Manitoba Stampede's return brings boost for people in Morris, organizers say

It's not their first rodeo — but it is their first in three years.

And people in Morris couldn't wait to finally have the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition back in town again this year, said stampede co-chair Mike Bellisle.

"To be honest with you, it's like a kid at Christmas time. It's a big deal for the community. It's a big deal for the RM. And we'd like to think it's a big deal for Manitoba in general," he told CBC's Radio Noon host Shannah-Lee Vidal.

The stampede's fair has been happening since 1895, and its rodeo since 1964. So to see it come back after two years of cancellation meant a lot to people in the community, said Bellisle, who's also vice-president of the Valley Agricultural Society, which puts on the event.

"I think COVID reminded everybody of the things that we can lose in a heartbeat. And the community has come out. They've embraced the event because they understand that it's an economic driver to the region that has pulled in the hundreds of thousands," he said.

"Seeing people in the stands, that gives us meaning and purpose as to why we do what we do. It's been a long, dark two years. And just to see if we can see full stands and people cheering and laughing and clapping and just getting back to as normal as we can get would be absolutely fantastic. Everybody needs a boost."

Bellisle said flooding in the area this year presented a bit of a challenge for organizers. While the town itself wasn't hit hard, many of the event's usual volunteers are farmers who were dealing with the effects of the flood on their livelihoods.

"We weren't bothering them when they had so much to do on their own plates," he said.

"So there was a whole lot of work for the past five, six weeks to get everybody up and running. And we got everything nailed down yesterday afternoon."

The rodeo itself includes events like bull riding, barrel racing and steer wrestling, he said, but the stampede also has other activities including a midway, a job fair, a small powwow and the Gathering of Nations, a dedicated space that features Indigenous culture.

While many locals attend the stampede, Bellisle said the event draws people in from all over. This year's rodeo competitors include riders from across Canada, the United States, Mexico and Australia, he said.

That means big business for local hotels and businesses. Bellisle even decided to give up a hotel room he'd rented for himself for the weekend because people from out of town were having a hard time finding accommodations.

"There's not a hotel room in town out of the three hotels that has any vacancy whatsoever," he said. 

"The restaurants, the gas bars, obviously the watering holes and things of that nature, from what we understand, they are packed. So that's fantastic for everybody."

And for an event that in 2019 brought in more than 31,000 people over four days, the economic impact is expected to be significant, said Brian Wiebe, president of the Valley Agricultural Society.

"This event is huge. It is arguably the largest influx of cash flow to every business in this town throughout the year," he said.

"Every grocery store, gas station, restaurant, hotel, the flower shop, every store in this town feels the economic boom that comes with stampede and with the attendance that we see here. So it's integral to helping our community."

The Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition kicked off Friday and runs through Sunday in Morris.