Ten days after the leaky roofs in the Regina buildings used for Canadian Western Agribition drew headlines, a city committee has allocated money for repairs and to develop a long-term plan.
The finance and administration committee Dec. 4 recommended that $100,000 from the city’s Community Investment Fund money be used to fix aging infrastructure. The Canada Centre roof will be among the first to be fixed.
Another $100,000 from the same fund will be spent on a study of Agribition’s impact and a plan to ensure it remains sustainable.
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“Due to the fact that this event is one of the most significant annual events in Regina in terms of economic impact, and the fact that the city owns the facilities which host the event, there is a need to develop a new partnership model that addresses today’s facility issues and that ensures the long-term sustainability of the event,” said a committee document.
Previous estimates suggest Agribition pumps $27 million into the local economy during its six-day show each year.
Attendance last year was 126,000.
Agribition chief executive officer Marty Seymour said the study, to be led by the Regina Regional Opportunities Commission, is the “real win.”
Agribition is only a renter for three weeks of the year, he noted, and new buildings must be multi-purpose to earn income from many types of events. The study will look at operating and capital requirements.
Seymour said he hopes it can be complete within six months.
He said the $100,000 for immediate repairs will hardly make a dint in the work that needs to be done, but it will take some pressure off.
The city already supports Agribition through an annual grant of $45,000.
The Regina Hotel Association, which already contributes financially to Agribition, will also provide $15,000 for the study.
