The Board of Directors at Prairieland, in agreement with Living Sky Sports, have determined that, at this time, it is judicious for all parties involved to adjourn Saskatoon’s proposed professional soccer project.

“With ventures of this magnitude, it is important to adjust to constantly changing economic factors,” says Prairieland CEO Dan Kemppainen. “As we progressed with the project plans, we have had to make the decision to attend to competing financial priorities.” The Corporation continues to support the development of all forms of recreation that bring growth to the City.

The Board and Management at Prairieland are thankful for the durable partnerships that have been built over the past 137 years. Established in 1886, Prairieland is the longest-running corporation in the City of Saskatoon and this longevity is a testament to the principles of fiscal prudence and practical judgment. Prairieland will continue to channel energy towards improving and expanding the core programs that align with the roots of the corporation, and the direction that the community is growing.

Day 6 sets new Sunday record

A new Sunday attendance record was set on Day Six of the 138th annual Saskatoon EX with 39,008 people through the gates. Cooler temperatures earlier in the week contributed to smaller crowds but Sunday’s warm-weather forecast, and the promise of the fan-favourite Crash ‘N Bash Demolition Derby, enticed families to the park for the final day of the fair.

The full-week attendance numbers came in at 207,046. Prairieland is grateful to all the patrons who chose to come and Play the Day Away with us this summer. We are equally grateful for
the amazing group of sponsors, volunteers, vendors, exhibitors, supporters, and staff members. Each one plays such an integral role in the success of our fair.

While we reflect on the 138th annual show now completed, we are already looking ahead and anticipating a great turnout for the 139th annual fair coming August 6-11, 2024.

The spectacular RCMP Musical Ride will arrive in Saskatoon July 15 & 16, 2023 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Two afternoon performances will take place at the Prairieland Grandstand at 2:00 pm both days, with gates opening at 1:00 pm.

With RCMP150 on the horizon, the Musical Ride is taking its world-famous show across the country. Don’t miss this summer spectacle starring the RCMP Musical Ride. A troop of police officers and their horses delight audiences with a truly spectacular showcase of equestrian skill through a formations and cavalry drills set to upbeat music.

The always fun and loveable SuperDogs™ will serve as the opening act for the Musical Ride, delighting all ages with their all-Canadian cast, all-Canadian music, and even some Canadian breeds come together for CanaDogs – a fun and furry celebration that will have you laughing and cheering on the world’s most amazing dogs.

The Board of Directors, Management, and Staff of Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation congratulate Tracy Arno on her recent appointment as Chair of the Board of Directors of Prairieland Park. Evan Drisner was re-appointed as Vice-Chair. 

Tracy Arno is a business leader, entrepreneur, and owner of one of the leading boutique search firms in Western Canada, Essence Recruitment. She leads by her values and believes in helping others in her community through her expertise in recruitment and training.

Tracy is passionate about her community and has extensive involvement in several boards and countless hours volunteering for various causes and community events. In 2022, she received her ICD.D designation. Tracy’s most recent appointments include the Chair of Prairieland, Past Chair of the NSBA, the Board of Directors for Sask Water, and the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation. She is also the Past President of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce and represents the province on Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judicial Council. Tracy’s most recent initiative was in early 2023, where she created a much-needed training program for small- to medium-sized businesses, Improve Your Recruitment Skills. Most important to Tracy are her husband and two children.

Prairieland would like to introduce our newest Corporate Partner, Great Western Brewing Company. This partnership with Saskatoon’s favorite brewery means that the popular Great Western beer varieties will now be available exclusively at events in the World Trade Center Saskatoon at Prairieland. Prairieland is excited to commence our relationship with Great Western to enhance the customer experience and looks forward to the advantages the local brewery brings to this partnership. 

Prairieland is happy to announce that the 33rd annual Saskatchewan Blue Cross Gardenscape Backyard Living Show will take place March 24-26, 2023, kick-starting spring in Saskatoon and putting an end to winter.

For three days at the end of March, the World Trade Center Saskatoon at Prairieland will transform into a paradise bursting with vibrant blooms, and deliver a program comprised of diverse learning opportunities, family-friendly entertainment, delicious food and beverages, and a trade show with something for backyard and garden enthusiasts of every level.

This year, all “how-to” and practical advice presentations happen on a central stage in the Main Trade Hall. Patrons will find information on how to extend their growing season, properly start seeds, and grow plants that survive in Saskatchewan’s harsh climate. They can also learn about urban agriculture, what makes the ideal soil biology, gas and electrical backyard safety, and how to grow cut flowers, just to name a few. Don’t miss the University of Saskatchewan Plant Sciences department informational displays!

Shop local, shop green is the motto for the Gardenscape Trade Show & Market Place where green thumb shoppers can hunt for décor, plants, products, equipment, furnishings, backyard services, and more! Almost 90% of all new vendors to the show are from Saskatchewan! Besides learning and shopping, patrons can also take in the popular GardenScapes Art Show & Sale, now in its 25th year, or catch one of many daily appearances by the SuperDogs™ in Rock & Roll Over sponsored by Global Saskatoon, both located inside the Main Trade Hall.

The Prairie Berry Cafe will be serving up delicious homemade berry goodness and feature desserts or patrons can visit the new Backyard Patio Bar. The Saskatchewan Blue Cross Gardenscape is a “sip and stroll” event so you can take your beverage with you as you browse.

Over 7,000 bulbs planted last fall will be in full bloom to decorate the show and display gardens and inspire your creativity! These plant materials will be up for sale or auction starting at 6:00 pm on Sunday, March 26 in the Main Trade Hall. This a fantastic opportunity for growers to begin their gardening season with hearty shrubs, bulbs, and indoor plants!

Dan Kemppainen, Chief Executive Officer is pleased to announce that Donald Player has joined the Prairieland team as Chief Financial Officer.

Donald is originally from a small town in BC. He completed a B. Comm. at the University of Victoria and received the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation in 2006. He is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, holding the designation of CPA, CMA.

Donald has vast experience across many industries and has direct experience in financial analysis and planning, corporate accounting, financial statement preparation, evaluation of capital expenditures, mergers and acquisitions, system implementation and integration, and managing corporate risk. He has previously held executive roles including as CFO and Vice President, Finance, and has led teams for over 15 years.

Donald is excited to be part of the team and looks forward to contributing to Prairieland’s planned initiatives and growth.

Dan commented, “We are very pleased to have someone of Donald’s caliber on the senior leadership team and look forward to his contributions.”

The annual Prairieland Youth Leadership Conference was held this weekend at the World Trade Center Saskatoon at Prairieland with 40 applicants, aged 14-21, all vying for leadership recognition and scholarships.

The conference had the participants engage in various interactive activities, competitions, and workshops beginning the morning of Saturday, February 4, and ending on Sunday, February 5 with the Awards Banquet, where parents joined for dinner and the awards.

Participants learned from presentations by members of the committee, guest speakers Clinton Monchuk and Dorothy Long from Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan’s Agriculture YouTuber “Ag With Mady.” Topics such as social media storytelling, media, and interview training, communications strategies in agriculture, and effective brainstorming skills were covered.
Candidates were each given a journal to complete their assignments in and were divided into groups to work on a group presentation about contemporary agriculture issues to be presented Sunday morning. They were closely watched and judged by committee members throughout the full two days and the results are as follows:

• First place and a $4,500 scholarship were presented to Rayna Yasieniuk
• Second place and a $3,000 scholarship were awarded to Emma Brost
• Third place and a $2,500 scholarship were presented to Katherine Possberg
• Fourth and Fifth places and a $1,000 scholarship were awarded to Jana Rumpel and Amber MacDonald

A highly successful Western Canadian Crop Production Show was held last week at the World Trade Center Saskatoon at Prairieland. The event proudly celebrated its 40th anniversary over four days in nicer-than-expected weather, making for an easy move-in for exhibitors and safe road conditions for travelers.

Now in its fourth decade, the Western Canadian Crop Production Show, presented by Farm Credit Canada, continues to provide farmers and agri-businesses with access to the latest in technology, services, and products that are required to increase yields and processing abilities while decreasing losses and costs. The event ran concurrently with Saskatoon’s Agricultural Business Awareness Week, making it an opportune time for crop producers to plan for the upcoming growing season.

Occupying a total of 960 booths spread out over 250,000 square feet of trade show space, 330 exhibitors were set up to showcase their services and products to patrons from all across the prairie provinces. Exhibitors and organizers were pleased with the turnout as the show’s attendance returned to pre-Covid numbers with 20,434 patrons.

A total of 10 exhibitors were recognized for their 40-year commitment to the event including: Bourgault Industries Ltd., Brandt Agricultural Products Ltd., Canadian Grain Commission, Cargill Ltd., Morris Industries Ltd., SeCan, Syngenta, University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Center, and the Province of Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.

Canadian farmer and comedian Quick Dick McDick joined us as the featured entertainment at the Barley Bash, a mixer for trade show exhibitors. Fans were delighted that the YouTuber attended the trade show for the following three days as he engaged in humourous, industry-related conversations with many patrons.

To celebrate the 40-year milestone, one lucky patron won a trip to Las Vegas in a raffle co-sponsored by Prairieland, Uniglobe Travel, and FMC. In addition to the fabulous travel prize, the raffle raised funds that will be donated to Stars Air Ambulance. The winning didn’t stop there — the progressive 50/50 lottery sent someone home with over $13,000 in winnings, and the remainder will be utilized by Saskatchewan 4-H and Prairieland Agriculture youth-in-ag programs.

We also welcomed back the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame as they announced the five inductees for 2023. A formal induction ceremony will take place at Prairieland on Saturday, April 15, 2023.

The show once again proved itself worthy as Western Canada’s must-attend premier grain industry event due to an inspiring and innovative mixture of information, technology, and machinery. Organizers would like to extend their thanks to the sponsors, presenters, exhibitors, attendees, and dedicated staff, all of whom contributed to the success of the 40th annual show. We look forward to next year’s event, scheduled for January 8-11, 2024, and are excited for a bright future in crop production.

Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit attended the Western Canadian Crop Production Show earlier today and announced the government’s renewed $150,000 funding agreement for Prairieland. Beginning in April 2023, the Ministry will allocate $30,000 yearly, for the next five years, towards agriculture-related events.

“It’s a great day here at Prairieland with this announcement,” said Ag Manager Leigh Ann Hurlburt. “The longstanding support and generosity from the Ministry are integral to the production of our youth programming and industry expositions.”

Prairieland’s new Chief Executive Officer Dan Kemppainen echoes these sentiments, adding, “We are beyond grateful for the assistance we receive from the provincial government. It allows us to continually meet our own high standards when it comes to agricultural excellence in Saskatchewan.”

This agreement provides sponsorship for the Western Canadian Crop Production Show, Prairieland Youth Leadership Conference, Saskatchewan Beef Expo, Prairieland Junior Ag Showcase, and Saskatchewan Equine Expo, as well as Garden Experience and Ag-Experience for Students.

“These events hosted by Prairieland Park are a key component in building the community and industry and we are thrilled to be able to offer continual support for these programs, said Minister Marit.