Kincardine presents award to Canadian champion plowman Tom Evans

The Municipality of Kincardine is proud of Tiverton plowman Tom Evans (above, right, with Kincardine mayor Anne Eadie) who won the Canadian plowing championship in Ottawa at the end of August.

To recognize this achievement, Evans received an award from the municipality, at the council meeting Wednesday night (Nov. 2).

Eadie congratulated him on winning the national championship for reversible plowing.

"I watched him plow at the Bruce County Plowing Match and he has amazing skill at plowing," she said. "And now, he is going to represent Canada at the world championships in December, 2017, in Kenya."

After accepting his award, Evans said the pride that the community has shown him has been overwhelming.

"Thank you for this award," he said. "I'm looking forward to representing Canada at the worlds in Kenya next year."

Evans said the world plowing championships began in 1953, as countries in Europe, as well as Australia, the United States and Canada, began to look at "turning swords into ploughshares" after the Second World War.

As for reversible plowing, he said it's a unique style, done on a triangular plot, rather than a rectangular one. "The fields in Europe are triangular so they use a tapered plow which is wider at one end."

He said fund-raising will begin next year to transport him and the required plowing equipment to the worlds. "They have very little machinery in Kenya, so I'm getting a new tractor and plow from Norway shipped there for the competition."