Burning of the Brand kicks off Agribition's 54th year
CBC
Canadian Western Agribition is back.
A traditional burning of the brand ceremony took place on Monday to officially kick off the week-long event.
Saskatchewan's Lt.-Gov. Bernadette McIntyre had the honour of burning the brand into a piece of wood.
"I was so excited, because I've been seeing people do this for decades,” McIntyre said. "I never ever dreamed I'd get to burn the brand at Agribition."
Over the last 54 years, Agribition has grown from a small livestock sale into a week-long celebration of the province’s farming culture, the global livestock industry and agricultural innovation. The event draws thousands of visitors, competitors and international buyers to the Queen City, and includes rodeos, exhibitors, bison, an Indigenous Agriculture Summit and a Party on the Dirt.
McIntyre said she has attended every single show since the first one in 1971. She said Agribition reflects the province’s identity more than any other Saskatchewan event.
“Agribition is the salt of Saskatchewan — it depicts everything that's wonderful about Saskatchewan,” McIntyre said. “The history of agriculture goes hundreds of years back, and it includes everyone, and we grow and raise the food that feeds the world.”
McIntyre says the event’s significance is both cultural and global.
“It is a huge, huge show that is international, it is worldwide,” she said. “In rural Saskatchewan, we are world class.”
Agribition CEO Shaun Kindopp said the event rakes in millions of dollars for Saskatchewan’s economy, filling hotels, bars and restaurants during a time of year that usually sees lower tourism traffic.
“Anytime that an event can inject over $120 million into the provincial economic impact is incredibly important,” he said.
But Kindopp said Agribition is about more than commerce — it’s about helping visitors understand modern agriculture.
“Food doesn’t just show up on shelves,” he said. “We want to show that it’s sustainable, that it’s safe, that the animals are well cared for — but it’s also business.”
He said school groups and youth education programs continue to grow, noting that many Saskatchewan residents first experienced Agribition as elementary school students.
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