CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE May 22, 2019
A long-time community volunteer and past president of the Pontiac Agricultural Society (PAS) will be on the receiving end of the salute at the RCMP Musical Ride at the Shawville Fairgrounds this Saturday.
George Coles grew up on a dairy farm just outside Shawville on the Bristol Town Line, where his family raised Jerseys and Holsteins. He was involved in the fair from a young age, and his first memory is from showing animals in 4H.
“My father showed cattle and my mother showed handicraft stuff in the ladies hall,” he said.
George’s daughter Lisa wrote in an email that her father collected a lot of trophies for showing cattle in his day and even won a trip out west as a teenager in 4H. She added that her family has been involved with the fair for a very long time, and there is even a trophy in the quilting division named after her great-grandmother Florabelle Coles.
George said that when he was in his late teens, he was approached by his neighbours, the late Bob Younge and Dalton Hodgins, who encouraged him to help out with the fair.
“They thought it might be something that I would like to do,” he said. “I was involved 25 years and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
George served on many committees, from beef and dairy to heavy horse and the tractor pull.
“The ladies didn’t want me in the cooking division because they figured I’d sample it,” he joked.
Over the years he accumulated many unforgettable memories of the fair, from having the top Holstein in the dairy division to seeing Stompin’ Tom perform. In 1983 and 1984, he was elected president of the PAS. He was involved with many improvements to the fairgrounds over the years, including the construction of the metal fencing for the horse ring.
“We discussed that outdoor horse ring for two years,” he said. “I was the one that volunteered to spearhead that. I got the steel lined up and a couple welders, Tom Orr Construction, they dug the holes and put the cement in.”
Lisa said that her family lives and breathes the Shawville Fair during the Labour Day weekend every year and even though George is no longer a director, he still spends plenty of time at the fairgrounds.
She said that his dedication to the event rubbed off on her and her brother David.
“By example, I have been taught that our community is important, my parents have always felt it was important to showcase our agricultural heritage and to show people where their food comes from,” she wrote. “The best way I can do this is to continue doing what my parents started by being involved with our fair.”
