It wasn't that long ago when the Grimsby Rotary Club was presented with a challenge: use their significant organizational skills and volunteer capacity to bring back a true antique show in Niagara.
They have has since done that and are planning to go one step further: stage the best, if not the biggest, two-day indoor show in Canada.
As far as Sophie Bond, publisher of The Upper Canadian Antique Showcase, is concerned, they're well on their way.
Back in early 2010, it was Bond and husband and co-publisher J. Herbert Bond who presented the Rotarians with the challenge.
She said the show they delivered in June 2011 was everything they hoped for, with high-quality dealers who came on board early, buying up all the available spots at the Peach King Centre months before the show. Others got on the waiting list for this year's show.
“For having only one show under their belt — it's unheard of,” Bond said. “It was a beautiful show.”
Niagara, with its variety of tourism and visitor opportunities, is an ideal location for such a venture. It's not too difficult to imagine people coming to the antique show, spending a few hours there, and then heading out to a winery on the Beamsville Bench before sitting down for dinner in Grimsby. Or perhaps, they'll take in the show one day, book a night at a bed and breakfast, before heading over to Niagara-on-the-Lake or Niagara Falls.
Mike Hahn, who is on the show committee, said the region's connection to early Canadian history, including the War of 1812, make a show featuring antiques — physical ties to the past — very complementary.
“We live in an area that's very rich in material heritage,” Hahn said.
And that's perhaps the main appeal of antiques; they're a link to an earlier time.
Bond said it's okay if a piece of furniture's been scratched, or has a mouse hole in it. That's part of its history, its story
“It tells a story. It has feeling.”
Also popular are usable antiques, the ultimate in recycling. From dishware to furniture, people are looking for something outside the big box store experience.
“You can get a piece of furniture that will last another 100 years, not a piece of particle board.”
The Grimsby Antique Show returns June 9-10 at Grimsby's Peach King Centre at 162 Livingston Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $6 or $5 with a coupon that can be printed off from the show's website www.gasniagara.ca., which has detailed information on the show, including a list of 44 dealers.