved county fair.“We were never great exhibitors,” he admits, “although I did join the calf club and 4-H, and yes, I did exhibit a few times but we simply loved the fair and it didn’t take long before I was coming out, offering to help out - you know.And, of course, the directors soon caught on to that and persuaded me to join their ranks and ‘step up to the plate’ so to speak,” he says, laughing at those long ago years.“And I remember my folks getting ready to listen to the Quebec Farm Radio Forum.Meetings were rotated among the members, sometimes at a dairy producer, another week perhaps a beef producer or a neighbor in the business of raising broilers or eking out a living with two or three thousand laying hens.” he recalls everyone listening to CBC, with Galen Driver hosting the weekly meeting, commenting on the questionnaires he had received since the last meeting and explaining the new questionnaire each member family had received prior to the meeting.' “Then, when I became a regular mem- ber, the Farm Forum had changed to the CLAUDIA V1I.LEMAR1K Mac Fraser, nearly half a century of service.Quebec Farmers’ Association.Meetings were always held in the Bulwer school, guest speakers were often featured, short courses on a wide variety of agriculture subjects were also periodically offered and we were quite a strong group,” he describes, adding dwindling farming population, busy family schedules and just about any question answered on the Internet have decimated membership roles in recent years.He doesn’t refer to his continued support and encouragement for the Bulwer QFA but refers to the hard work and support of local folk like well-known Don MacMillan, area agronomist in the 60s and 70s.“His encouragement is legendary,” Fraser comments.“Not only for the Farm Forum and the QFA, but local calf clubs, Young Farmers and eventually 4-H members can still recall MacMillan transporting youngsters to meetings and club activities, coaching the judging teams who often, thanks to his help, went on to regional, provincial and national events.” Fraser doesn’t mention his own involvement in exactly the same activities and is quick to explain he couldn’t give anyone a ride because he didn’t have a vehicle himself and often went to town on his tractor.“But, we still need these organizations.” Fraser is worried agriculture producers won’t be ‘heard’ when policies are being formed.“You know, back in those days, we could make a difference as a group.” Fraser, already retired from his Post Master position at the local Post Office, knew the meaning of hard work early in his life.Farming in the 40s, especially producing beef cattle, didn’t usually provide a very stable income.Most farmers worked off the farm to make ends meet and teenaged children were encouraged to do the same.“I started at the Post office when I was 16,” he recalls, “And that’s where I stayed until I retired.” These days, and for more than ten years now, Fraser has been in charge of the Cookshire Fair’s ledgers and finances.See Fraser on page 12 Best wishes to the Cookshire Fair ATELIER FORTIN ET FILS General Repairs and Welding a Tel.: 819-883-2248 wM* Page 4 Thursday, August 18, 2011 COOKSHIRE FAIR newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record Fair has a full schedule of crowd pleasers By Claudia Villemaire COOKSHIRE Jrust about every county fair does it now.There were always light horse I classes on every fair schedule, but, ith owning, riding and driving light horses a popular hobby, with folks getting as passionate about their preferred breed as a Ford or Chevy person would stand firm on their choice, fair boards realized long ago expanding the program to include the usual ‘horseshow’ classes and gymkhana events could attract a bigger crowd, both participant and spectator.The Cookshire Fair organizers have been doing exactly that for over a decade now.The show ring near the highway, the stables with Dutch doors and this year, new bleachers for families and friends to cheer on their favorite competitors, all contribute to the friendly atmosphere this county fair is famous for.Shanna Loach has been on the board almost ten years now.But she remembers well, even though it’s 20 or more years ago, coming to her county fair with her horse, probably an appaloosa, to compete in the light horse classes.But much has changed on this program.Still part and parcel of ‘fair’ events, classes and categories have been changed or new ones introduced, just about every one geared to tempting the youngest competitors to take courage in hand and participate in classes designed specifically for them.Pony lead-line competitions where an adult is managing Service 24 hours Happy Cookshire Fair ' Les Pétroles Ron H.Mackey Inc.Petroleum Motor 0/7 r** Home Heating Oil • Gasoline • Diesel § 1034 Paul Rd.Tel.: 819-562-5848 Ascot Corner, Qc JOB 1A0 Fax: 819- 562-2086 Best wishes to Compton County Agricultura DÉPANNEUR BIRCHTON en Shanna Loach and Brenda Hodge, directors.the lead-line and it’s a walk-only class, competitors as young as four-years-old are encouraged to make their first appearance.There are three age categories for the youngsters including a variety of novelty ____________________ classes such as lead-line pony costume classes, an egg-in-the-spoon race, a musical sack race, (when the music stops the rider must dismount and find a sack to stand on, much the same way as musical chairs).There are combination classes for the small fry, requiring a change of riding style and tack dur- Lubrifiant (NOW! We change windshields & we cover your $50 c/iai Gaétan Roy, Prop.Tel.: 819-875-3754 We offer: A/C fluid fill-up service U-HAUL Dealer STATION SERVICE Y.RG.Inc.Electronic Tune-up General Mechanics Fiberglass Cabs Car & Truck Accessories fPROPANE^ GAS We fill up from ^ 5 to 100 lbs.^ 440, ROUTE 108, BIRCHTON, QUEBEC.CANADA JOB 1M0 ing the class.This could mean changing from English style to Western, or beginning the class with horse or pony hitched to a buggy and changing half way through, replacing the harness with a saddle and showing off their expertise in two very different methods.“We have lots of kids coming out with their horses and ponies now,” Loach added.“The stables will be filled to brimming over and this three-day show will encourage a lot of kids to come back and hopefully, think about supporting their county fair.The show opens Friday at 9 a.m.with halter classes for several pure breeds of ponies and horses including Appaloosa, Quarter horse, registered Arab and part-Arab and Paint.Shetland ponies led by a boy or girl, not exceeding 46" tall at the shoulder, (the pony) with the exhibitor 16-years-old or less is open to mares and geldings, (neutered males), only.Showmanship classes for the young Congrotutations to the Organizers'.RECORD Michel Duval Advertising Consultant Tel.: 819-569-9525 Fax: 819-821-3179 email: mduval@sherbrookerecord.com CLAUDIA VILLEMARIE set include a junior class, 12 years and under, 13 to 18 years and adults.The closer to lunchtime, the more complicated classes seem to begin.Just before noon, the lead-line Equitation for 8 years and under, for a horse or pony, is the last class before lunch.The afternoon program begins to get tougher, opening with a Classic Pleasure class for 18 years and under, Classic Equitation for adults, a pony Equitation class for 18 and under, starts things off with pretty serious stuff and the afternoon program is filled with challenges such as Westerm Equitation for adults, one for the young set, barrel racing with several age categories followed by a chance for the adults to show off their prowess.And we’re not listing every class.The pony costume classes and musical sacks usually are held in front of the grandstand where spectators must adjust their vision to accommodate these smallish equines going through their paces in the huge tracks left by heavy horse hitches and halter classes which always take place out where the crowd can get a better view.Here there’s lots of action with flag races for horses and ponies, kids and adults, rescue races where a galloping horse races the length of the ring and the rider helps a person standing, crouched, at the ready to leap onto the back of the fast moving horse.Sunday is another day filled with competitions for young and old, ponies and horses.See Schedule on page 5 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com COOKSHIRE FAIR The Record Thursday, August 18, 2011 Page 5 ' i.i' ¦/.CLAUDIA VILLE MARIE Pine Gables and the George family with their six-horse hitch of Clydesdales Practise: CONT’D from pg 2 Nearby, a few exhibitors usually sit around stable door, greeting friends, answering questions.Perhaps a cow, still dripping from her bath, is led back to her tie-up.Or sometimes, in a fenced pen near another door, a sheep shearing demonstration fascinates young and old.The 4-H Clubs, usually four or five bring nearly 75 members and their calves to the fair, begin their appearance in the judging tent Thursday night and are back on Friday and Saturday, until, finally when all the age categories for youngsters and calves too are complete, championship rosettes awarded and it’s time to go on parade and show off their accomplishments on Saturday at 4pm.Sunday is Parade Day of course.And that means a capacity crowd on the grandstand, out to take advantage of the chance to see just about every animal at the fair out to take a bow and strut just a bit.Heavy horses, sometimes a four or six-horse hitch are crowd pleasers and a spontaneous demonstration of a teamsters ability to wheel these steeds, sometimes weighing a ton more or less, into a half turn or a full circle is a welcome eyeopening event.Cattle, large and small, tall and short, from the largest beef type sires to the miniature goats, take their place in the long line and crowds cheer and applaud with approval every year.The Fun Show set up their midway rides and concessions early Thursday, opening right after supper and, here also, we find lineups and young folk enjoying the thrill of the Sea Dragon or the Cucumber.Dancing will take over dur- ing the evening eventually in the MacAuley center where country music is the norm each night.If a typical county fair is what one is looking for, the Cookshire Fair in Compton County should fulfill that wish quite nicely.Schedule: CONT’D from page 4 In front of the grandstand all weekend, special classes including Clover-leaf driving for horse or pony on Friday, the costume class for pony and the youngest competitors, obstacle races for ponies or light horses and the fancy outfits traditional in the driving class for men and women.Heavy horses in halter and harness classes are a tradition in this region where teams hauled logs from the woodlot to the mill not all that long ago.Heavy horse hitches, with shiny nickel trimmed show harness, jangling tug chains and the rumble of iron-shod wagon wheels are always a hit and folks take advantage of the continuing action to find a seat on the grandstand where friends and family can also stop to visit.There’s no doubt the horses, from miniature to giant, from high steppers to the thumping hooves of the Clydesdale, from tiny competitors perched on their pet pony to the farmer’s class when the heavies are saddled and farm folk try their hand competing from the back of their steed instead of from behind at the end of the reins - these are crowd favorites year after year.We pay the equivalent of the taxes GST/PST on selected tractors in stock! /12 months No 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