Ready, Steady, Go!

Aurora Banner, July 5, 1972

Aurora Banner, July 4, 1973

The annual firefighter's competition drew large crowds and attracted visitors from out of town.

Depending on the year, firefighters from Newmarket, Keswick, Holland Landing, Bradford, King and Schomberg would meet in Aurora to compete.  The competitions were hotly contested and consisted of: bucket races, water-ball and shooting targets with a fire hose.

After the events ended, the firefighters would facilitate community water-ball competitions.  What is water-ball you ask?

Essentially, it's the firefighter's version of tug-of-war.  A ball is suspended on a cable overhead and opposing teams use water from the large fire hose to push the ball over to their opponent's side.  The team that pushes the ball over to the opposite side wins!

Aurora Banner, July 4, 1974

Some traditions are as entertaining as they are dangerous, and that's the category that the pole climbing contest falls into.

Believe it or not, climbing a pole (often a greased one) was a staple of many Aurora events prior to the Canada's Birthday Town designation.  The earliest recorded contest dates back to the Victoria Day celebrations of 1861 where competitors needed to scale a greased mast.

Sadly, it isn't known when this tradition stopped, however; it's fair to assume that the threats of danger began to outweigh the entertainment value.

Aurora Banner, July 4, 1969

Aurora Banner, July 6, 1977

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