Uxbridge said to be the ‘hot rod centre’ of Ontario

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In a deputation to council on Monday, the organizers of last summer's Autofest car show at Elgin Park said the event "put Uxbridge on the map as the hot rod centre of Ontario."

Blair Trotter, one of the car show’s organizers, said the car show was "a huge success," bringing thousands of visitors to the park from as far away as Sudbury and Massachusetts. He said close to 1,400 vehicles were registered for the car show and the organizers were able to donate $16,000 to charities. He said 50 local vendors were on hand to sell their wares.

Council was told Autofest will return this summer for two full days - a Saturday-Sunday event - but that these dates would require the organizers to begin setting up on the Friday. Trotter said that might need some rescheduling of Uxbridge day camps at the park. He said the 2025 show will be "bigger and better" than last year.

Mayor Dave Barton, who was enthusiastic about last year's event, was presented with a plaque of appreciation.

Also during Monday’s meeting, chief administrative officer Kristi Honey presented council with a report detailing all that the township has accomplished in the last year.

The report listed everything done in the past year by every township department, which ranged from erecting a fence in Elgin Park to holding pet adoption days at the animal shelter, organizing surveys for local residents and snowplowing the township's roads.

"Unbelievable," Barton said. "Sixteen pages of accomplishments."

Regional councillor Bruce Garrod commented: "In a world of negativity, it's good to focus on good stuff."

Garrod also presented council with a report on last week's Rural Ontario Municipalities Association (ROMA) meeting in Toronto, which was attended by four members of Uxbridge council.

Garrod noted that the Uxbridge delegation had meetings with eight provincial ministries during the conference to discuss everything from integrating exhausted pits into the Uxbridge Urban Park, the need to enhance GO bus services to Uxbridge to the building of the new hospital and long-term care home. For the discussions on the new hospital, they were joined by Elena Pacheco, chief operating officer of Oak Valley Health, and Oak Valley Health’s new president and CEO Mark Fam.

"The real benefit is the networking," Garrod told council. "It's time well spent."