It was a foggy day when Brant County OPP officers set out to investigate the death of 82-year-old Gordon Oughtred.
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Around 12:45 pm on Nov. 24, 2022, they pulled onto Salt Springs Church Road, a picturesque side road that flanks the Grand River between Newport and Onondaga.
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There, they said they found Oughtred dead in a residence.
A “sudden death” was the reason police initially gave when closing a portion of the road — marked by few houses and vast, open farmland — after they received a call from paramedics.
But several days later, they confirmed it was a homicide.
Oughtred’s passion was tractors, and he had a name in the world of tractor-pulling.
He enjoyed restoring Allis Chalmers tractors with his sons, and his obituary described him as “one of the best tractor pullers in Canada.”
At one time he operated the Caledonia Tractor dealership — although later in life, he was fond of driving his Smart car.
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Oughtred is survived by his wife of 30 years, two daughters, two sons, and multiple children and great-grandchildren.
Multiple generations of Oughtreds are buried in the nearby Salt Springs Cemetery — the family has lived in the area for at least 175 years, establishing Sunny Terrace Farms in 1848.
The 200-acre farm was one of the first in the area to grow soybeans, and was also known for its strawberries.
The family often sold vegetables at the end of their laneway, according to a story in the Brantford Expositor, and at one point, took part in a gleaning pilot project with Brant County Federation of Agriculture and Brant County Junior Farmers, which provided leftover acorn squash to the Brantford Food Bank, according to a story in Hortidaily.
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The Oughtred family hasn’t spoken publicly about the investigation, and declined The Spectator’s request for comment.
Others who knew him, however, expressed surprise at the nature of his death on online platforms and in an interview with the Brantford Expositor, describing a helpful and good man.
His cause of death hasn’t been revealed, nor have police said if there have been any suspects in the past year — information that could affect the ongoing investigation, said Conrad Vitalis, a spokesperson for the Brant County OPP.
But while the person or persons responsible remain at large, Vitalis told The Spectator investigators don’t believe there’s an imminent threat to public safety.
“The OPP reminds members of the public to always be aware of their surroundings and personal safety,” Vitalis added.
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As investigators continue to search for answers, they hold onto hope that someone with information will come forward.
“Please, if you have any type of information, we’re urging everyone to have that courage to pick up the phone, contact investigators,” Brant County OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) in December.
“You’ll never know how much that one phone call means to everyone that’s been involved in this incident,” Sanchuk said.
OPP is asking anyone with any information that would assist this investigation to contact them at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through online message at crimestoppersbb.com. A cash reward of up to $2,000 may be received.
Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
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