Brett Irick, left, and Robb McPherson cut the cake at the welcome reception on the first day of the ONA convention.
Collectors and dealers gathered for the 52nd Ontario Numismatic Association (ONA) show and convention, held April 4-6 in Windsor, Ont. The ONA is Canada’s second-largest numismatic association after the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA).
For many of those participating in the three-day convention, the location was familiar, since the host club, the Windsor Coin Club (WCC), has hosted two RCNA conventions at the same place in recent years.
Located in the St. Clair Centre for the Performing Arts, the large bourse room is dominated by the floor to ceiling windows along one side, with a panoramic view of the Detroit River, and the City of Detroit.
The two-day bourse was held on the Saturday and Sunday, with a Friday preview. Dealers reported a particularly brisk Saturday morning, possibly because earlier shows held in Windsor were less well attended than usual because of unseasonably cold weather.
Brett Irick served as convention chair for the host club, working with ONA president Robb McPherson.
It was McPherson’s first complete show as president, having been sworn in at last year’s convention in Kitchener, Ont.
The ONA is one of the numismatic events that draws a large number of specialty groups. Amongst the numismatic bodies participating were the Canadian Tire Coupon Collectors Club, the Canadian Association of Wooden Money Collectors, the Canadian Association of Token Money Collectors, and the RCNA. The day before the convention, the RCNA held a day-long strategic planning session.
For the ONA of course, the highlight of the event is the annual awards banquet.
Margaret Clarke, former president of the WCC served as master of ceremonies, while local historian Patrick Brodie spoke about the automotive history of the Windsor area.
The highest award is the ONA Award of Merit, presented to the person living in Ontario who has made the greatest contribution toward the advancement of numismatics at all levels: local, provincial, and national. It was presented to Chris Faulkner of Ottawa.
The next highest honour is the Bruce H. Razmann Award, who was the ONA’s first treasurer, a position he held for half a century. The award is presented to an individual who has held posts on the executive committees, and who has demonstrated dedication to the ONA. It was awarded to Len Trakalo of Brantford.
The final awards consisted of fellowships. A maximum of three are presented each year for outstanding service to numismatics in their local area. The 2014 fellowships were presented to Todd Hume, Fort Erie; Serge Pelletier, Ottawa; and Brett Irick, Detroit, Mich.
The ONA will hold its 2015 convention in Niagara Falls.