Stirling sets guiness record with tractor parade
By Patrick Meagher
STIRLING — The three-hour tractor parade, held as part of the Village of Stirling’s 150
th Anniversary Celebrations, has finally been awarded a Guinness World Record.The parade committee received the official certificate from Guinness last month, which states: "The largest parade of tractors of various brands consisted of 601 tractors and was achieved during the ‘Farmer’s Day’ parade organized by The Stirling 150th Anniversary Committee in Stirling, Canada, on 20 August, 2008."
The village of Stirling is delighted with the recognition from Guiness, as tractors from all over Ontario joined the parade (See page 19 photo), said parade committee member Darrin Heasman, a Stirling-Rawdon police constable. There were actually 602 tractors, but one tractor, owned ClaireKing, had a flat tire.
Several months after the event, Heasman recalled stopping King, whom he had never met, on the highway for speeding. Heasman recalls telling King, "I suppose I could give you a break if you were in the world’s longest tractor parade."
"Why, yes I was," the suddenly relieved King blurted out, adding that he had two tractors but one broke down.
"That wouldn’t be tractor number 160?"
"Why, yes it was," said the astonished King. When the parade started, King was on one tractor and left his wife behind in the staging area as she called out that she blew a tire on her Massey Ferguson.