Article content North Sydney’s Bob Jardine, right, trades memories of past seasons of the Cape Breton Exhibition with District 2 Coun. Earlene MacMullin Saturday at the announcement of $3.2 million funding for the Exhibition grounds and facilities. Jardine lives just around the corner from the site and has supported the exhibition each year since he was a child. Photo by ROSEMARY GODIN/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentCHILDHOOD RECOLLECTIONSArticle contentThe CBRM mayor drew smiles and nods as he reminisced about his childhood days when many children would sneak under the fence to get into the exhibition. Clarke said it was a common practice among the youth and generally ignored by the gate attendants. Article content“And you were very proud of picking your blueberries to get money to come to the exhibition,” he said. Article contentThat was a practice District 2 councillor Earlene MacMullin said she knew about very well. Article content“I’d pick them, too (blueberries), and then go door-to-door selling them for money for the (exhibition),” she recalled. “Everyone did.” Article contentThese days, she’s able to bring her grandchildren to the exhibtion, as it continues to be a family event down through the generations. Article contentMacMullin said Saturday she is delighted to see government funding at all levels come to the Northside. Article contentArticle contentBonnie Lewis of Balls Creek attended the announcement and spoke of her deep roots with the exhibition that go back to childhood and even generations before her. Article content“It’s important to keep the history for future generations,” she said. Article contentHer family is involved in the many horse shows and harness races that take place there. Article content“I got my first job here in high school,” said Lewis, adding that she can’t help but mention that she met her husband while working at horse shows.Article content Cape Breton Exhibition Society president Donnie MacNeil, right, speaks with Sydney-Glace Bay MP Mike Kelloway following the announcement of millions of dollars in tri-level government funding earmarked for the Cape Breton Exhibition site. Almost four years ago, a “for sale” sign was on the exhibition’s fence and MacNeil and others jumped in to save the site from development by forming the society and buying the property. Photo by ROSEMARY GODIN/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle content‘FUTURE VERY BRIGHT’Article contentSaturday’s announcement was especially gratifying to all the board members and community members who remember the crisis of almost four years ago when a “for sale” sign was posted on the fence at the site. Article contentThe site was previously owned by the Cape Breton Richmond Federation of Agriculture, which had to put it up for sale partly because of the cost of upkeep. Article contentArticle contentThe exhibition grounds in North Sydney are especially important to the horse-owner community. Article contentThe site contains the only facility east of Antigonish that can hold the number of horses that come to competitions and races. Often, there can be 60 to 90 competitors at a weekend show. The grounds and stables are often used by the Cape Breton Western Riders Association. Article contentNews of an impending sale years back upset the North Sydney and general Cape Breton agricultural community. Longtime exhibition volunteer Donnie MacNeil stepped in and co-founded the Cape Breton Exhibition Society, which submitted the winning bid on 6.8 acres of property that contain several buildings. Article contentMacNeil is presently the president of the society. Article content“Just remember, the board could have said, ‘This is too big of a problem,’ and walked away from this and the exhibition could have been no longer,” Clarke said. “But the exhibition’s future is very bright, thanks to the work of people from this community, for our community.”
Tri-level funding announced for Cape Breton Exhibition
