Rain dampens Neerlandia Canada Day festivities

Les Dunford – Leader Staff

The rain may have slowed down some of the Canada Day activities at  Neerlandia, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of those who came out to enjoy the breakfast and lunch in the shelter of the old co-op warehouse.

After eating, many of the youngsters enjoyed getting their faces painted up for the occasion, and adults ventured across the street to Neerlandia Public Christian School to take in the bench show.

The morning tractor pulls were cancelled due to the rain, but the 30-plus tractors and their owners waited patiently for the rain to stop so the pulls could begin. Showtime was scheduled for 2 p.m., and the rain let up a short time before.

This gave organizers the chance to pull the tarp off the old Highway 769 south entrance road into Neerlandia and prepare the track for the pulls.

It was a bit of tough sledding at the beginning, but as the afternoon wore on, the roadway packed down and  the determined pullers were able to make good use of the afternoon in spite of the earlier very wet conditions.

The pullers themselves enjoy the camaraderie and have a lot of fun. When they get pulling, however, they are very serious and do their best to get the most out of their tractors and pull the sled as far as they can, at times just barely moving.

Track conditions weren’t the best, but did improve as the afternoon wore on, and in the end, it was considered a good afternoon of competitive pulling.