This year it was Ivan Thompson who took on the rather awesome task of stroking egos, juggling schedules and praying for sunshine for the seventh annual Settlers Days.
The 39 year old shift supervisor at Rideau Correctional Centre was born in Smiths Falls. His family moved to Montague Township when he was a child. Mr. Thompson's father was a railroader.

As a young man 21 years ago, Mr. Thompson went west to take a cooking course in Saskatchewan. He returned to the area and worked for restauranteur Sandy Patterson in Perth for three years.
And 16 years ago, 1967, he started working for the federal government in corrections at Collins Bay Penitentiary. He transferred in the provincial government reformatory system 11 years ago, and has worked at Rideau Correctional Centre in Burritt's Rapids ever since.
Mr. Thompson has always had a keen interest in community affairs. He's been a first aid instructor, he was the first chairman of the Rideau Valley GRS Club, one of the few remaining radio clubs, and he's been a member of the Settlers Days Committee for the last five years.
But his most prominent recent position has been as town councillor. Mr. Thompson ran for council and narrowly lost in 1980. After Mayor Fred Aboud died, he took the council seat left vacant by the elevation of Gord Durant to the mayor's chair.
He had little trouble being re-elected in the last ballot contest.
Mr. Thompson had a high regard for Mayor Aboud, but he look back at the "coat of arms controversy" as the kind of reason for his involvement in public life.
Mr. Thompson is effusive about the value of traditional things like the town crest, which shows history people can understand. "I like what we've got. I don't want to see it changed. These coats of arms don't mean anything. It's just art work."
Mr. Thompson was, at one time, a leading critic of town council. After sitting on councilfor a short while, he toned down that critisim, and today he's considered a team player on council.
And like most citizens prominently involved in civic affairs, Mr. Thompson credits his Stanleyville -born wife Eleanor, and three children, Denise, Gweyn, and Eric, for having the patience to put up with his time-consuming duties as a town councillor, and Settlers Days organizer.