The 53rd Western Canadian Agribition kicked off on Monday morning with the annual burning of the brand.
Agribition CEO Shaun Kindopp said although the burning of the brand usually leans more politicaly with different dignitaries, this year they decided to focus on community.
That’s why Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace was the one who burned the brand.
Read Also
China seeks improved ties with Canada amid rising trade tensions
China called on Friday for steps to improve bilateral ties with Canada, saying there were no deep-seated conflicts of interest, following a spike in trade tensions with many of Beijing’s Western trade partners this year.
“I think they’ve done a great job of rallying the community and the province around them,” Kindopp said of the Roughrider team.
Though this was Mace’s first time at Agribition, he emphasized how honoured he was to burn the brand, and the inspiration he takes from the agriculture industry.
“I think everything that this province breathes and breeds, specific to what we’re at here and the ag community, with the farmers and ranchers and what it takes to really give us success,” Mace says.
“Everything that we try to be in that organization is everything that the ag community does to provide for everybody else.”
The burning of the brand ceremony also welcomed new provincial agriculture minister Daryl Harrison and federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay.
MacAulay attended Agribition the year he became the federal agriculture minister in 2015, but this year is his first year back since then.
“I was appointed Minister of Agriculture in 2015 when I came to Agribition because I figured, being from Prince Edward Island, I better get on the prairie,” he said. “And it was quite a show. I was so pleased to be here then, and I’m so pleased to be here now.”
A large dump of snow Saturday night didn’t slow Agribition down too much, despite a delay with some of the exhibitors who had to travel. However, the show is still busy with over 130 different events and 5,000 students expected to make their way through the doors. About 1,500 haltered cattle fill the barns this week, as well as at least 1,000 commercial cattle. Michael Latimer, Agribition president, said they have 60 different countries present at the show, with over 1,000 international visitors
