During today’s OVAR dinner our Fred Mills received the 2016 McEwen Award, an award which is annually given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the hobby of railroading.
The Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders (OVAR) is a club, established in 1961, made up of people who are interested in model and prototype railroading.
The list of Fred’s contributions to the hobby is a long one. Fred is the Ottawa grandfather of large scale railroading. He brought the hobby alive more than 20 years ago and dedicated his home and garden to a beautiful lay-out and museum quality displays of rolling stock. It is in this place that the Annual Invasion of our American Friends came to be.
Fred promotes the hobby whenever and wherever he can. His home is always open to people who need advice, support or information. He is also known in and around Ottawa as the Kadee expert. He loves his KD #1 couplers and never turns anybody down who doesn’t know how to convert a certain engine or car.
Fred, congratulations on this well deserved Award.
PS I just heard that this man turns 75 tomorrow. Double congrats!!
