OLDS — Olds Regional Exhibition (ORE) is one of seven regional agricultural societies receiving a one-time cash injection from the provincial government.
More than $7.4 million will be distributed among the ORE as well as agricultural societies in Red Deer, Camrose, Lloydminster, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
The money was announced by Agriculture and Irrigation Minister RJ Sigurdson.
The province says the purpose of that cash is to help those societies cope with increasing costs and plan ahead for the future.
That money comes on top of $2.8 million in annual funding for regional agricultural societies through the Agricultural Societies Grant Program.
Last year, the provincial government hired Deloitte to conduct a sustainability assessment of the societies and provide recommendations to address their financial struggles.
“Those recommendations helped inform this funding and the next steps,” a provincial government news release says.
Each regional agricultural society currently receives total annual funding of $398,853, including a base grant of $298,853 and an operating grant of $100,000 to support agricultural event days.
“It’s hard to overstate the impact regional agricultural societies have on rural Alberta. From event organizing to infrastructure upkeep, they energize folks and bring communities together,” Sigurdson is quoted as saying in the news release.
“This funding will ensure our regional agriculture societies are able to keep up their good work and continue to be pillars of their communities.”
