“We’re there to
serve.”
took on major responsibility.” St. Anne’s High School, the now
defunct Tecumseh Lions and Tecumseh Optimist Club also
played a role over the years.
And then there’s the corn. “It’s arguably the key reason
for the festival’s long-cherished existence,” says Hardcastle.
A central feature of the town, the highly regarded food
processing plant was established in 1931 as Fine Foods of
Canada to process the best quality vegetables grown in Essex
County and became formally known as Green Giant. Pillsbury
Green Giant was sold to Family Tradition Foods in the early
1990s, which in turn was sold to Carrier Foods in 2006. It was
bought by the current owner, Bonduelle, the following year. “In
all this time, whatever name is attached to it, the Corn Festival
has had unwavering support with the donation of the corn and
related equipment for its premiere role in the Town’s
trademark celebration.”
At its heart, the Corn Fest is a celebration of the summer
harvest and the season drawing to a close. “It’s the people,
who make the festival vibrant, whether they are volunteers,
A TRIBUTE TO ALISTAIR MACLEOD
A BOOKFEST WINDSOR 2014 EVENT
OCTOBER 23-26
Also appearing at BookFest WINDSOR 2014
Caroline Adderson, Steven Galloway, Douglas Gibson and Nino Ricci
For an up-to-date list of featured authors and scheduled events visit our website and
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vendors, entertainers, town employees or the guests that
attend – we all come together for that weekend, rain or shine.”
Of course, there’s more to the Corn Fest than just corn,
and as the festival has grown, so too has the entertainment
and excitement surrounding it. There’s the Miss Tecumseh
Pageant, the parade, a classic car show, a midway, and musical
acts. This year, continuing the festival’s commitment to
Canadian entertainment, Down With Webster takes the stage
on Friday and Suzie MacNeil performs on Saturday.
There’s more than just the Corn Fest to attract visitors,
however. Billing itself as The Great Mallternative, Tecumseh
features a wide variety of businesses and services attractive to
everyone. Art, antiques, fashion, jewellery and other retail
establishments are located throughout the community, and a
supportive BIA helps out with streetscaping, beautification
and promotion. Its website proudly sports a “featured
business” spot and joyously announces new businesses (at
press time, a health food store called Beets & Berries).
“It’s a business-minded community,” says Bistany. “But
it’s not just about making money, we’re there to serve.”
It can be difficult for a community to retain its own
identity as the nearby city grows right to its very edges. “We
focus on what ties us together,” says Bachetti. “Our skate park,
our arena, our events. We celebrate and encourage civic pride.”
Bachetti would like to see more regional co-operation,
especially in areas of public transportation. As the town
grows, this will become even more important. “We have to
look at things like services, sewage capacity. But we have a
great team at the town, that’s really focused on proper,
long-term planning.”
The numbers support Bachetti’s insight. The most recent
Citizen Satisfaction Survey (2014) indicated that the vast
majority of Tecumseh residents believe they enjoy a superior
standard of living, and 4 out of 5 residents think the town is
headed in the right direction.
“I love it here,” says Westfall, who says she intends to stay
a long time. “We’re anchored here.”