Saskatoon’s Prairieland Park is receiving a multimillion-dollar upgrade that will allow it to host agricultural events and livestock shows with less work and fewer disruptions to existing facilities.
Mark Regier, chief executive officer at Prairieland Park, said the expansion will take pressure off existing facilities and allow Prairieland to host more cattle shows and equine events in facilities designed for that purpose.
Prairieland Park hosts more than 300 events a year, including the Saskatoon Exhibition, the Western Canadian Livestock Expo and the Western Canadian Crop Production Show.
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“Currently we are holding cattle and dairy shows in our trade show buildings, which is a big problem for us,” Regier said. “There’s a huge conflict there because of cleanup and odour problems … so it (the expansion) is going to be a win-win for everything we do at Prairieland.”
Included in the plans are the construction of a 27,000 sq. foot multi-purpose agriculture and livestock facility and a 45,000 sq. foot livestock barn.
The multi-purpose facility will seat as many as 500 people and have a dirt floor, allowing Prairieland to hold livestock shows without disrupting activities in its existing trade centre and banquet space.
In the past, Prairieland workers had to haul tonnes of dirt into the trade centre and spread it on the floor before each livestock show.
When the show was finished, the dirt would be hauled out again and the facility cleaned in preparation for the next event.
The new 45,000 sq. foot barn will also facilitate livestock shows and double as a stable for race horses at nearby Marquis Downs.
The barn will also be heated, enabling the park to host agricultural and equine events throughout the winter, Regier said.
Prairieland Park officials, along with representatives from the federal and provincial governments and the City of Saskatoon, provided details of the expansion last week at the Crop Production Show in Saskatoon.
Federal, provincial and municipal officials announced they would kick in $2.8 million to help cover the costs of the multimillion-dollar upgrade. The province and the city will contribute $200,000 each while Ottawa will contribute $2.4 million.
Prairieland will cover the remainder of the costs, estimated at $2.2 to $2.8 million.
The total cost of the expansion is pegged at $5 million to $5.6 million.
Regier said Jan. 10 that tenders for project have already been awarded and construction work is expected to begin any day.
Construction of the barn should be complete by May, in time for the 2008 horse racing season.
The multi-purpose facility should be ready for use by June 2008, Regier said.
