The Bruce County Heritage Assn. Inc. was founded in October 1993, and was incorporated on June 29, 1995, to preserve, restore, collect, display and demonstrate antique machinery, tractors, equipment, lore, artifacts, literature and accessories, relating to agriculture in Bruce County and Ontario. BCHA holds a three-day Annual Antique Tractor and Steam Show at its property 2 kilometers south of Paisley on County Road 3, on the third full weekend of each year (Aug. 16, 17, 18, 2019). The 2018 show covered 75 acres with both working and static demonstrations and exhibits. This year’s feature is the International Harvester Co. line of machinery and equipment, including the Mogul, Titan, McCormick-Deering and Farmall tractors.
The support of our sponsors, our community and our volunteers has been a determining factor in building the BCHA event into the premier show of its type in Ontario.
Every year we have new and exciting features that we add to the show, and in 2020 we are planning another building to house the Lobsinger Threshing Machine artifacts and memorabilia that has been donated to the Bruce County Heritage Assn. by the Lobsinger family that lived nearby in Mildmay. There are many farmers in the county that have threshed using these machines, remembering how hot it was; or how many guys came over to your farm to help you thresh the grain, and then the huge harvest dinners that the ladies provided. Those were the days when men worked together helping each other, as not everyone had a threshing machine. These living memories about our past and being a community is part of preserving our past for the future generations. Those days were not the modern days of mega farms and the monster farm equipment of today.
There is something of interest for every member of the family to see and enjoy. We have horses performing field, demonstrations including a 4 team horse power to saw logs, cutting and binding wheat, using a grain binder, ploughing and discing. To further enhance the field displays you can witness wheat threshing of the sheaves brought to the thresher from the wheat stooks in the field.
Watch the steam engines, and the Rumely prairie tractor plough in the field using a Verity steam engine 8-furrow plough, or watch them cut lumber at the sawmill adds to our children’s understanding of how our pioneers added to our rural heritage.
The Tom Thumb steam engine static display, and the Bucyrus-Erie Steam Shovel, the 1927 Mack dump truck hauling the dirt and dumping it is of interest to the younger family members as well as the older generation.
There is an outdoor flea market, a tractor pull all weekend, sparks show, a horse show ring where horse games are held in the evening after spending a day in the fields. A farrier works his forge there, showing making of horse shoes and other metal tools.
The Bruce County Museum has a display on gathering information about your family’s settlement that will help you to trace your roots back to the crown and deed in the 1800’s when the settlers first came to Bruce County building their sod huts before the first winters snow fall. These pioneers came for a better life right off the boats from the British Isles, leaving behind them the dreaded potato famine.
The lifestyles program has an informative program lined up in Memorial Building in the mornings, as well as musical entertainment in the afternoons. This year “Elvis,” will be the main stage on Saturday, Aug. 17, singing music from the 50s and 60s and in the evening, “The Country Side of Elvis.”
This year’s tractor feature is the International Harvester Company, machinery and line of equipment, including the Mogul, Titan, McCormick-Deering and Farmall tractors. Of course, there are many different breeds of tractors that are on display, many of which are rare.
Bruce County Heritage Farm & Antique Show hosts a Classic Auto show, with many vintage vehicles brought to be viewed by the public.
The Craft building has many crafters, and our local pie maker has a booth there, and early Sat morning many are lined up waiting for her to arrive. There are concession stands for you to purchase your lunch, including the delicious French fry booth, wood fired homemade pizza, topped off with of course, homemade ice cream. This is not the weekend to start a diet.
Fly, drive, or bring your camper (reservations needed) for the weekend and experience things to do at the Bruce County Heritage Farm Show, Paisley, Ontario.
Paisley, a place where the people are always friendly. See you at the Show!
Sharon Cluley,
Secretary