Gofundme Project to Replace Barn
On June 16th, 2019, for the second time within 15 years, the Coldwater and District Agricultural Society was the victim of arson and lost their cattle barn.
Links to news articles:
https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/fire-destroys-coldwater-fall-fair-cattle-barn-1.4470110
https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/9438572-fire-destroys-cattle-barn-at-coldwater-fairgrounds/
Work on the Scene
Several community members responded to a request for assistance only hours after First Responders extinguished the fire. They worked together to quickly place a perimeter fence around the scene to ensure public safety.
Work With Insurance
We started negotiations with the insurance providers on rebuilding options. Insurance on the barn covers the replacement value. However, the agricultural society has elected that instead of building another wood structure and risking the third fire due to vandalism, they would rebuild an all-steel structure. As a result, the construction comes at a higher cost, and the insurance provider will not cover anything above the replacement of the original wooden structure. Also, while negotiating, the pandemic happened, thus slowing the process. During this time, like many other items, the cost of construction increased twice, leaving the agricultural society responsible for approximately $35,000.
Coldwater History
The Coldwater and District Agricultural Society has been a part of the community for 127 years operating the annual fair strictly with a very dedicated group of volunteers. Each year the Coldwater and many surrounding communities support the organization by participating and attending any events hosted over three days. We are very proud of the traditions that have been built and maintained over the years.
We look forward to providing these for many years to come.
The Coldwater Fall Fair has also maintained fiscal responsibility to ensure the quality and safety of the fair each year. The annual cost to run the fair is approximately $100,000 and requires significant upfront costs before the annual hosting.
Your Support Needed
To ensure we can maintain our fiscal responsibility, we ask for some assistance in offsetting the additional costs we are responsible for on our barn rebuild. Your support would go directly to the replacement costs of the barn so that we can continue to offer opportunities for families to see the various animals and shows while also providing an opportunity for our local agricultural community to display their livestock.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to providing you with many more years of the Coldwater Fall Fair.
The link to the Go Fund Me page is here: https://gofund.me/b1236a58
Coldwater Fall Fair, Box 339, Coldwater, Ontario. L0K 1E0
