Pontiac Agricultural Society looks back on successful 2023, elects new executive

Pontiac Agricultural Society looks back on successful 2023, elects new executive

The Pontiac Agricultural Society, the non-profit group behind the Shawville Fair, held their annual general meeting on January 25 at the fairgrounds.

At the meeting, President Vaughan Bastien stepped down after three terms at the helm of the organization. He thanked all the members of the board for their hard work and support over the previous years.

Treasurer Heather Dale gave an overview of the 2023 financial statements, noting that they had a very successful year, with attendance numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, they recorded $371,518 in profits from $1,522,206 in revenues and $1,150,688 in expenses. The gate over the weekend grossed $534,157, while the beer garden brought in $305,397 before expenses.

The board elected a new executive (pictured below), with long-time member Ralph Lang stepping up for his first term as president. He said that putting on the fair is a massive team effort, and he will have a lot of help from the Director General, executive team and countless volunteers. He added that they had some plans to improve the grounds for 2024.