Expo Ormstown Concludes its 102nd Edition
Despite the chilly weather, the 102nd edition of the Expo Ormstown did very well this year, welcoming approximately 15,000 guests through the gates. Fairgoers, armed with raincoats and umbrellas, were out in full force to support the popular fair.
While the rain may have put a damper on the fair, it did nothing to affect the enthusiasm its guests. When the fair opened Thursday night, locals and visitors alike lined the sidewalks of Ormstown to cheer on the bevy of floats put together by the schools, local businesses and organizations of the Chateauguay Valley.
This year, the fair’s theme, “Blue Jeans and Country Dreams,” represented itself well. Fairgoers enjoyed classics events like the Pig round-up and Light and Heavy Horse Show, which took place alongside an impressive midway. McGill’s Macdonald Campus presented a Dairy and Beef Salon, which followed a farm-to-table theme, providing curious guests with an in-depth look at how some of their favourite foods are prepared, with local beef farmer Steve Borland present to walk individuals through the process. Fair organizers also put together a 24-page booklet describing the different animals associated with the fair, with Ormstown resident and former expo president Lorriane Lalonde gathering the bulk of information needed for the book. Valerie Duquette of Mercier’s Duval Design Communication, took care of the aesthetics. Another standout moment for the fair was performer Sylvain Leduc, a local Elvis impersonator from Valleyfield, Quebec.
As usual, the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) played a significant role in the fair, providing the expo with a downloadable app, where fairgoers could refer to the fair’s itinerary, set reminders or look up relevant facts about livestock and exhibitors. The fair also enjoyed collaboration with other local fairs, with some directors and workers from both the Bedford and Brome Fair helping out over the weekend.
Expo manager Christina Franc confessed that the volunteers play a huge role in the success of the fair. “We really work as a team, the volunteers and the community—they’re the reason that everything runs so smoothly.” While she was sad to see the fair end this year, Franc is excited about planning for the 103rd edition of the expo. “I left on Sunday, and there was a sense of emptiness at the end of it all. Luckily, we get to do it all again next year,” she added. Next year, Canada will celebrate its 150th anniversary, so fairgoers can look forward to seeing the country’s milestone incorporated into the fair.