Canadian Western Agribition sets multiple records in larger facility, organizers say

The Canadian Western Agribition is coming to a close in Regina, with what organizers say has proved to be a record-setting 47th year soon to be in the books.

It was a debut of sorts for the livestock show and agriculture festival, as it became the first event to occupy the brand new International Trade Centre — the latest infrastructure addition at Evraz Place.

"Not only were we able to upgrade our facilities for our exhibitors and the animals that are here, but we were also able to connect all the buildings at Agribition, which is a huge deal because it means people can see other parts of the show that they might not have got to in years past," Lane said.

"I think for a lot of people, Agribition just got a whole lot bigger because of this building and it allows us to do some interesting things with programming, and we're happy about that."

Lane said the facility was needed for some time due to the number of Agribition attendees and the aging facilities it had been using.

There was also an uptick in students who visited Agribition with their classes, especially those from outside of Regina. Lane said there were probably 8,000 to 9,000 students in total.

Bruce Holmquist, president of the Canadian Western Agribition, said a record number of international visitors attended Agribition, with at least 80 countries represented.

"To see Agribition through their eyes for the first time was pretty cool," he said. "It made me feel really proud of what we do here."

As far as business goes, Holmquist said two Charolais bull calves were the hot items, selling for $42,000 and $45,000—one to a Mexican buyer online.

In a broader sense, Lane estimates that Agribition boosts the local economy by over $20 million and the provincial economy by over $50 million.

He said the organization will be doing an economic study this year to provide updated data on the event.

The 2017 edition of Agribition wraps up Saturday night.