A man who dedicated countless hours to Maple Ridge’s historic agricultural fair was honoured on Saturday, with a stage dedication, as the fair celebrates 125 years.
The stage, once known as the Canadian Heritage Stage, was renamed in honour of Tom Cameron, who passed away at the age of 74 in 2016 from leukemia.
Cameron was not only a long-time volunteer at the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Country Fest – starting in 1991 until 2016, just five months before he passed away – he was also a dedicated volunteer at the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society and at Ghost Ridge, what was once a haunted house attraction for Halloween that raised much needed money for local youth clubs.
It was a special moment for former fair manager Lorraine Bates, and others who knew Cameron.
“It just makes me cry,” said Bates about the dedication. “That was an amazing gesture of the new fair manager to do that.”
When Bates saw the sign up over the stage, she said she had her first cry of the day.
“It was a good cry,” she noted. “I am just over the moon, thrilled.”
Bates said Cameron worked really hard, despite having no background in agriculture. He helped out with the fair months before the event took place, and months after.
After his diagnosis, Bates said he told her, “I don’t care when I die, but I’m not going to be kept away from the fair.”
“He was in a wheelchair and the fair was in July, and he passed away in December,” said Bates. “He was a very, very sick man, but he was not going to give up.”
Vice president of the board of directors of the fair, Ayden Shearer, said Cameron was the one who got him involved with the fair.
“He was like a father to me,” said an emotional Shearer, who has now been helping out at the fair for 14 years.
The Tom Cameron Memorial Stage will be hosting many international dance groups and musical entertainment over the weekend including Downtown Bollywood, The Wild Moccasin Dancers, American Rock Legends, with country artist JoJo Mason headlining the stage Saturday night.
Saturday also saw hundreds of 4-H youth showing their animals from dairy cows, beef cows, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, and more.
Luna, 9, with the Pitt River 4-H Rabbit Club, was showing off her two-year-old Netherland dwarf rabbit named Vanilla, to guests at the fair, while doing stall duty.
Isabelle, 10, was showing her bunny Otter, 3, a mini lop, and said she loves everything about bunnies – their ears, their fur, and their twitching noses.
Her other bunny, Pebbles, a three-year-old New Zealand rabbit, won the title of reserve champion twice yesterday, said Isabelle proudly.
Bennett De Haan, 14, has been with The Pitt River Lamb, Beef & Swine 4-H Club for five years, was waiting to compete with his one-year-old black angus cow named Happy Gilmore.
He said he loves being a part of the club because he enjoys the community.
Happy Gilmore made it to the championship round at a recent fair in Williams Lake, so De Haan was hopeful for his chances on Saturday.
A blueberry pie eating contest was won by Maple Ridge resident Meagan Gagne. This was her third time participating in the pie eating competition at the fair, and second time winning.
Long-time volunteer Alice Finnbogason, 85, was taking care of the photography section of the Home Arts section at the fair, with fellow volunteer, Vera Delac.
Finnbogason has been volunteering at the fair for more than two decades.
“I love the fair, that’s why I’m still doing this. I love the fair, it’s a community thing,” she said.
Fair manager Graham Vanstone was thrilled with the attendance on Saturday, saying it was a great day and the temperature was perfect.
The fair continues on Sunday, July 26, with more 4-H events, lumberjack shows, live stage entertainment, blueberry pie eating contest, food trucks, beer garden, 4-H educational displays, Shooting Star Amusements, gymkhana games, and more.
For more information go to: https://www.mrpmcountryfest.com/