CHRIS LOWREY
This year marks the second year that the three intrepid reporters with THE EQUITY will be covering the Shawville Fair.
When I first got the job as editor of THE EQUITY, just about the only thing in the Pontiac I was familiar with was the fair.
I came to my first fair in 2004, just before the start of my senior year in high school.
A friend of mine had spent a good chunk of his youth in the Pontiac, particularly Shawville, and had been telling us about how fun this fair was.
A few of us were doubtful. After all, by that point we had grown out of attending our local country fairs where we grew up in Ontario.
Despite our doubts, we hopped into our cars for one of our first roadtrips on our own.
Needless to say, our expectations were nowhere near reality.

We expected to show up in a sleepy small town, where city folk like us wouldn’t know a calf from a hole in the ground.
But much to our surprise, this sleepy small town had turned into what felt like a festival atmosphere.
There were people everywhere. And not just locals, there were people from everywhere.
Despite the fact that my nights at that first fair were spent sleeping on a stiff piece of foam, it’s still one of my most vivid memories from my high school days.
In the intervening years, I’ve attended every Shawville Fair, with the exception of the year Stompin’ Tom overloaded the town.
In fact, I met my wife at the fair. We didn’t exchange numbers that night, but we ran into each other years later in Ottawa on my 21st birthday.
A couple of years ago, I proposed to my wife at the chip stand where we met.
Needless to say, the fair means a lot to me.
And now that I’ve got this job, the fair is much more than it was when I was younger.
I now get the opportunity to explore the fair like I never did before.
As someone who grew up in the city, the amount of agricultural expertise on display can be intimidating – most of which still makes my head spin.
But now, I get to explore the fair as a journalist. I’ve always been curious but never had the gall to actually show my ignorance.
Now, I have no choice.
Last year, covering agricultural events was an eye-opener.
Everyone was very accommodating and seemed excited to talk to me. Many people tend to tense up a bit when they know they’re speaking to the media. It was nice to see them relax when I assured them that I was the dumbest person in the room and that they were the experts.
I learned a lot covering my first Shawville Fair. There is no doubt that this year will also be an educational one.
So for all those who have helped out our reporters when they see us wandering around without a clue, we really appreciate it.
Looking forward to seeing you at the fair!
Chris Lowrey, Editor, THE EQUITY