Cornwall Heritage Fair Cancelled?

Think back to 20 years ago for Cornwall. It was a somewhat great time economy wise and such. The 1980s recession did kill some businesses but the city hung on. There was always activities going on at the local museums, heritage groups and service clubs. Parades, community BBQs, skating and swim parties. It was a good time to be in the city.

We just started 2010 and it is amazing how things are today. Major businesses (Domtar, CIL, Courtaulds) that were considered safe employment are gone. Some of the well known downtown businesses are gone, killed by big box stores (thanks a freakin' lot, Wal-Mart). Parades are down to two a year (Rememberance Day and Christmas), community BBQs are nearly non-existant and events held by heriatge and service clubs dwindled.

I heard a rumour that the annual Cornwall Heritage Fair will not occur this year or any other year now. I remember years ago when the city was celebrating the 200 anniversary of the founding of Cornwall that the Fair began. I remember it best at the Brookdale Mall and it was fantasic to see so many groups together in honour of our history. I never knew when it was held, just that it was during the winter months. I then came to realize it was during smething called Heritage Week, not something readily advertized by our local media or City.

When the Brookdale Mall was demolished to make way for the present day plaza, which totally sucks by the way (miss the intimate shopping of a mall), I was shocked to learn that the Fair was shutting down. Then I learned one of the participants took the reigns and reloacted to the Cornwall Square. Thanks to the internet I discovered exactly when Heritage Week was and I even found some advertizing for the event. Although there were different locations and people each year, I always managed to find the Fair.

This year I was told by a little birdie that the Heritage Fair is cancelled. Problems with the location? No, not really. It actually involves legal issues thanks to insurance companies. From what I understand, the Cornwall Square needs insurance papers for anyone operating a business or having a special event within their walls. Makes sense of course. But the Heritage Fair is some kind of city event and now the organizing group is unable to obtain coverage. I don't understand what is different this time around compared to the previous years but there is. This birdie told me that there is a chance the Fair will be at the local library. I cannot see that happening with any success. It is not the same enviroment and there won't be much of any visits by the general public as there is at a mall.

So the way I see things, this is yet another annual Cornwall event that has been killed off with the new thinking of today's idiotic world of political correctness and mentality of people bringing forth civil litigations over thier own stupidity. I wish I could stand up and say something to the organizers and to those whom are responsible for killing the Fair, but I can't. All I am is a Mr. Joe Public. I never took part in the Fair, just enjoyed the fact it was there and took advantage of looking at and sometimes purchasing what the many groups had with them. It is a shame that soon this town won't have anything worth going to for us tax payers.