2024 Brussels Fall Fair: Former Ambassador Nicole Lowe's involvement dates back to childhood

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

When she was a kid, Nicole Lowe had to abide by one rule when it came to the Brussels Fall Fair: if she wanted the day off of school to attend the fair, she had to earn it by being part of the annual event in some way.

 

She grew up knowing that she was expected to enter some of her arts and crafts or decorate her bicycle and be part of the parade. In some way, she had to be part of the community of the Brussels Fall Fair and she has since brought that mandate to her family, insisting that her three children get involved and show off what they can do every September in Brussels.

 

Now, her children will often submit their arts and crafts, just as their mother had, but, with a lavish home garden, they will also enter some flowers into the competition from time to time as well.

 

The fair has been a part of her life for just about as long as she’s been alive, so, when the time came, Lowe said she felt that putting her name forward in hopes of being the Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador was pretty much expected of her. And, in 2002, she won the local competition and would go on to do something that no Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador before her had ever done: she placed in the fabled top seven at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Ambassador of the Fairs competition for the province. Only one other Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador, Sean Mitchell, just a few years ago, has reached those heights again.
Lowe said that she helped “put Brussels on the map” as far as the ambassador program was concerned and, for that, she’ll always be proud.

 

After her reign, she then got involved with the planning side of the competition and ran it largely solo for about 10 years, when she began bringing some more people in. That group is now the fearsome foursome of Lowe, Maggie Speer, Hannah Hodgins and Morgan Zoccolante, all former ambassadors themselves, and it’s clear that the program is in good hands, despite the widespread problem of finding enough participants. However, this year, the fair has three excellent representatives who will take centre stage later this month.

 

When Lowe was chosen to represent her community, she said it made her so proud, because the community of Brussels is near and dear to her heart. She has been in the village her whole life, has been involved in a number of volunteer endeavours and always been one of its biggest champions. So, to be able to do that as the Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador was an important stage of her life.

 

And while she enjoys working with the young ambassadors year after year, what means the most to her is remaining part of the Brussels Fall Fair family, which she says that, once you’re a member, you’re always a member. That staying power and sense of community within a community means the world to Lowe and many, many others who have been involved over the years.