Fair fights foul weather – and wins: Bookended by a hot, humid opening Thursday and a perfectly cool sunny Monday, the 145th Shawville Fair overcame three days of cool, rainy weather to set new attendance records. “We had the best gate ever,” says Mavis Hanna, president of the Pontiac Agricultural Society Division “A”. The five-day event drew 37,000-plus fairgoers, eclipsing the 37,000 mark set two years ago. As well, this year marked a record Thursday and the second-best Friday ever. Opening night of the millennium Shawville Fair opened a window into the past for the crowd of about 800 in attendance. The audience was able to view scenes from past Shawville Fairs through the eyes of former fair board presidents at Thursday’s opening. The nine former fair board presidents — Dr. Roland Armitage, George Pirie, Robert Younge, Dalton Hodgins, Nellis Stewart, George Coles, Elwyn Lang, Lucille Hodgins and Ron Hodgins — entered the arena in a horse-drawn carriage, complete with RCMP escorts, driven by Jack and Donna Stewart. Beginning with Armitage, fair board president in 1966, the former agricultural leaders took turns sharing memories and accomplishments from their terms as president. The Miss Shawville Fair contestants followed up the presidents’ speeches with some words from the younger generation of fair participants. The 13 young ladies each gave a three-minute speech on the agricultural division they were representing. Sarah Hodgins, of Clarendon captured the judges’ hearts to become Miss Shawville Fair 2000 and win the prestigious Equity Rose Bowl. Hodgins showed her enthusiasm and energy with expressive body language and vivid descriptions of her division, field crops.