A pair of Chatham-Kent teens will be competing for the title of Ambassador of the Fairs at the 2018 Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) this month.
Kelly Verstraete, 19 years old from Bothwell, and Tylene Gall, 18 years old from Dresden, will be competing in this year’s agricultural competition in Toronto from August 17-19.
"All the ambassadors from all over Ontario go to compete for the CNE Ambassador of the Fairs," explains Verstraete. "First, you have to be crowned your fair ambassador and then you fulfil all your duties throughout the year, and then you'll go to the CNE and compete to try to be the ambassador of all the fairs."
Gall says there will be about 40 competitors this year, each representing different fairs. Gall says she is representing the Dresden Exhibition.
"We all have an interview and have to say a speech on agriculture and we get asked an impromptu question as well. From all those things, they judge us and decide who should be the ambassador of the CNE," explains Gall.
"If you get crowned, then you're titled the CNE Ambassador of the Fairs for the whole year. You kind of have to travel Ontario. You attend all these fairs and you make appearances. You can go to other ambassador competitions and watch them and introduce yourself to those ambassadors," says Verstraete.
Verstraete says she has grown up on a farm and has always been involved in agriculture. This will be her first time at the CNE.
Gall considers herself an "opportunity taker" and is excited to see what the competition holds.
"This whole year has been such an amazing opportunity for me. It's really grown my confidence and it's also allowed me to really appreciate my hometown more," says Gall.