Heather Wright/The Independent

The Lambton 2027 International Plowing Match Committee says they were wrong; the 2027 event will be in Brigden.

A local committee landed the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in April 2025. The group attracted hundreds of volunteers and planning was well underway.

In late May, Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) officials came to Brigden, working with the local committee on the event.

But on June 30, Local Committee Chair, Dennis Bryson, and Lambton Plowmen’s Association President Albert Tuinstra sent an email to the OPA saying Lambton would not host the event.

The local 2027 organizing committee then sent out a news release July 3 saying  after “careful consideration,” the committee withdrew its offer to host.

“We were unable to successfully negotiate and finalize a hosting agreement that was mutually beneficial for all parties and have decided it is in everyone’s best interest to conclude those discussions and allow time for provincial event organizers to discuss alternative host sites outside of Lambton County,” the news release said.

Volunteer Doug Beatty, told The Independent “it is a multifaceted undertaking, and we just got in a situation where we were not able to get the necessary approvals and to move forward to get planned for a match in the next September,” adding “We’re not going to go backwards from this,” he said, seeming to make the decision final.

The OPA’s Anne Thompson pushed back that day saying the association still expected to host a match in Brigden in 2027. “We still remain committed to this partnership,” said Thompson.

“We were both just surprised and disappointed about that correspondence that we received,” she said suggesting that only Bryson and Tuinstra had resigned and the OPA could work with the remaining members of the committee.

Thursday, the local organizing committee sent out a brief news release saying; ““Our press release of Friday, July 3, 2026 incorrectly indicated that the 2027 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo would not be held in Lambton County,” said Douglas Beatty, a volunteer with the Local Committee of the International Plowing
Match and Rural Expo. Beatty is quoted as saying “some members of the IPM Local Committee have
ceased to be involved in preparations for the match.”

“It is the intention of the Ontario Plowmen’s Association to continue plans to host a Match in Lambton County in 2027. We apologize for any inconvenience which our error may have caused,” the news release said, directing any further questions to the OPA.

The International Plowing Match draws between 50,000 and 70,000 people one week in September each year. Lambton County politicians and tourism officials had hailed landing the IPM as a good opportunity to showcase the region.