Published in The BANAR July 1986
FROM THE CHAIRMAN BLACKBURN FUN FAIR
The 15th annual Blackburn Hamlet Fun Fair has come and gone, after months of planning, organizing and hoping (for good weather!) As Chairman of Fun Fair ’86, allow me to present this interim report.
The Directors decided that a 2 day Fair was still viable, and that community fun and enjoyment were paramount. We deliberately kept prices low, even though it might reduce overall profit levels. We also wanted to add some new events. I’d like to concentrate on those in this report.
The CKBY hotair balloon was at the Arena giving tethered rides, since there was not enough open space at Emily Carr. It was very – iffy” in terms of wind conditions, but we got the all clear” for launch just as the Parade departed. Great fun for the many dozens of riders.
We are grateful to Barry Turner, M.P., for securing the Central Band of the Canadian Forces, one of the finest marching bands in the country, as a highlight of the parade, and appreciate the cooperation of the Ottawa-Hull District Federation of Musicians.
On Saturday, the Volksmarch, organized by the Gloucester Kinsmen Club, drew some 200 enthusiastic Volksmarchers. The concept of an organized hike through the country is very popular in Europe, and is now catching on here. Co-operative ventures between Fun Fair and service clubs seem to be the way of the future.
Bell Canada provided, gratis, a -cherry picker- truck to give rides, and a -buried treasure- hunt. These two events drew some 400 participants, and the Cherry Picker line up was almost the size of the Candy Floss line!
Through the Gloucester Cycle Club, the BMX demonstration and the Grass Track Racing events were very popular and drew large crowds. Some spectacular jumps, indeed!
The Midway saw the addition of several new games, such as hockey shoot and coil trap, and a much-needed refurbishing of the midway booths, which really made that area look smart. Director John Lockie, take a bow!
We added events for seniors this year, with the kind help of Louise Lafontaine. A strawberry social and the Gloucester Sonsters were highlights. We need to recognize this growing segment of our population, and the share value from this activity will be earmarked for seniors events by the B.C.A.
New sports activities were added, such as a street hockey tournament and an open volleyball event. Fair Features Director Darryl MacLeod did a great job in running all the athletic – type events, plus several other items.
The Fair theme of -Neighbours – was chosen deliberately to help the drive to organize Neighbourhood Watch throughout the Hamlet, and the bike engraving was a popular event.
The armoured personnel carrier from LETE was great fun for kids to explore, and was the only vehicle allowed in without a car pass!
The Champagne hotair balloon ride raffle draw was won by an IBM employee, ticket having been sold by Food Director June Miller’s husband Dave.
So many other “traditional” events were part of Fun Fair, I could not mention them all, but the Bavarian Garden, under Nick Haas, the Bar-b-que under Jill Davidson, and the Pancake Breakfast, under Pat Halpin and the Blackburn Optimists, all deserve special recognition for the efficiency of their operations.
All this is put together by a team of Directors, and I was privileged to have an awesome team indeed. Vice-Chair Person Carol Beaul helped in all kinds of ways, filling in the gaps that normally develop in these affairs. Secretary June Craig and Treasurer Dave Scrim kept all the records; both in a very professional and competent manner, with Dave also handling insurance and related financial items. Publicity by Trixie Clow, in the BANAR, and by Veronica McAlister, for everything else, was well done and helped bring out the crowds. Facilities, handled by Eric Sewell, and Ken Greenlaw, took care of all the vital issues such as permits, electrical hook-ups, tables and chairs etc. The unsung heroes; it’s a job with no glamour, but absolutely vital for the operation of the Fair.
Food sales were coordinated by June Miller, in a highly organized and professional manner -a pancake breakfast every 15 seconds, or else! – Shirley Shea organized the ever-popular General Store, one of the major fund raising components.
Entertainment, managed by Del Jazey, brought you such crowd-pleasing events as the parade, fireworks, and concert in the part, all smoothly run under Del’s guidance.
All the Directors had a host of convenors handling individual events, and each of those had a lot of committee workers. I can’t name you all, but a very sincere thank you to each one.
And what was the bottom line? Well, at press time, we’re still counting the puts and takes, but we’re probably around the $8,000 net mark. Share values will be calculated and the cheques distributed as soon as we can.
As we close the books on Fun Fair ’86, may I thank the B.C.A. for entrusting the job to me. We used the gathering for a non-fun activity, namely the anti-garbage incinerator petition. Over 400 signatures were collected, giving Roger Pyper and Bob Jameson a valuable base of concerned citizens. We aim to have every household in the Hamlet join this fight.
So, if you have comments or suggestions for the future direction of Fun Fair, call me; if you want to join one of the greatest community teams, to help run Fun Fair ’87, call me.
If you enjoyed the Fair, we did it all for you!
