“We have a lot of work to do there – one of the barns...the outside planking is worn out, and of course, horses love chewing on wood,” says Bill McQuaker, for the Virden Agricultural Society. He was pleased to hear of the Provincial grant for $2,000 to the Ag Society. He says their “number one priority is to put a high output fan in the kitchen.” Meals and snacks are served there for pretty much every event that uses the grounds.
Although, for the third year running there will be no fair, the Agricultural Society fair grounds are an important venue for a number of livestock events every summer.
Within days, the Manitoba Welsh Pony & Cob Show will draw exhibitors from all over Manitoba and from as far west as Alberta.
On the following Monday, Lenore 4-H Club will be showing cattle on the Virden Agricultural grounds, followed by the interclub show and sale on Tuesday.
The Draft Horse Show is returning at the end of July.
But hosting a summer fair is another matter. McQuaker explains, “You have to start early in the year to find judges, officials, and to prepare the prize list and get it out to people by April or May.” All this has to be done in time to find sponsors and prize money. He pointed out that an organizer would need to keep up with what is happening on the fair circuit and plan classes and events accordingly.
“Government funding is harder to get,” McQuaker adds. Projects geared toward public education tend to be first in line for funding – even at an agricultural fair.
But this grant for infrastructure is timely good news for the Ag Society grounds. The Society had to wait until they had enough money saved up to apply for the grant money. “To use that money we have to spend more than that ($2,000 grant).”
