From Paris Fair to the CNE stage

Paris Fair Ambassador Grace Aulsebrook-Smith takes on judging duties during an agricultural show at the 2025 Paris Fair. Her year-long tenure gave her opportunities to deepen her connection to agriculture and the traditions behind local fairs.

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

When Grace Aulsebrook-Smith first put her name forward to become Paris Fair Ambassador in 2022, things didn’t go the way she hoped. She didn’t win.

For the next three years, the experience lingered in the back of her mind, along with one persistent question: What if? Last year, she decided it was time to find out.

Aulsebrook-Smith put her name forward again and this time earned the title of 2025 Paris Fair Ambassador, beginning a year that would take her beyond the fairgrounds and give her a new appreciation for the volunteers, agricultural traditions and community spirit behind one of Paris’s most enduring institutions.

Now, as that year-long tenure approaches its conclusion, Aulsebrook-Smith is preparing for another challenge.

She will represent the Paris Agricultural Society at the Canadian National Exhibition’s Ambassador of the Fairs competition, joining 59 other fair ambassadors from across Ontario for the long-running leadership program and competition. The CNE Ambassador finals take place Aug. 23 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

For Aulsebrook-Smith, getting there has been about much more than wearing a sash.

“Looking back on my year as the 2025 Paris Fair Ambassador, I think my biggest highlight has been realizing just how much a fair means to a community,” she said. “When I first became Ambassador, I thought my role would be about representing the Paris Fair, attending events, and wearing the sash. But throughout the year, I learned that being an Ambassador is really about representing the people, traditions, and values behind the fair.”

Some of her favourite experiences have been connecting with people in the community, meeting fellow ambassadors and seeing firsthand the dedication of the volunteers who return year after year to make the Paris Fair happen.

Along the way, she has also discovered a little more about herself.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that being an Ambassador isn’t about being the loudest person in the room, it’s about being someone who listens, connects with others, and genuinely cares about the community they represent,” she said. “This year has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and helped me become a more confident speaker and leader.”

Those skills will soon be put to the test.

Kathy McNaughton, co-ordinator of this year’s CNE Ambassador of the Fairs Program, told The Paris Independent in an email that the opening weekend of the CNE brings ambassadors together from across Ontario for a leadership program focused on skill development, leadership opportunities and a shared appreciation and knowledge of agriculture and local fairs.

Competitors are judged on public speaking, interviews, agricultural knowledge, fair and community involvement and their ability to respond to impromptu questions. They also participate in seminars covering topics including mental health in agriculture, preparing biographies and developing an elevator pitch.

Aulsebrook-Smith has spent the past several weeks preparing, but her approach isn't simply about memorizing the right answers.

She has reflected on her year as ambassador, practised public speaking and answering questions on the spot, and expanded her knowledge of agriculture and the role agricultural fairs continue to play in Ontario communities.

She has also leaned on the Paris Fair Ambassador Committee for advice and support.

“Most importantly, I’ve been preparing by reminding myself to be authentically me,” she said. “I know I’m not going into this competition knowing everything, but I am going in with a genuine passion for the Paris Fair, agriculture, community service, and the people who make fairs possible.”

That connection between fairs, agriculture and community is at the heart of the CNE program itself.

The CNE has funded and supported the Ambassador of the Fairs program and its evolution for more than 50 years. Since the competition began in 1971, more than 3,000 young people representing 100 communities across Ontario have participated.

For Aulsebrook-Smith, representing Paris on that stage comes with a responsibility to tell the story of the community behind the fair.

“Representing the Paris Fair means representing more than a fair, it means representing the people, traditions, and values that make the Town of Paris feel like home to me,” she said.

It is a community she describes as one that shows up — whether through volunteering, supporting agriculture, participating in youth programs or simply helping a neighbour.

“I’m proud to represent a place that has taught me that community isn’t something you simply belong to, it’s something you contribute to,” she said. 

“That is what I hope to carry with me as the Paris Fair Ambassador.”

Should she be selected as the CNE Ambassador of the Fairs, that community representation would continue for another year.

McNaughton said the winner spends the remainder of the CNE greeting visitors, answering questions, representing youth at events and helping with activities. After Labour Day, the ambassador visits fairs around Ontario, speaks at agricultural events, judges local ambassador competitions and participates in the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies conference.

But Aulsebrook-Smith already knows the value of the experience won't be determined solely by what happens Aug. 23. Her own path to becoming Paris Fair Ambassador taught her that.

“My biggest piece of advice for future Paris Fair Ambassador candidates would be: don’t wait until you feel ready, put your name forward anyway,” she said. “I almost think the most valuable part of being an Ambassador is the growth that happens after you say yes.”

That growth has translated into confidence, communication, public speaking and leadership skills she says have helped her through post-secondary education and even in securing employment.

Now, as she prepares to represent Paris among ambassadors from across Ontario, she is carrying a year's worth of experiences with her.

“Of course, winning is an incredible accomplishment, but the knowledge, confidence, relationships, and skills you gain along the way are something you take with you long after the competition is over,” Aulsebrook-Smith said.