There’s just about a month until the Georgian Bay Steam Show returns to the village of Cookstown.
Georgian Steam and Gas Association club members are already busy getting the show grounds and their equipment ready for the four-day event on the Civic Holiday long weekend.
At the portable sawmill, purchased by the club in 1998, volunteers were testing a recently re-hammered saw blade, making sure the refurbished blade spins at just the right speed to slice through logs without sticking or developing a wobble.
“It has to spin at 500 RPM (revolutions per minute),” explained Bob Sturgeon, who has been the chief sawyer for the past 25 years. At the age of 94, though, he said, “I’ve got to quit.”
He has been passing on his expertise to a new generation of volunteers, who were busy working on the equipment this past weekend.
The steam show is a big deal, said member Jeff Blaney.
“It only comes once a year. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into the show — setting it all up and taking it down. But we have fun over the four days.”
It features antique equipment, steam-powered engines, tractors of all makes and models, classic cars and trucks on display brought in by members and exhibitors from around the province — combined with demonstrations of wood cutting, water pumping, shingle cutting, threshing and more, tractor pulls, games for kids, live music on the main stage, and vendors of food, antiques and parts.
Blaney is usually in charge of advertising and promotion, but this year he said he was “voluntold” to work on the 2018 feature tribute, an exhibit of tractors and equipment produced by Minneapolis-Moline, and its affiliated Waterloo Manufacturing Co.
There is a reason why he was roped in.
“I’m a Minneapolis Moline collector,” he said. “I had a great uncle that farmed with Minneapolis Moline, down in Vaughan.”
The farm on Steeles Ave. is long gone, but “that’s what got the ball rolling.”
Blaney’s collection started with a single tractor. Now he has eight, plus equipment.
“Some people collect artwork and antiques and stamps. We’re into antique farm equipment.”
There’s a second feature this year: oddball and orphan makes, such as the Avery and the Sears tractor, which was available through its catalogue.
“There’s not too many of those around,” said member Dave Lockhart. “They only made them for a couple of years, although they were a good tractor.”
“It’s anything that was a one-off, or short-lived,” explained Blaney. “A lot of early steel wheel stuff — rare equipment never seen before. It should be good.”
While Blaney went over the Bob Dickson Building display hall, Lockhart helped Gordon Baker use a tractor and power take-off to cut a supply of wood for the massive steam engines that are always a highlight of the show.
“We’re trying to make sure everything’s running,” said Baker.
“This is our relaxation,” added Lockhart, with a grin.
There is still nearly month to go before the Georgian Bay Steam Show opens to the public, August 3-6.
“We’re always looking for new members, volunteers,” said Blaney, issuing an invitation to the community to sign up. “If you have an interest in any of this, or want to get out and meet new people… there’s a lot to do!”
For more information, visit steamshow.ca.
Memberships are $25 each, or $5 for a junior membership (under age 17). Contact Eileen Stephens at 705-252-3235 for details.
