Each year, the Swift Current Agricultural & Exhibition Association connects with more than 200,000 people. The annual Frontier Days accounts for a good part of that reach, but year-round programming is also a significant part of its mandate to provide service to and enhance the life of residents of the community in the areas of agriculture, entertainment, sport and culture.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the organization and its predecessors have ensured residents and visitors to Saskatchewan’s southwest have had community events to be proud of.
From the CCA Rodeo and Doc’s Town Heritage Village to the Junior Stockman’s Show and the Discover the Farm event, the organization provides numerous opportunities for community engagement.
“Many people say Frontier Days is the Ag & Ex, but we have a lot of different branches,” explains Chris Martens, communications director for Swift Current Ag & Ex. “There are summertime programs we put on for kids, events we run at various schools, educational programs for adults and also entertainment. There are many facets.”
Martens points out that the organization’s staff and board of directors are continually at work to provide the smooth delivery of activities. They’re passionate about showcasing the region’s agricultural background, its broader heritage and its numerous cultural elements, such as music and other forms of entertainment.
“Our youth is our future, and we are proud to provide scholarship dollars to our Frontier Days Ambassador on an annual basis,” he says. “The Frontier Days Ambassador is the high honour for a youth in Southwest Saskatchewan and is a great way to be part of the community.”
Ag & Ex personnel are always busy in the background, but with so much going on they also rely on the dedication and community spirit of volunteers.
“Without our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to put on a lot of the things we do. We’re also grateful for the summer students that help out as well,” says Martens, adding that volunteer groups are also eligible for honorariums.
Tracey Stevenson, who manages the Ag & Ex office, explains that numerous clubs and teams enjoy volunteering together. Many of these organizations fundraise through various activities, including gates, concessions and parades, as well as maintaining the grounds and assisting with set-ups and tear-downs. Their dedication, she says, is integral to the Ag & Ex team, which is deeply appreciative of everything they do.
“There’s the ACT Club, the Redneck Betties, the Dance Studio, the Swift Selects football team, Canadian Mental Health, Burnham 4-H and the Living Sky Casino Pow Wow Committee,” she says, listing a number of the volunteer groups. “The Redneck Betties, for example, have done it right from the start. This is their 18th year.”
Something else a lot of folks might not know about the Swift Current Ag & Ex is that it’s both a non-profit organization and a registered charity, and monies earned are filtered back into the community.
“The money we bring in from the events we run, be it gate fees at trade shows or Frontier Days events, gets turned right around and goes back into the communities we serve through the various events we have,” says Martens. “We want to be able to continue funding events for coming years so the public can be entertained and happy with everything we do.”
As with volunteers, the Ag & Ex relies on sponsorships to ensure it can continue serving the community with quality educational programming and entertainment. By becoming a sponsor, local businesses and individuals can also contribute to cultural preservation and promotion.
“We’re very grateful to our sponsors, whether they’ve been with us for one year, 10 years or 20 years,” says Martens. “We appreciate our sponsors because they help us move forward and provide top-notch entertainment and educational activities for the community.”
Martens also doesn’t take for granted the ongoing and enthusiastic backing of Swift Current and the surrounding area.
“The reason we continue to do this is we keep getting people who come to us and tell us how much they’ve enjoyed our programs or events, how much they’ve learned from them,” he says. “That’s something you can’t put a price on.”
The Swift Current Ag & Ex keeps an office at 1700 17 Ave SE in Swift Current, and it can be reached by calling (306) 773-2944 or emailing kineticpark@swiftcurrent.ca. Prospective volunteers are also welcome to view and fill out an application form online. Additional information about the organization and its programming can be found on its website.