The frost is slowly creeping out of the barns at the fairgrounds in Ormstown, where members of the Livestock Breeders Association (LBA) are already thinking ahead to June and this year’s Expo Ormstown.
LBA secretary Jayme McClintock confirms there will be several major changes to this year’s event, which will mark the 110th edition of the traditional agricultural fair. “Our meetings have been all about the logistics and how to better organize the flow of people,” she explained, while describing their plans to restructure the fair entrance and parking.
Visitors will drive in and park on the recently purchased adjacent land and then pay their admission at the entrance to the newly renovated Industrial Building. This should alleviate some of the traffic congestion on nearby streets at peak hours during the fair. Visitors will be able to take advantage of express lines for tickets purchased in advance online and for bracelet holders for the weekend.
“We have been talking about this for a while,” explained McClintock. “We are listening and we are trying,” she added, noting they will be adding more food vendors and a larger beer tent, additional washroom facilities, and more room for Campbell Amusements.
“We see those needs, so we are trying to open more space in the midway. We like to see that traffic jam because it is fun for pictures, but it’s not fun to walk through,” McClintock acknowledged, while suggesting the steady increase in fairgoers over the past few years has prompted the board to focus on finding improvements where they can.
Industrial Building renovations
McClintock reports that major renovations to the Industrial Building are going well and are on pace to be completed in time for the LBA’s spring gala and an upcoming square dance competition hosted by the Ormstown 4-H.
The entire ground floor of the nearly-century-old building was gutted. The dividers around the outside wall were removed and all the beams were sandblasted to reveal the original wood. The office space will be rebuilt.
A new, heated floor was installed, which will allow for the building to be heated during colder weather without having to cover the building’s unique second-floor ceiling with insulation.
Tickets are available for the annual gala, which will feature the presentation of the Lifetime Recognition Award to longtime volunteers with the organization. The evening will once again include an auction, with a portion of all proceeds going to fund bursaries for students pursuing agricultural studies after graduating from Chateauguay Valley Regional High School.
McClintock said the LBA was also working on an online booking system for the Agri-Culture Centre to streamline rentals. “The requests are coming in quicker and quicker, and it is fantastic to see people on the grounds and using the building,” she said.