Agriculture has been a foundation for Prairie economics and culture since the region’s settlement in the late 19th an early 20th Centuries. Visit almost any Saskatchewan community and there will be a vibrant agricultural organization of some kind.
The Moose Jaw Exhibition Company has been that entity here since 1884, when the pre-cursor to the organization was established to run the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair. Through the decades, the Exhibition Company has become the primary host for a wide variety of agricultural, community-wide, social events, both private and public.
Almost 140 years after its creation, the company manages an extensive property of riding arenas, fairgrounds and convention space at 250 Thatcher Drive East. It’s annual calendar of events includes about 35 livestock and equine shows. Among them are events highlighting dressage, barrel racing, hunter/jumper shows, cutting shows and other types of agricultural gatherings. All tallied, the Exhibition Company attracts up to 90,000 visitors per year, a large portion of that coming by hosting equestrian association events from throughout South Saskatchewan.
The organization’s complex of facilities meets the needs of almost any celebration or attraction. Equine and livestock events are held in three arenas. The Golden Mile Arena is set indoors, while the West Ring and Bill Gomersall Arenas provide outdoor venues through the temperate seasons.
The other amenities that make the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company a “Grade-A” place for gatherings of all sizes are its convention and meeting rooms. The Exhibition Company Convention Centre sits at the south end of the property. It provides 20,000 square feet of floorspace, enough room for a capacity of 1000 patrons and on-site catering services.
The smaller Golden Nugget Centre sits adjacent to the convention centre and holds up to 230 people. This facility includes a dance floor and a bar. Both rooms are available for a multitude of different celebrations, from private social gatherings such as reunions, weddings and parties to much larger public functions, like the South Saskatchewan Wildlife Association’s annual gun show in March. The Exhibition Company also regularly books a variety of craft, antique and collectibles shows.
Finally, the grounds are also home to the Moose Jaw Dog Club, which provides members with a gated dog run, dog training facilities and service, and competition through the Agility Association of Canada.
The Exhibition Company became the centre of town in June when the annual Hometown Fair was here. Besides the Hometown Fair, the organization’s calendar usually holds a dozen other events already booked throughout the rest of the year. The Saskatchewan Quarter Horse Association was held this past May, followed by the Moose Jaw Dog Club Regionals held in June, as well as The Quarter Horse Association show and the Highway to Heroes Car Show that were just held this July. The Saskatchewan Reined Cow Horse Association closed out the month.
The Saskatchewan Cutting Horse Association will host an event at the grounds Aug. 4 to 6, then the Canadian Ranch Roping Finals will take place Sept. 16 and 17.
Another Hunter/Jumper show, the Whistlestop Christmas Craft Show and the TLC Art and Craft Show currently round out the year’s bookings through to mid-November.
Contact the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company for more information on events, facility rental availability and other services. The organization can be reached at 306.692.2723; by email at moosejawexh@sasktel.net; on Facebook and online at moosejawex.ca.
