Meafordites parade through the steets and party to celebrate town’s sesquicentennial

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Meaford residents celebrated 150 years of local history with a parade and party at the harbour on Saturday afternoon.

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The Meaford Coyotes track team sped ahead of the rest of the parade. Eventually, the field caught up with the speedy youngsters making their way down St. Vincent Street to the Rotary Club Pavilion and harbour grounds where a party awaited.

The bayside community is celebrating its 150th birthday this year, In 1874, the booming little town formally known as St. Vincent (Peggy’s Landing and Stephenson’s Landing before that) was welcoming both steamships and train cars with a population over 1,000 just seven years after confederation.

On Saturday, celebration committee organizers celebrated the community’s volunteerism, which was on full display at the event where dozens of people dressed in white ‘volunteer’ Meaford 150 shirts.

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“It’s hometown pride,” said event co-lead Janice Height. “Everyone wants to be a part of the party.”

Most of the fun was focused at the harbour, though local businesses decorated their main-street stores, volunteers painted bikes bright colours and dotted them downtown, fitted with donated flower bouquets in the baskets affixed to the handlebars, and little “tidbits” were posted throughout town where people could scan a QR code posted nearby various landmarks to learn about the local history.

Kevin and Pina Godard donated 150 loaves of bread to party attendees, inspired by the original city bakery cart lovingly restored by Gregor Black and on display outside the harbour pavilion.

Kevin Godard, whose family moved to Meaford to own and operate the grocery store two years ago, said the family wanted to find a way to get involved.

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“We love Meaford. There are a lot of events, always, it’s fantastic. It’s great to be a part of the community,” Godard said.

After the tractors, classic cars, Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band, community organizations, scarecrows, and dignitaries paraded into the harbour grounds, a party began and raged on until 5 p.m.

The festivities included lawn bowling, curling and pickleball demonstrations, heritage and information displays, cake, face painting, over 150 prizes, surprises, and more at the harbour on Saturday.

Cow-pie bingo seemed a hit among the crowd. Five cattle from Colesdale Farms in nearby Markdale were released into a pen with bingo squares painted on the ground. People chose upon which square a cow would first naturally fertilize the soil for a chance to win a prize. Bob and Lindsey Coles of Colesdale Farms supplied the animals. Bob said it was the first time part of his herd participated in the game. He wasn’t sure how long it might take for a cow to drop dung, given the animals are most likely to produce a “bingo” right after waking in the morning, and again upon entering the trailer for transport.

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“Sometimes excitement gets things moving, so maybe it won’t be a problem,” he noted.

Longtime local politician Harley Greenfield started the ball rolling on the town’s sesquicentennial celebrations with a motion made in council.

“Whereas, in 1840, David Miller constructed a cabin near the mouth of the Big Head River; Whereas, over the next thirty-four years, the community, which became known as Peggy’s Landing, grew in importance and population, becoming the social and economic centre of the area; Whereas, in 1874, by a Special Act of the Ontario Legislature, the urban area of seventeen hundred persons was proclaimed to be known as the Town of Meaford,” Greenfield wrote in his motion.

Since then, a party-planning committee with “hundreds” of volunteers has orchestrated the various celebratory occasions.

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Saturday’s parade and harbour party was the big show, but there is more to come this year.

A local showcase concert is scheduled for June 29 at Meaford Hall featuring Acapella Sound, The Marlins, Paige Warner and internationally known guitarist Michael Gagliardi — who moved away from Meaford at the age of 19 to pursue music and has since performed with B.B. King, Keith Urban, Buddy Guy and more.

Meaford 150 celebrations are also planned for annual town events such as the municipality’s Canada Day celebration and the Meaford and St. Vincent Fall Fair.

Meanwhile, retrospective banners with a timeline of every decade of the town’s past are displayed at Meaford Hall and the Meaford Museum launched a Meaford Sesquicentennial Cookbook.

Merchandise depicting the 150th logo designed by Jessica Kenyon is being sold at the museum and Meaford Hall, and special sesquicentennial decorations have been installed throughout the town and in storefront windows.

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