RM Review Volume 14 Number 7
Serving the RM of Vanscoy, Harris and Montrose
FREE
July 2013
30th Annual Summer Fair T
for the Vanscoy and District Agricultural Society
he Vanscoy & District Agricultural Society will celebrate 30 years at the Summer Fair, August 17 & 18. The history of ‘promoting agriculture and rural living through education, entertainment and community development’ will be honored not only with the traditional exhibits and competitions, kid’s games and meals, but with a few new additions that will make it a memorable event. You will want to make sure to take in the parade, the supper and especially the fireworks! The Vanscoy & District Agricultural Society was formed in 1983 with the first meeting held on June 29. The new directors immediately set upon planning events for their community, the first of which was assisting with the Vanscoy Sheep and Wool Fair in August. This was followed by the first Summer Fair – a horticultural fair, where they worked together with the Vanscoy Senior Citizen Club. The fair became an annual event, now 30 years running that has provided a venue where local and provincial celebrations could be incorporated. In 1985, the fair grew from one day to two, to include a day of celebration for Heritage ’85. The extra day afforded time to include a parade, both Light Horse & Gymkhana, a bbq and dance, horseshoes, lawn bowling, a museum, an ecumenical church service, pancake breakfast and picnic. In 1992, the fair included the ‘Canada 125 Celebration’, where they held a program with multi-cultural dancers and music (and of course a cake, too!). 1995 was Saskatchewan’s 90th anniversary. This fair included a history display depicting agriculture in our community through the last 90 years. The Saturday night entertainment was a program consisting on 10 acts. Saskatchewan celebrated 100 years in 2005. This meant another opportunity to celebrate. By this time, the fair had grown from an event held in the hall to one that incorporated most of the village facilities. The bulk of the fair was held in the skating arena. A large stage was set at the end of the building, commercial booths lined the boards, and exhibits were displayed throughout the middle. The arena vibrated with energy from the stage that provided continuous entertainment all weekend.
The society has a long history of working with all the organizations within the community – early on, they sponsored the 4-H Club and the Vanscoy Sheep & Wool Fair. In 1984, they participated in a community fundraising event for the Delisle Fire Department, who was purchasing the Jaws of Life. More recently, the fire department was running a lottery to purchase a new truck and the draw was made at the fair. The Community Club (now the Vanscoy Community Recreation Board) participated in the fair by running the concession, dances and supper and at various points agricultural society helped the recreation board with clean-up and renovations in the rinks. When the ag society deemed it necessary to have bleachers built for events, the cost was shared between the two organizations. When, more tables to service events were necessary, they pooled resources to get the job done. The Delisle Composite School Industrial Arts class was hired to build easels for fair displays. Both the UCW & CWL were involved in the fair in a big way by supplying the Sunday supper in the early years, then operating ‘Hilly’s Tea Room’, and then the concession. The Senior Citizen Club was always ‘at the ready’ to participate when needed. There were many other partnerships, but these are a few that stand out. The philosophy of including everyone has served them well and continues to do so. Finding funds for initial set-up and operating is always a challenge for new organizations. The first fundraiser that the society held was a ‘Polka Dot Lamb’ Raffle at the Vanscoy Sheep & Wool Fair. They made a profit of $289.75. Continuing to boost their income, they worked bingos in Saskatoon. This was not as profitable as one would expect, so they decided to run a bingo in their own community. The November Turkey Bingo continues to this day, filling the hall to capacity. One year the bingo was a real ‘black-out’ bingo… the power went out, but the playing continued by candlelight. Other means of fundraising included catering RM Suppers, reunions, weddings, and meetings. They also held a very successful giant garage
Sale and auction for a few years with donations from the community. Dances too, were organized and for several years, they hosted a Fiddle Contest which filled the hall with toe tapping, ‘I can hardly sit in my seat’ music. In addition to the fair and fundraising events, each year also included various seminars and clinics to serve the community, some of which are: Wood Stove Installation and Care Clinic, exhibitor clinics, Organic Gardening, straw weaving, Retirement Planning for Farm Families, a Job Search seminar, animal nutrition seminars, knitting workshops, Tax Reform Seminar, quilt workshops, landscaping, boating safety certification. As farm diversification occurred, the ag society moved in this direction as well by hosting ‘A Taste of the RM’. This concession type venue included booths with the various types of food produced in the area: bison, emu, elk, wild boar and fresh produce were included in the menu. Attendance at seminars seemed to wane as people’s schedules became busier, so ‘Farmer’s Night Out’ suppers were introduced. These meals were provided at an affordable cost and included a speaker
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INDEX
Physical accomplishments include the building of the cattle shelter in 1993. This project was funded entirely with ag society monies and built with community labor.
continued on page 14
Tornado Alley is in Saskatchewan
id you know? Saskatchewan is at the Northern tip of Tornado Alley. We are in the midst of this area and the potential dangers should be taken seriously. We all make a plan in the case of a fire, but every household should also have an emergency plan in the case of severe weather. It will only take 20 minutes, but could save your life.
GRAD 2013 Page 8 Council Reports.......p. 4 RCMP Report..........p. 5 School News............p. 6
on a current topic. Education for youth was addressed by providing sponsorship for school field trips that had agriculture content. Directors also visited Asquith, Delisle, Pike Lake and Vanscoy schools to teach children about plants, gardening and their environment. The ag society also provides a bursary for graduates who are furthering their education in the agriculture field. The Perennial Exchange was introduced in the late 90’s. This event still provides an opportunity for plant sharing and community bonding each spring. In 2000, the ag society was approached by the Delisle Fire Department to co-sponsor the Delisle Rodeo. It was agreed and the event moved to Vanscoy. This was a huge commitment, but directors approached it with new enthusiasm and worked to make this another stellar event, which continued until 2003.
4-H News.................p. 7 MP Report.............. p. 12 MLA Report.............p. 13
Continued on Page 12
Red Williams...................p. 14 Community Calendar......p. 15 Business Directory..........p. 16
Summer Leisure Guide Page 10
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