1975

Clare Hartley was treasurer of Oxford Plowmen's. Leroy Scott was auditor. New directors were Ross Pullen, R7 Woodstock; Don Wright, R3 Woodstock, and John Walton, R7 Woodstock.
Max Franklin dropped out. Art Dale and Bill Weatherston were delegates to the OPA convention.

A grant of $700 was requested from County Council by OPA directors Weldon Burrill and Jim Richardson.

SEPT 18

The Sentinel Review reported: Harry Parrot wins landslide victory over Alice Garner, but the Provincial Tories of Bill Davis took a stinging. The province had a minority government with the NDP of Bob Nixon holding the balance of power.

The proposed landfill site near Salford and expropriation issues raised the ire of farm folks; this was their new regional government of 1975.

Competitions for Dairy Princess, Queen of Furrow, and Fall Fair Ambassador were great opportunities for farm girls; Oxford County's first Queen of the Furrow, Elizabeth Eddy represented Oxford at the 1975 IPM held in Durham region near Oshawa Sept 23-27.

Bill Weatherston and Art Dale were in charge of the Oxford Queen of the Furrow competition held in the morning of Saturday Oct.18, on farm of Clare Hartley. Contestants were Kathy Langdon, Donna Fleming, and Carol Coglin.

The Tenth Line Ladies served 33 lunches at noon. Marshall Deans, Paris and John Capton, Ohsweken judged the plowing.

Elizabeth Eddy entered Class 6 (ladies).
The placings were: Mary Opersko, Elizabeth Eddy, and Debbie Cheyne. Debbie became Elizabeth' sister-in-law. She married Gord Eddy in 1976. She was not the first girl to win their life partner at a plowing match.

Other listings in order of merit:

Class 2: Bob Brown; Leslie Perriman and Reg Opersko
Class 3: Ed Opersko; Orville Fried; Ron Kay and Gord Eddy
Class 4:Bert Perriman; Kevin Fried and Brian Fried
Class 5: Stephen Hartley and Alex Hartley
Class 7: Clare Hartley; Steven Hartley; Alex Hartley; Harvey Masson; Bob McPherson and John Buchanan

Some competitors entered two classes.

Cecil Wells won Class one (walking plows), and was an easy winner in Class 9.
Father and son, Weldon and Bruce Burrill were 2nd and 3rd also in class 9.

The Chamber of Commerce again sponsored a banquet at the fairgrounds.

Carol Coglin was crowned 1975-76 Oxford Queen of the Furrow.

The Plowmen's Association provided free banquet tickets to competitors, judges, the Provincial Queen of the Furrow, Dawn Brunton (2), county queen competitors, Mr. and Mrs.Robert Buchanan and the Queen of Furrow competition judges.

Liz Eddy, at home, striking off to IPM Oshawa (Sept 23-27)

Liz Eddy, wearing her Oxford 1975 Queen of the Furrow sash

Oxford Cty Plowmen's banquet at Oxford Auditorium; Carol Coglin is awarded 1976 Queen of Furrow. From left: Carol Coglin, Liz Eddy, Donna Fleming and Kathy Langdon.

Outgoing Queen, Liz Eddy, places tiara on 1976 Queen Carol Coglin.

Liz eddy represents Oxford, along with 21 Queens from across Ontario.

Liz eddy represents Oxford, along with 21 Queens from across Ontario.

Liz Eddy.

Debbie Cheyne (left), LizEddy (centre) and Gord Eddy (right).

W Leslie Dickson

1924-1993

History

As a long time resident of Norwich Township, W. Leslie (Les) Dickson operated a 135-acre Holstein Farm and apple orchard north of Burgessville and was at one time a sales representative for the Oxford County Holstein Breeders Association. Interested in local politics, Les was an eight year veteran of the North Norwich Township Council, serving as Deputy Reeve for four years and Reeve for 2 years prior to being elected County Warden in 1973. During his time on County Council, he served on the Finance Committee, Agriculture Committee, Personnel Committee and was a representative on the County Planning Board.

He was an active member of the Norwich and District Historical Society Committee which operates the Norwich District Museum, a Board Member of Woodingford Lodge, a member of the Oxford Museum Board and actively involved in the establishment of the Norwich Community Centre/Arena.

Les Dickson was also committed to woodlot management and the preservation of native Canadian trees. His love of nature was instrumental in the establishment of the County Arboretum in 1974 which was later named the W. Leslie Dickson Arboretum in his honour.

Married to Helen Elliott of Burgessville, Leslie Dickson passed away December 3, 1993 in his 69th year.

W.Leslie Dickson Arboretum

Site Address: 715570 Oxford 4 RD • East Zorra, Tavistock

Dedicated to the memory of W.L.Dickson. This little 6 ha (20 acres) jewel is a product of a group called The Men of the Trees. They have worked very hard to provide in excess of 150 labeled native trees and shrubs.

1974

The IPM was held in Halton County near Georgetown, on the farm of Craig Reid, Sept 24-28.

Harold Masson was president of the Oxford Plowmen's, with Jim Richardson as 1st Vice; Bill Weatherston, 2nd Vice; Ron Hutcheson, treasurer and Don Taylor, Secretary.

The directors were: Art Dale, John Hargreaves, Fred Fleming, Leroy Scott, Clare Hartley, Robert Gilholm, Ed Eddy, Ross Hargreaves, Glen Kitchen, Ken Peers, Clare Minler, John Hofstetter, Orville Fried, John Innes, Willard Mackay, Wilfred Corp, and Max Franklin.

Ed Eddy continued as OPA director. G.E. Hessenauer was auditor.

March 20, 1974: An Agricultural Committee of County Council was organized to bring the IPM to Oxford in 1980. The Committee, directors of Blenheim and Oxford Plowmen, was promoted by the Chamber of Commerce, who offered to sponsor a banquet with entertainment close to the Oxford match date. The date was changed to Oct.19 instead of Oct.12. Don Taylor wrote a letter to County Council thanking them for their support and the Association requested their help for an approach for the 1980 IPM in Oxford County at the next Ontario Annual meeting (Feb.75).

Harold Masson, Bill Weatherston, and John Hofstetter went to the OPA convention with an invitation to have the IPM in Oxford in 1980. Upon his return Bill stated that 20 memberships were mandatory (to have a director on the provincial board).

Les Dickson, a sales representative for Oxford Holsteins came on as a director.
Les was Oxford warden in 1973, and was defeated by Perry Sibbick Oct.30, 1974.
He was a county sales agent for over 25 years and wrote A history of the County Sales Agent System.
 
Art Dale and Bill Weatherston approached the Junior Farmer presidents and secretaries requesting entries for the Queen of Furrow competition.

Buchanan Farm Equipment offered $20 prize money to each entrant. To encourage entries, awards for crown and finish were eliminated in all classes.

By Sept. 30 three names had been submitted for the Queen contest: Elizabeth Eddy, Janet Peters, and Carol Coglin. The winner received a travelling case from Buchanans. The girls had a practise run at the farm of Harold Masson with John Hargreaves coaching. The girls had to make a 3-5 minute speech on the topic, "Why I'm Proud of Agriculture in Oxford."

Eugene Whelan, in the news most every day, opened the Swine Centre on 11 October at the former Ontario Hospital barns operating under a management contract with Western  Ontario Breeders. It was the first of its kind in North America.

1973

Verne Pullen hosted the 1973 Oxford Match on the Innerkip sideroad, 2 miles east of #59 Hwy, Oct.13th. It was more of a fun day for the Chamber of Commerce. Mary Gilmore, a Sentinel Review reporter described it well.

Albert Roberts was President of Oxford Plowmen's this year, following the retirement of Weldon Burrill, with Harold Masson, !st Vice and Jim Richardson, 2nd Vice.
The Directors were: Doug Start; Wilfred Corp; John Hargreaves; Clare Hartley; John Summerhayes, Ross Hargreaves, Willard Mackay, Ed Eddy, Arthur Dale, Harold Masson, Jim Richardson; Leroy Scott and Bill Weatherston.

Doug Start passed away early in 1973.

The treasurer's book recorded that Woodstock Print&Litho printed prize lists and posters; Innerkip UCW served meals; S.Review printed the notice, and S.T. Loveys were paid for the lumber to build an outhouse.
S.Review, Oct.3rd,pg 11

Tavistock and East Zorra agreed to amalgamation when restructuring of the County begins Jan.1st, 1975.

The Annual Corn Day was held at the Brooksdale farm of Allan Innes, four miles north of Embro.

Borden Company workers in Ingersoll went on strike. The Ingersoll workers received 40-50 cents per hour less than the Belmont workers. They had no clause for severance pay if the plant closed as the Belmont Borden plant workers had.

IPM 1973 was held in Lambton County on the farm of J.D. McGugan, near Alvinston, Sept. 25-29.

The Mayors plowing class, held on the last day, had tractors and equipment supplied.
They did not have to make a crown or finish. Each competitor had to plow two rounds, and were judged on the basis of work performed. This included the handling of a tractor.
Unlike other contestants they did not have to pay an entry fee, but had to apply to the secretary-manager of the Ontario Plowmen's Association no later than September 15 in Toronto.

The Horseshoe Pitching Contest, also held on Saturday, and required an entry fee of $4, forwarded to the secretary-manager, by September 14.
Each entry was made up of two players, each from their respective counties.
The pitching distance was 40 feet.
A ringer was a shoe that encircled the stake far enough to permit a straight edge to touch the heel calks simultaneously.
All shoes had to be within seven inches of the stake to score.
The closest shoe to the stake scored one point.
Two shoes closer than their opponents scored 2 points.
One ringer scored 3 points with two ringers scoring 6 points.
The winning team received the Alex McKinney Challenge Trophy.
 Additional cash awards provided by the OPA were: 1st-$40, 2nd-$30, 3rd-$25, 4th-$20, 5th-$15 and 6th to 10th teams received $10 each.

Albert Roberts passed away December 10, 1973.

Liz Jackson (Eddy) and Albert Roberts

Bill, Gord and Liz Eddy

 

1972

Paul Henderson scored the winning goal for Canada with 34 seconds remaining in the final of the Summit Series against Russia in September 1972. The IPM was in progress at Sebringville, Perth Cty.at the farm of Oliver Zehr (Sept 26-30). A plowman was motoring along in competition while listening to the game on his radio. When Paul scored that goal, the plowman jumped onto the hood of his tractor and danced, letting the machine go helter-skelter across the field.

Harold Masson replaced Lorne Fleming as 2nd Vice Pres. of Oxford plowmen's, the only change in officers for that year. Bill Weatherston and Ross Hargreaves were new directors. President Weldon Burrill, Ron Hutcheson, and Ed Eddy went to County Council to request a grant. The 1972 Oxford match was held at Ed Eddy’s farm on Saturday Oct. 14. Classes for business men and County&Township officials were held; their prize money being $5 for first, second, third and fourth places. The event was becoming a fun day for township officials and set a precedent for the following year.

There is no record of a Blenheim match in ‘72, but it was recorded in Oxford's minutes that a rebate was made to the Blenheim Association for the grant received by the IPM re: local day competition.
S.Review, Thursday, Oct. 19, 1972, pg.5

Provincial Minister of Agriculture Bill Stewart presented Charles Munro of Embro with a scroll acknowledging his election as president of the International Federation of Agriculture. This also honoured his long record of service to Oxford County and throughout the country. Delegates from 17 other countries together with 400 people attended the gathering. The event was sponsored by the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Agriculture, and Oxford County Council. Mr. Munro headed the Holstein Breeders Association, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

The Annual corn day was held at Turvey Bros., one quarter mile north of Highland Park School.

The federal election (Stanfield versus Trudeau) of Oct.30 resulted in a minority government; Conservatives held 109 seats; Liberals 108; David Lewis (NDP) held the balance of power, supporting Trudeau.

Eugene Whelan became Minister of Agriculture, serving for the next 12 years.