Plowing match outshines this year's rainy end
Friday, September 27, 2013
by GEOFF DALE
The International Plowing Match will plow ahead as usual next year despite the rain-deluged premature end to this year’s centennial anniversary event, say event organizers.
“At this point I would say this will not affect the way we plan things,” says Cathy Lasby, Ontario Plowmen’s Association executive director. “We have years 2014 to 2017 booked and there is a bid coming in to our convention this winter for the 2018 event.”
Lasby says this year’s disappointing end has not affected the organization financially. “No, we haven’t gone into debt,” she says.” It will be a little while before all the bills are in and everything is sorted out but that is not on our radar. We have long-term sponsorships with our three partners – Hydro One, Ontario Mutual Insurance Association and BMO Bank of Montreal.
“When you’re in agriculture, you understand the weather. It’s like a drought or flood in the crop business. We’re like farmers. There’s a setback one season but we plant the next year. The future of the association or the event is not threatened.”
Both Lasby and IPM chair Bert Vorstenbosch say preliminary indicators show attendance for the first four days was good until rain drenched the area, water-logging the tent city and forcing cancellation of Saturday events, including Canadian country music star George Canyon’s performance and two aerial shows by the Snowbirds Friday and Saturday. Nearly 1,000 people were temporarily stranded in their RVs.
photo: Inside one of the IPM tents two days after rain swamp the event and forced the cnacellation of Saturday events
Despite the downpour of more than five inches beginning Friday, Vorstenbosch says between 17,000 and 18,000 people attended each of the first four days, bringing the event’s total attendance close to 65,000. The break-even mark is pegged at about 40,000.
“This was a big disappointment for everyone,” he adds. “We felt broken-hearted that we had to cancel but there was up to 10 inches of water all over the field so that meant we couldn’t get anyone in.”
He said it could be a couple of months before final figures are in for the five-day event, adding that Canyon had to be booked well in advance.
Because the singer was no longer available, there were no plans for a make-up concert and the organizing committee decided not to issue refunds for the $15 tickets it had sold in advance.
Coordinating refunds was not feasible, he says, noting “it is difficult to regulate the process. We were not exactly sure how many advance tickets were sold.”
He adds that “we hope people will look at this as being a donation to Perth County service clubs that provided us with about 1,500 hard-working volunteers. Any profits would have gone to those groups.”
Moreover, the tickets were for the plowing match activities, he says, calling the Canyon show and Snowbirds a “bonus.”
“My grandchildren were going to be there Saturday, so they lost money. I hope the majority will understand and just see this as a donation to service clubs.”
Long-time IPM spectator and Oxford County hog producer John Van Dorp had no problem praising volunteers but took exception to the no-refund policy, calling it ‘unprofessional.’
“A lot of hard-working people in the fields throughout the week wanted to take their families on Saturday,” he says. “They bought tickets ahead online to avoid line-ups and now they’re being penalized for the weather. I can’t help but think a lot them are going to be left with a sour taste in their mouths.”
Next year’s event will be in Ivy, south of Barrie. Organizers are partnering with the Essa and District Agricultural Society.
“The Essa Agriplex’s entire facility will be available for next year’s IPM,” says general manager Brad Watts. “As for what happened this year, like they say, how can you predict weather like that?” BF