EGANVILLE – The people of Eganville and Renfrew County certainly know how to make a person feel welcome.
For the homecoming of their own double Olympian Melissa Bishop, they outdid themselves. The people did what the Melissa Bishop homecoming committee hoped they would do; they closed down the town for more than two hours.
Hundreds of colourful floats and vintage vehicles paraded around the town on what the Bonnechere Valley Township declared as Melissa Bishop Day.
Starting and ending at Eganville Legion Field, there were horses, marching bands, ATVs, vintage fire trucks, motor bicycles and floats of all shapes and sizes carrying messages of welcome and congratulations to Melissa Bishop.
Thousands of people lined the streets of the town to cheer on their local champion.
They came from Toronto and Ottawa and all around the county.
They stood in throngs undeterred by the rain, hoping to get a glimpse of the national 800-metre record holder.
Riding on a carriage pulled by two stately black Percheron horses, Melissa Bishop waved and smiled at everyone along the route.
Get your September 14, 2016 edition of The Valley Gazette to read the full story.