1976

The 1976 OPA had 42 directors, each one representing their county club, and an executive of ten. All directors were on action committees.

Serving on the Oxford club were: President Bill Weatherston; 1st Vice Ross Pullen; 2nd Vice John Walton; secretary Don Taylor; treasurer Clare Hartley, and OPA  director Weldon Burrill.
Harold Masson and Bill Weatherston were delegates to the OPA Convention held in Toronto (Feb.18th). Six members of the Ingersoll Pipe Band also went to promote the 1980 IPM, in the same manner as the 1951 IPM had been. The band members in attendance were: Wilson McBeath; Don Munro; Mike Hominick; Angus McGachie; Angus McArthur and Jim Muterer.

 Wilson McBeth is an Ingersoll icon and is proud to say that the Ingersoll Pipe Band is 108 years old. It is the only pipe band in N. America that own their own building, where they practise every Thursday night.

 Carol Coglin represented Oxford at the IPM held in Bruce County near Walkerton, on Earl Johnson farms, during the last week of September. She was named Oxford Queen of the Furrow again in 1976, when the county match was held at Henry Van Dorp's farm, Saturday Oct.23rd. The ladies of the Christian Reform Church and Mrs. John Werkema served lunches for the plowmen at noon.

Les Dickson announced his resignation as Mayor of Norwich Township (S.Review, Sept.20,pg.9). He was the Vice Chairman of the 1980 IPM committee.

The banquet, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Shrine Club.

The proposed GM site on the Stuart Canfield farm depicts the urban-rural issue, still relevant today. Politicians and society in general regard our most precious resource as, 'just farmers' fields'.
Keith Currie, current president of OFA states "They don't have to farm because we are, they don't have to grow food because we are." (Ont.Farmer, pg.24A, May15, 2018.by Diana Martin) The more things change the more they stay the same.

The Burrill Family supplied horses and equipment for the horse show and businessmen's class. Weldon Burrill sold horses to six U.S. States, in Ontario, and Quebec. Raised on a farm one mile south of Holbrook, he was only without a horse for one year of his life. He lived to age 90.
When Weldon was away he often delegated tasks to his sons Bruce and Harold. Bruce was the horseman.

One winter day they were sent to the Holbrook farm woodlot with a Minneapolis Moline rowcrop tractor to get firewood. They had to cross a small valley; their father thought the ice would be strong enough to support the tractor, but that wasn't the case. With the tractor stuck in the ice, the boys walked home, got a team of horses, a chain, and a whippletree to pull the tractor out. Bruce hooked the whippletree up short to the drawbar of the tractor so it would lift at the same time as it was pulling. When Weldon got home Bruce explained what happened. Weldon said, "I must have taught you something," and there were no consequences. Weldon was a difficult taskmaster.
The Burrills moved to their farm that touched on the north side of Hickson Village (Hwy59) in 1966.
Weldon and Bruce exhibited their Clydesdale horses from Oshawa to Leamington, at fall fairs, the CNE, and plowing matches. They had their own tractor trailer, loaded with 20 horses, going to the Oshawa Fair; they entered every horse class at the Fair which is non-existent now. There were classes for: six horse hitch; four horse hitch; unicorn hitch (ie three horses led by one horse at the front); light and heavy draft teams, down to 3 year olds, 2 year olds, and yearlings.

Bruce and Marg were married in 1970. In the 70s, on the 100th anniversary of the CNE, Marg won the heavy horse driving class for ladies.

Weldon Burrill was OPA director for Oxford County for 12 years, from 1975 to 1987. When the 1980 IPM was held in Oxford he became a director on the Provincial Association. They always took the OPA Director from the county that hosted the IPM that year.

Wilson McBeth

Jim Muterer

 

Les Dickson