Low attendance but high morale as Agribition 2021 wraps up
Attendance at the Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) is down compared to previous years, but organizers said spirit and morale is up.
In 2019, 121,000 attended the week long event.
Chris Lane, CEO of CWA, said the final numbers for this year’s event aren’t in yet, but he is expecting lower numbers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proof of vaccination requirements, travel restrictions and not having children coming through on school tours are factors causing the low attendance according to CWA.
Lane said there are still approximately 10,000 people expected to come through the gates.
“The people who are making the effort to be here are coming specifically to do business. We have never had better attendance in our conferences from the Grain Expo and the Indigenous Ag Summit,” said Lane.
International participation is also down this year.
There were 100 producers from 20 different countries at the 2021 event, compared to the 1,000 that usually participated in previous years. Chris Lees, President of CWA, said this has caused an increase in online participation.
“They watch the shows, they watch the sales and they’re participating in it,” Lees said.
Despite the lowered attendance, livestock sales have been very good this year according to Lees.
He said pandemic fallout and the summer drought caused an increase in sales. Livestock is selling for $50,000 to $80,000 or more, putting them on average or above previous years.
Even with the low attendance records, the CWA is calling the event a success because of the positive morale.
“I have never walked through those barns or the trade show were people just stop and talk and say ‘we are glad we’re here and thanks for putting this on and getting it up and running,’” Lees said.
Lane added it’s important for CWA to bring the sense of positivity and community that has filled this week into future Agribitions.
“The first show back after COVID-19 had to start somewhere and I don’t think as an organization we could be happier or prouder of where Agribition has started back up,” Lane added.
Agribition 2022 is scheduled for Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, which is one week later than usual to accommodate Grey Cup 2022 festivities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.