Scholarships a link to Lambton International Plowing Match history

This year's $2,000 IPM 91 scholarship winners, Stacey Marsh, left, Tyler McGrail, and Julie Drury, received their awards Saturday at the Brigden Fair. (Tyler Kula/ The Observer)

“There is a continuity between the organizers of the two, a mentorship if you’d like,” said Bryan Boyle, one of the volunteer who helped stage the 1991 provincial plowing match championships in Petrolia.

The legacy of the 1991 event continued in Brigden Saturday, amid the the Brigden Fair’s 175th anniversary, when three county 19-year-olds were selected for $2,000 scholarships, based on their community involvement, academic records and financial needs.

This year’s recipients are:

• Julie Drury, of Petrolia, who’s studying critical criminology at Brock University and planning to become a family lawyer focused on advocacy for children.

• Stacey Marsh, of Forest, a linguistic anthropology student at Western University planning a career as an audiologist;

• Tyler McGrail, of Plympton-Wyoming, an aspiring environmental lawyer, currently in justice and legal studies at the University of Guelph.

All are second-year post-secondary students.

The IPM 91 scholarships started with a $125,000 investment from organizers, earned from gate receipts, exhibit rental spaces and donations from the Petrolia event.

IPM 91 volunteer and scholarship trustee Bryan Boyle. (Tyler Kula/ The Observer)

About $170,000 has been awarded since, Boyle said.

“For many years of high interest, we just allocated the interest,” with some support from the Lambton Plowmen’s Association, he said. “It’s only recently we’ve even started to use any of the equity.”

“We haven’t come near close to depleting” the investment, he said. “But knowing the demand and how the costs have increased for the students and the number interested – we just are able to pick the top three – there’s always a possibility.”

Organizers never specify the number of applicants, but “there was, let’s say, a substantial number who applied.” he said.

The spirit of the IPM 91 scholarship included keeping “the presence and the focus on that past, with the goal of someday bringing (the IPM) back.,” he said.

“So I guess you could say in a small way we’ve contributed to that coming back, the idea returning to Lambton.”

~Tyler Kula~ Sarnia Observer