Evan McGugan 1925 – 2021

By | June 22, 2021

Evan McGugan passed away Wednesday May 12, 2021 at University Hospital, London, Ontario Canada with his wife Lucille at his side.

Evan was a kind gentleman, a tireless worker, volunteer, and a charismatic international public speaker.  He was a visionary, resourceful and courageous leader during his 35 years as general manager of the Western Fair of London, Ontario.   Evan had the fairgrounds averaging 900+ events per year.  He was involved with the formation of the modern-day harness racing industry.  Pari-mutual wagering equipment was introduced for the first time at the 1960 Western Fair by Evan.  In 1961 he introduced extended night harness racing in Ontario.  This all began because Evan McGugan envisioned an opportunity and acted on it.

Because of Evan’s long time relationship with other industry notables such as Lou Merrill, Ralph Hines, and many carnival operators, he was able to put himself at great risk to create a fully independent midway system.  He was able to formulate this because of his many years of observation and study of the carnival industry. He was especially fond of Cumberland Valley Shows, W.G. Wade Shows, Butler Amusements, and Ray Cammack Shows.  He encouraged Red Wood in the early formation of NAARSO. buy doxycycline online without prescription  Much credit is also due to his leadership in the care and safety of animals, health standards for food concessions, safety codes for amusement rides, independently contracted carnivals and the universal midway coupon system.  During his tenure he set a very high standard of excellence and innovation.  London’s Western Fair was certainly a premium event! buy diflucan online without prescription

When you first met Evan, he engaged you with a quick smile and a genuine sincerity.  Evan brought a high standard of ethics and accountability in his business dealings.  He operated with a high moral compass and demanded the highest integrity of those who worked with him.  He inspired people to find the courage and initiative to advance new ideas.  One of his favorite quotes was:  “it’s never crowded on the extra mile, so keep yourself there.  Always give people more than they expect”.  Many of today’s leaders owe their success to his bold pioneer spirit.  For he was truly an innovative industry leader and he was also my FRIEND! buy singulair online without prescription

—A. J. Slaggert