Manitoba Stampede back in action

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This article was published 22/07/2022 (1227 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MORRIS — As the first trio of chariot drivers took their positions at the Manitoba Stampede, Gina Turnbull watched from the grandstands with tears of joy welling in her eyes.

“This is the highlight of the summer,” she said. “It does feel pretty cool to see this all again… It just feels so familiar — so good. This was part of my growing up. I would look forward to it all year.”

The provincial stampede returned Friday to Morris, kicking off a weekend of rodeo competitions, beer gardens and fun in the rural community roughly 50 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

It was the first time Turnbull had attended the stampede in several years — partly due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, which had put the annual event on hold since 2019.

Turnbull grew up in Morris, and spent countless hours scampering throughout the 40-acre fairgrounds, she said.

As a child, the stampede was about experiencing rides and snacking on sweet treats from the vendors. Now, it is a place to reconnect with old friends and community, she said.

The stampede features a midway, live music and a variety of concessions but the biggest draw is the professional rodeo events, which attract talent from across Canada and the United States, said Mike Bellisle, vice-president of the Valley Agriculture Society.

Bellisle and his team are responsible for hosting Manitoba’s only professional rodeo.

“It’s a great source of pride,” Bellisle said with a smile. “(Riding) takes an awful lot of courage and conviction.”

In a typical year, up to 26,000 people will visit the fairgrounds throughout the weekend, bringing an economic boost to every small business in Morris.

Planning an event of this scale is typically a year-long process, but this year, the organizers did it in four months, said society president Brian Wiebe.

Around 300 volunteers work to make the stampede happen, and the event would not be possible without them, Wiebe added.

“I was born and raised here. I have been involved in one way or another with the stampede since I was 12 years old,” Wiebe said. “The last two years have been hard. We are a non-for-profit organization, so we rely on these events to cover our cost… We need these shows to go on, and we need these shows to do well.”

Hosting the stampede costs around $500,000 every year, Wiebe said.

Valley Agriculture Society covers the cost through sponsorships, provincial and federal grants, fundraising and revenue from previous years’ events. This year was particularly expensive because the 6,000-seat grandstand required renovations, organizers said.

Just weeks before the stampede, contractors were working to restore 24 of the concrete piers that support the structure; the project cost roughly $140,000.

The Manitoba Stampede continues through the weekend.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca