Bruce County council is giving its support to the county hosting the 2026 International Plowing Match.
Earlier this month, the Bruce County Plowman’s Association and the Ontario Plowman’s Association made a delegation to county council asking for an endorsement of financial support for the event.
The plan is to have the event held at Lang Farms, just west of Walkerton.
Council gave their support and will provide start-up funding of $100,000.
Bruce County Warden Chris Peabody says that staff decided that the amount was appropriate to get the ball rolling.
He says that when he was meeting with the Western Ontario Wardens Caucus, the warden for Dufferin County shared how expensive the event could be.
“Dufferin County, when I was at the Warden’s Caucus, [said] they spent $318,000 on the plowing match,” he told council this week. “And I did talk to our staff, and I thought that was a little bit much.”
Kincardine Mayor Kenneth Craig echoed the Warden’s remarks, saying that for a start-up fund, $100,000 seemed adequate to help staff start all of the appropriate planning.
“I think that the wording is correct in that this is a start-up funding,” said Craig. “I am not suggesting that this is the maximum amount, but this is the appropriate amount to start with, and we’ll see what comes of it later on.”