n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C4
n www.thecarillon.com THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2026
SUBMITTED BY MARILYN BOUW
SUBMITTED BY MARILYN BOUW Pony rides are some of the activities kids can do at the Springfield Agricultural Society’s Springfield Country Fair.
A group of visitors to the Springfield Country Fair enjoy their lunch. Springfield Ag Society nominated to win $25,000
ety is to bring awareness to agricul- ture in the RM through displays, a demonstration of vintage and mod- ern tractors by The Springfield Trac- tor Club, exhibits in the curling club that consist of horticulture, quilts, and homecrafts such as sewing, bak- ing, and canning. “Just a presence in the commu- nity that sort of demonstrates that agriculture is here and benefits their lives (in) the community” said Bouw, who raises Angus bulls with her hus- band on their farm west of Anola. She said the 4-H Club used to be a part of the festivities at the fair, but that has fallen by the wayside as par- ticipation in the club declined. “We think it’s very important to maintain historical presence in Springfield, but also to highlight agriculture ongoing in the area be- cause we can thank a farmer three times a day. I think the more urban neighboring communities that are next to Winnipeg, the more urban the residents are, the less aware they are of where the food comes from,” said Bouw. She noted the fair is community building. “To the residents of the communi- ty, I think when it first began, which was a very long time ago, it was an amazing affirmation of how import- ant community is in a rural lifestyle. Because people were otherwise overwhelmed by just the process of raising food and feeding their fam- ilies and feeding the world. And if we think about how difficult that was in the past, of course we have it much easier now. But it was import- ant enough for them to set aside, in those days, it was a two or three day fair when it first started and livestock were a big part of it as well.” “So, I think it’s a very important as- pect of the community to just have that continuity of knowing that ag- riculture is an essential part of our society.” At the time of of writing, the soci- ety was in second place in the com- petition. Winners will be announced on April 28.
“The goal is to provide what we temporarily do at our fairs is we rent a tent,… an open-sided shelter. And it just sort of came to us that that ac- tually would be something that the whole community could use and it would be a really positive asset,” said Bouw, who noted that when the shelter is built it will be the only one of its kind in the RM. The Springfield Agricultural So- ciety was established in 1882 and is one of the oldest agricultural societ- ies in Western Canada. It takes about $12,000 to run the Springfield Country Fair every year and it wouldn’t happen without community sponsorship. “We’re very thankful for the com- munity businesses that support us by sponsorship. It’s pretty essential for us to be able to continue,” said Bouw. “We keep our entry at the gate at $3 per person and $10 per family in order to make it super accessible. And it’s only because we have spon- sorship that we’re able to do that. We’re really otherwise not covering anything, you know.” The annual fair is held on the fourth Saturday of July and Bouw said it’s an old-fashioned country fair with clowns, magicians, boun- cy castles, kids activities, and kids games provided by Fit Kids Healthy Kids. There is no midway. About 800 to 1,000 people attend the fair annually, although numbers have slipped a little since COVID. One of the most anticipated games at the fair, and its signature event, is the Wellington boot toss, a game that was started in the 1950s or 1960s by a Springfield resident with Scots heritage who wanted to have a little bit of Scotland in his commu- nity by playing a game that is pop- ular in that country. He would pipe the players onto the field and they would toss rubber boots to see who can throw it the farthest. “We have a local piper now who continues that tradition,” said Bouw. But all though the fair can be quite fun, the main purpose of the soci-
by SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC T he Springfield Agricultural So- ciety has been nominated as one of three organizations in the province eligible to win $25,000. BASF has released the nomina- tions for its Growing Home with BASF contest. The contest provides financial support to organizations that strengthen rural communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manito- ba, and Ontario, according to a press release. The three finalists in each province will be awarded: First Place ($25,000), Second Place ($10,000) and Third Place ($5,000). These or- ganizations were selected by a panel of judges, and winners are ultimately determined by public votes. “Oh, it’s so exciting,” said soci- ety president Marilyn Bouw. “I was visiting a friend and just out of the blue got a phone call, ‘Hello, this is so-and-so. And we’re just excited to let you know that you were in the top three. It’s a possibility of one of these three prizes.’ And of course then the nitty-grit- ty happens, right? ‘Well, and here’s what you need to do.’ So, you know, with other grants, you do your grant writing, and you’re selected or you’re not selected, but in this case, the onus is on us to get the word out. And we’re very much trying to do that with all the contacts that we can think of.” “But it’s so very exciting. And we’re, of course, very hopeful that we get the largest amount, the $25,000, because our goal is to build a shelter right at the fairgrounds.” The shelter the ag society is look- ing to build is located in Dugald on land owned by the society at the cor- ner of Highway 15 and PR 206, the site of the Springfield Curling Club and the ballpark for the Springfield Braves baseball team. The shelter will be a 20x40 foot (800 sq. ft). outdoor pavilion style picnic shelter with a concrete ce- ment pad and a metal roof. The es- timated cost of the shelter is $60,000.
SUBMITTED BY MARILYN BOUW Springfield Agricultural Society president Marilyn Bouw (pictured here with her husband Herman) said the organization was excited to learn they were nominated as one of three organizations in the province eligible to win $25,000 from the Growing Home with BASF contest. The money would be used to build a pavilion style shelter on the Springfield Country Fair grounds. Residents are asked to vote as they’re votes will decide the winner.
SUBMITTED BY MARILYN BOUW
SUBMITTED BY MARILYN BOUW Visitors to the Springfield Agricultural Society’s Springfield Country Fair, which sees about 800 to 1,000 people every year, put condiments on their food under the open air tent the society rents every year. The organization has applied for funding from the Growing Home with BASF contest, which could see it garner $25,000 as first prize to build their own shelter on the fairgrounds.
A boy is seen with his calf at the Springfield Country Fair.
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