THE EQUITY caught up with Pontiac MP Will Amos to ask him a few questions about his experiences at the Shawville Fair:

THE EQUITY: What are your plans for this year’s fair?
Amos: “We’ll be manning the booth for the weekend …. It’s a good opportunity to meet with people and catch up.
People don’t want to set up a meeting with their MP. This way, they can wander up and chat… I’ll be judging the horse competition on Friday night. I’m pretty stoked about that because it’s the first time I’ve been invited to do that. I’m not an expert on horses but I’m sure the folks there will be guiding me.”

THE EQUITY: What’s your earliest memory of the fair?
Amos: I was taken by my parents when I was 10 or 11 years old. But when I was a teenager it was more fun to go to the Shawville Fair than the Ex in Ottawa because there was more independence because you were on your own.”
THE EQUITY: What is the importance of an event like the Shawville Fair to a small community like this?
Amos: “What you have at the fair is the collective agricultural knowledge in an area that is steeped in it. It’s a great opportunity to learn. When I was younger I didn’t pay as much attention to the agricultural part of it. I was more into the rides. But that’s shifted as I’ve crossed over into my older years.”

THE EQUITY: What are you looking forward to most at this year’s fair?
Amos: “April Wine is one thing. That’s some solid Canadian rock right there …. What I’m most looking forward to is spending time with my kids.
They’re six and nine so this might be the last year where the merry-go-round excites them. So I’m going to enjoy watching them…
But what I’m not looking forward to is more stories of drinking and driving. I want to urge people to be safe on the roads. It’s a big party but we need to take care of our own.”

THE EQUITY: What’s your favourite fair food?
Amos: “I’ve gotta say I love the fried pickles.”