Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk announced a $100,000 grant in support of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair through a five-year commitment to the fair, one of the province’s key attractions.
“The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is one of our province’s oldest and most outstanding events drawing thousands of visitors over the years and celebrating excellence in all sectors of the agricultural industry,” said Wowchuk. “It is an excellent opportunity for urban and rural people to learn from each other in an atmosphere featuring competitions, demonstrations and displays of the best in crops, livestock, agri-food development and agri-business innovation.”
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is the only fair in Western Canada designated as royal. Attendance in 2008 exceeded 118,000 visitors.
“We’re very grateful to the Province of Manitoba for this generous sponsorship,” said Stan Cochrane, president of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. “We appreciate this strong endorsement of agriculture and the role of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in promoting this important industry.”
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, Manitoba Summer Fair and Manitoba Livestock Expo are three events presented annually by the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba which is one of 59 agricultural societies supported by provincial funding.
“Agriculture is a major contributor to our provincial economy,” said Wowchuk. “The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba plays an important role in helping to educate Manitobans about all aspects of agriculture and rural life and the valuable contribution this sector makes toward creating exciting, vibrant and sustainable communities throughout our province.”
