For the second year in a row, the Georgian Bay Steam Show has been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
But this year, the executive of the Georgian Bay Steam, Auto, Gas and Antique Association decided to hold a members-only meeting and camp-out at the steam show grounds in Cookstown on the same Civic Holiday long weekend that usually hosts the show.
It was an opportunity for members to get together, catch up,and keep the spirit of the Georgian Bay steam club rolling.
“That’s why we’re doing this, so people can get together and connect,” said longtime member Lisa Frampton.
It was also an opportunity to thank all of the volunteers who have put in long hours, maintaining the grounds throughout the closure.
“We’ve been having work days here for the past two years,” she said. “Cutting down trees, painting, doing maintenance. The sawmills need a lot of TLC.”
Those who came out were asked to bring a treasured piece of equipment, a handicraft or antique to share, as well as their memories of those members who have passed away during the two years of the COVID shutdown.
There were echoes of the annual steam show as the members brought campers, lawn chairs, model engines and vintage tractors to the grounds, but instead of the thousands who attend the show in a normal year, there were only 50 or so people camping out, and fewer than 100 who attended the meeting on Saturday.
“It’s been a hard year,” association president Gary Frampton said from the steam show’s stage, thanking the board of directors for their ongoing efforts to keep the club going.
“These people have been trying to keep things on board without costing anything,” said Frampton, noting that thanks to their work, “we’re just as steady as we ever were.”
Frampton also thanked the many volunteers who have rolled up their sleeves and pitched in during the shutdown. He was joined on stage by membership chair Angela Longhurst, who presented honorary pins to members recognized for their efforts.
There was a sombre note and a minute of silence, as the club recognized nine of its members who passed away during the past two years, including Fred Priest, who died in June of this year, in his 90th year.
Director Wayne Lowdon shared his memories of Priest, who joined the association in 1998, the first year the Georgian Bay Steam Show moved to the grounds on Victoria Street in Cookstown.
“Fred was here every single day,” Lowdon remembered, helping get the new site ready for its first show.
That included painting, which gave Priest the opportunity to demonstrate his “mischievous side.”
Anyone who got too close while he was painting was likely to find their work boots “touched up with a lick of paint from Fred’s paint brush,” he said, or fall victim to Fred’s pranks.
“Fred worked tirelessly for our club. … Truly a genuine people person, through and through,” Lowdon said. “A twinkle in his eye and that mischievous smile. I will cherish these times forever.”
A commemorative bench in honour of Fred Priest, built by Louis Theriault, was on display.
With no steam show since 2019, most of the association’s trophies and awards remain in storage, but Frampton presented the 2021 Earl Rowe Trophy for outstanding contribution to member Dave Lockhart.
He also announced that the Georgian Bay Steam Show will be returning in 2022, and will honour the memory of the late Stephen McCabe, club director who passed away in 2020.
It’s the dedication of the volunteers and members of all ages that has been key to the survival of the association through all the difficult times, Frampton said. “It makes a world of difference. It keeps this organization going.”
