The Bonnyville Agricultural Society is celebrating a successful year and looking to continue the momentum into 2026.
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The society has submitted a request for $20,000 in funding to council to be considered during the upcoming budget deliberations. It would support rodeo and chuckwagon weekend, along with the fall fair, in the form of an event grant. Various events are hosted by the AG Society at 4201 55 St., where the rodeo grounds are located.
Corey Dows, president of the Bonnyville Agricultural Society, said this has been a very successful year.
“This year, we were very successful, first with our big event with rodeo and chuckwagons, went very well and we have just finished off our fall fair along with Indian relay,” he said, noting the fall fair being increased to two days worked out well.
A new initiative is in the works this year to start up a junior AG board. The board will feature participants from the ages of 14-21. With the goal being to build up board members and when they’re ready they can become a part of the AG society board. Dows says it’s a way for the board not to get stagnant.
There’re some big plans in the works in the near future for the society and its facilities.
“We’re also going to be talking about planning a three-to-five-year plan of building a new indoor arena,” said Dows. “That’s a big undergo that we’re going to take. To do that, we’re probably going to be coming to the town looking for permanent water and sewer. That’s one of the things that’s holding that’s us back right now from doing events are toilet rentals. Septic emptying is over $30,000 a year right now. Just during the rodeo and chuckwagons, you’re looking at almost $20,000 just to have portable toilets.”
They might be welcoming a big event into Bonnyville next year.
“We’ve been asked to possibly host the Indian Relay finals next year,” said Dows. “We’ve been asked from a few different people from Kehewin (Cree Nation). They’re just checking to see if we’re going to ruffle feathers with other groups that would possibly want to do it.”
In November, they’re going to be hosting Empowering Minds, which is a provincewide mental health initiative.
Coming up in the new year, the AG society is looking to take part in the Alberta AG Society conference in February. Typically, a few of the board members go every year.
“We’re trying to convince more board members to go every year to attend. There’s lots of learnings for all AG societies,” he said.
Coun. Brian McEvoy said he wasn’t surprised to hear about the need for utilities by the AG Society.
“You’re not surprising us saying, there’s going to come a time when we need to put water and sewer out there,” he said. “That’s something that’s been discussed many times over quite awhile.
“I do compliment you on what you’re doing out there.”
Dows was asked if the utilities are a necessity.
“If we want to have a riding arena out there, we’re going to need water and sewer,” he said. “It’s going to be very hard to do that without having that.
“We’d like to build a barn for the 4-H, so we can host the annual sale.”
Coun. Phil Kushnir says campgrounds are something the city is missing.
“That’s one thing that’s missing in our town, for sure. We have organizations but we have no places to put them, a lot of people camp,” he said, explaining there are grants through Travel Alberta they could apply for.
The item is expected to be considered as part of the coming budget
deliberations.
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