Isabel Mosseler
Tribune
Local pride was on display at this week’s municipal council meeting, November 5, as members of the 2019 International Plowing Match (IPM) organizing committee presented a substantial financial gift to the town. The IPM event, held in Verner and drawing over 81,000 attendees, generated significant returns for local communities and reinforced the area’s importance within Ontario’s agricultural sector.
Neil Fox, Chair of the IPM committee, and Dan Olivier, Co-Chair and owner of the event site, attended the meeting to present an audited financial report and, most notably, a cheque for $101,042 to West Nipissing. The funds represent some of the profits from the IPM and are intended to support tangible assets within the community that reflect the event’s legacy. Fox expressed his gratitude to the municipality and community partners for their commitment to making the event a success. “We are here to say thank you,” he said. “This event was your gift to the region, your opportunity to highlight the importance and vibrancy of the agricultural sector to all of us. It was the opportunity to pound on our chests and tell the world that we can accomplish anything we set our mind to.” Fox also thanked the many private sector sponsors who provided essential support for the match. “The private sector is the driving force of this local economy,” he noted. “They continually answer the bell when asked for community support.”
Councillor Jamie Restoule shared his enthusiasm for the lasting impact the event has had on the region. “It’s great to see that this was truly a regional effort and that our partners were recognized for their contributions here,” Restoule commented. “This certainly was a humongous event, and I was able to attend a couple of days. It’s amazing to see such a well-put-together event take place in our little municipality here.”
The IPM generated an estimated economic impact of over $4.6 million for the region, the organizers said. With the event generating over $400,000 in net profit split evenly with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association, communities across the region are benefiting from the $200,000 local share. In addition to West Nipissing’s share, neighbouring municipalities, including St. Charles, French River, Markstay-Warren, and Nipissing First Nation, each received $25,000.
The 2019 IPM was a show of community pride that almost didn’t happen. Councillor Rolly Larabie noted that it was originally slated for 2020 – the year COVID shut things down, but a twist of fate intervened. Larabie reflected on the challenge of organizing the IPM a year earlier than initially planned. “The event was scheduled for 2020 and then got moved to 2019,” he recalled. “That was a big push for staff and municipalities, but we pulled it together. And in hindsight, it was fortuitous, as we avoided the disruptions of the COVID pandemic.”
The match showcased West Nipissing’s ability to host large-scale events, highlighting the hospitality and hard work of the community. More than 1,300 volunteers donated their time and energy to the event, a feat Fox described as a testament to local pride. “They rallied behind the cause and showed that we live in the greatest community in the world,” he lauded. “It was a display of community pride that we should strive to recreate at every opportunity.”
