The 2020 Ottawa Valley Farm Show and Other Covid-19 Casualties by Shirley Dolan

Shirley Dolan
Shirley Dolan

Well, its April 1st and I guess this year the joke is on us. Many people looked forward to a better year after the “annus horribilis” that was 2019. Not so, said Mother nature. Yes, we are in the thick of it now, with states of emergency being declared by countries, provinces, and municipalities.

One of the casualties of the lockdown on public gatherings was the Ottawa Valley Farm Show, which was cancelled by the organizers on Friday, March 13, just days before the show was to open. It was a huge disappointment to the exhibitors and the host, for sure, but it was the right thing to do. We missed seeing you at the show but look forward to next year’s show March 9-11.

Easter will be a little quieter this spring. Our family had planned the usual 30-plus get-together but cancelled when it became increasingly obvious that the Covid-19 situation was going to last well past the Easter long weekend … and now its beginning to look like it will last into the summer months.

We can’t know when we will be able to resume Landowner meetings and gatherings but, in the meantime, we plan to continue publishing the OLA ENews, posting on our Facebook page, and producing the Landowner Voices online magazine. The March-April 2020 edition is available. I encourage you to check it out. https://ontariolandowners.ca/march-april-2020/. And of course, social media is available to keep use connected.

Take care of yourselves; check in on your neighbours, friends, and family; use this time to regenerate and enjoy the small pleasures of life.