A week steeped in nostalgia ended with excitement about the future as the 45th Canadian Western Agribition wrapped up Nov. 28.
The show marked the last for 13 buildings on the Evraz Place grounds, leading to much reminiscing and celebrating their role in show history.
“As you know, the Auditorium is scheduled for demolition this year,” said president Stewart Stone.
“We did some math and there’s been over $53 million in cattle sales there in the past 45 years. This is truly remarkable, and it’s just one example of the relevance of the show and the importance of the show and the sales to the cattle industry.”
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Demolition of the buildings, including Exhibition Stadium and several old barns, will begin from the inside out as soon as Agribition has completely moved out.
Construction of the new $37 -million International Trade Centre, announced last summer, is slated for completion in time for the 2017 show.
That means inconveniences for the 2016 event, said chief executive officer Marty Seymour.
He said the construction schedule has not been finalized at this point, and he can’t yet say how exhibitors will be affected.
However, most are looking forward to modern facilities that better accommodate cattle and people.
As well, Agribition announced a new partnership with the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association that will see the top 16 athletes in seven events kick off their 2017 season in Regina.
The Canadian Cowboys’ Association is moving its finals from Agribition to Swift Current, Sask.
There will be four performances of pro rodeo with the participants divided into two pools of eight, but no finals. They will compete for $100,000 in prize money.
This year’s Agribition saw increases in attendance and sales, Stone said. Anecdotally, urban and first-time attendance were up, he said.
The bus program that last year offered both a ride and show admission at no cost and this year cost $3 saw a 40 to 50 percent increase.
New events and attractions, such as the Food Pavilion, appeared popular, and about 7,000 schoolchildren went through the show.
In the sale ring, the number of lots sold and sale averages were up more than 10 percent.
The purebred highlight was a 25 percent share in a Hereford cattle semen package from ANL C HAR T100 TAHOE 86 ET 23B from Saskatchewan breeders ANL Polled Herefords of Steelman, Sask., Haroldson’s Polled Herefords at Wawota, Sask., and Crittenden Bros. at Imperial, Sask., which sold to Tahoe Breeders Group for $41,250.
In the Angus Power and Perfection Sale, an open heifer, Wiwa Creek Evergreen 516’15, sold for $34,000, and a bred heifer, Remitall F Miss Queen 123B, sold for $32,000.
The commercial cattle sale was also strong. Mebs Ranch from Broadview, Sask., consigned a pen of five bred heifers, which sold for $5,000 each to Palmer Charolais.
The average bred heifer price was $3,424.29, while the average open replacement price was $2,066.67.
The international program saw about 700 visitors from 70 countries.
“One significant item to note is we had about a 25 percent increase in active buyer registrations, so that’s really impressive,” Stone said.
“We’ve got a strong and healthy livestock economy in Western Canada, but internationally they still see this as the place to seek out genetics and related livestock products.”
Seymour said $5 million worth of cattle are traded at Agribition annually.
He said the uncertainty about facilities for next year won’t prevent producers from coming.
“The Agribition banner has a lot of value to the industry,” he said.
“That’s a marketing platform you can’t buy. I don’t think you can stay home.”
Next year’s Agribition will be held Nov. 21-26.
