Millbrook Agricultural Society Recognizes Two Dedicated Volunteers Pictured are members of the MAS at their Annual General Meeting in December where they recognized Diane Armstrong and Colin Winslow as Lifetimes Members. Pictured are back row from left to right: Diane Armstrong (Lifetime Member), Sheila Rogoski (Secretary), Dakota Borutski (Executive Director); in the front row are volunteers Nancy Oortwyn (Treasurer), Paul Shaughnessy (1st Vice President), Al Lang (President), Debra Post (Past President), Chris Brackenridge (2nd Vice President), Colin Winslow (Lifetime Member).
At their Annual General Meeting in December, the Millbrook Agricultural Society (MAS) acknowledged the efforts of two long-standing volunteers with a Lifetime Membership.
Colin Winslow was recognized for his decades of dedication to the Millbrook Fair and whose impact can be seen in nearly every corner of the fairgrounds. His journey began back in the late 1990’s when he first started helping Gerry McHattie with the derby. What began as lending a hand quickly grew into a deep commitment, and by the early 2000’s he had become a director, supporting the fair paper, the derby, truck and tractor pulls, and almost anything else that needed doing.
As the years went on, he played a major role in modernizing how the fair operated. He helped modernize the fair paper, and contributed to flagging, pull-back, and the ongoing upkeep of the track — all crucial tasks that keep the fair running strong.
When he became President in 2008, he led one of his proudest achievements: the full upgrade and modernization of the horse ring. Recognizing that organizers like Kathy Shaughnessy and her team were trying to run a successful show on a substandard ring, he helped bring together a dedicated group who made the transformation possible. That included Jeff Fallis for site preparation, Glenn Windrem for trucking material, the Township of Cavan Monaghan for providing sand, and Dan Eagleson for the fence, and with the help of countless volunteers, a soft, safe and functional ring was created.
And then came the moment that proved the theory: “If you build it, they will come.” With Vikki Brackett and the sanctioned NBHA barrel racing events, the grounds soon overflowed with horse trailers. Entries in the open horse show jumped from five to over seventy in one year — a change that speaks to the scale of the improvement.
During his presidency, he also helped shift admissions to Ticketwize, under the leader-ship of the late David Wells, giving the fair its first accurate understanding of gate numbers. He continued volunteering for another eight years, right up until life got busy with the birth of his son. Perhaps the most meaningful part of this story is the future. Since 2017, his son has attended the fair every single year. With a bit of luck, he may one day become the fourth generation of Winslows to serve as President of the Millbrook Agricultural Society — and perhaps the fourth generation to earn the honour of lifetime membership.
For his part, Colin extended his deep thanks to those who carried the torch after him —especially Deb Post, whose guidance helped keep things on track through the difficult COVID years.
Also receiving this award was volunteer Diane Armstrong who has many favourite memories from each spring at the Millbrook Fair. She proudly entered her baking, showed her 4-H Dairy calf, rode the Ferris wheel, and created posters in hopes that a Millbrook business would display her artwork.
Diane’s journey with the Millbrook Agricultural Society began with the encouragement of Ray Lowery. In 1993, Ray was the incoming President and the long-serving Secretary, Reid Retallick, was retiring. Ray believed she would be a good fit for the role – and that conversation marked the beginning of Diane’s seven years as Secretary of the Millbrook Fair.
During her time in the position, she dedicated countless hours attending meetings and recording minutes, organizing ribbons for the livestock shows in Ray and Fran’s basement, processing exhibitor entries and assisting with the150th Millbrook Fair Anniversary celebrations. Diane also completed what felt like hundreds of laps around Jill and Dan’s dining room table assembling Millbrook Fair Prize Books each year.
Even after stepping down as Secretary, Diane continued to produce the prize books and supported the Millbrook Agricultural Society as a director, always ready to lend a hand. Most recently Diane has put her quilting talents to work and is creating the Society’s 175th Anniversary Fundraising Quilt. Diane’s dedication reflects the spirit of volunteerism that keeps community traditions alive and thriving.
The community joins the MAS in extending its thanks to dedicated volunteers like Diane and Colin whose legacy of dedication and unwavering commitment to the agricultural society benefits us all. We look forward to the 175th anniversary of this iconic event in June. KG with notes from Debra Post.