Game(s) on! Highland Games find new life at Jack Miner

By Mark Ribble

With renewed optimism and excitement, a few members of the re-formed Highland Games committee met at their new venue — Ty Cobb Field at Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary — on Friday, February 17 to take a short tour of the grounds.

Jack Miner Foundation Executive Director Tom Coke showed a contingent of the committee around the grounds in sub-zero temperatures — a far cry from the weather they are expecting on June 24, 2023.

That’s the date that the Highland Games will take up residence at their new home on Road 3 West and committee members expect it to be a great event.

Highland Games Chair Doug Plumb was pleased to be able to make the announcement right on the heels of last week’s decision by Kingsville Council to dissolve the committee and officially cut ties with the event.

As media outlets scrambled to meet deadlines on Tuesday, February 14, the committee was poised to make an announcement of their own — the Highland Games were back on in a different venue.

Plumb said on Tuesday afternoon that they had to wait for the town to go through their dissolution before they could re-form and get things rolling again, but discussions had been ongoing with Jack Miner for several weeks.

“We are looking so forward to this venue,” he said. “The layout of the property lends itself to exactly what we need.”

Plumb says advance tickets will be available through jackminer.ca in the coming weeks.

“We’re trying to keep it as affordable as possible for the community,” he said.

Jack Miner’s Tom Coke was happy to welcome the group for the tour of the grounds and is looking forward to hosting the games.

“The Sanctuary is really proud to be the new host of the games and we are looking forward to bringing thousands of people out to the Sanctuary to experience the event,” he said.

The committee was happy to have the gang back together again and talked excitedly about the new venue.

“What a great place,” said committee member Pat Reid-Crichton. “There is a lot more space than people would expect.”

Her husband Jim Crichton — who will act as the emcee for the event — echoed that sentiment.

“I’m looking forward to being the announcer for the Kingsville Highland Games at its new location,” said Crichton. “The Jack Miner Sanctuary is known internationally and provides plenty of room for an exceptional event for all ages to attend. That, plus plenty of parking.”

For Doug Plumb and his committee, it brings a sense of security to the event, knowing that the Jack Miner grounds are the perfect place to hold the games.

“The history here is tremendous,” he said. “Ty Cobb

Field has been here for 100 years.”

Jack Miner created the baseball field in 1920, complete with benches and a backstop in honour of his good friend Ty Cobb, legendary baseball Hall of Famer, who made frequent visits to the grounds.

The games will include all you’ve come to expect of such a premier event, including heavy events, high- land dance, sheep herding, bands and the 5k kilt run. The popular tug-of-war also returns with teams squaring off for bagging rights and prize money.

Plumb says they are also planning an axe-throwing competition which will be held in a fenced-off area. Stay tuned for details in coming weeks as the committee ramps up their marketing plan.