Woodstock, Ontario - Springbank Snow Countess Monument

In 1933, Springbank Snow Countess earned the record for producing more butterfat over her lifetime than any other cow in the world. She would hold this world record for 21 years.

The Countess died at age 17, shortly after her last calving, during a heat wave. Although her stall had been lined with ice, she was unable to survive temperatures averaging over 100 degrees F. She was buried on Dent farmland.

The Holstein Association of Canada erected a monument in honor of the Countess and her breeder/ owner T.R. Dent, unveiled on August 4, 1937 on the original Springbank Farms property. The life-size statue weighed five tons, mounted on a base of granite. The monument was moved east of the original site on August 31, 2006 to the current site at the corner of Springbank Ave and Dundas Street to accommodate a land development project.

The monument was restored in the spring of 2007 and designated a Municipal Heritage Site during a re-dedication ceremony on Aug. 4, 2007 -- exactly 70 years after the initial unveiling. [Nancy Watts, 08/19/2008]