(photo courtesy of Sylvia Baynton)
Lloydminster
began as a colony of British settlers who arrived in the area in the spring of
1903 – two years before the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were formed.
The records of these early settlers show that a one day fair was held in October
1904. It consisted mostly of garden produce with a few classes of livestock.
Most of
these settlers were not experienced farmers, indeed most of them were from the
industrial cities of England. They
soon realized that they needed information on farming this new land and an
Agricultural Society was formed.
Following the creation of the provinces in 1905 – there were two villages of
Lloydminster; one in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan. Each had its own village council, each had its own school
board and each formed their own Agricultural Society. The Saskatchewan
Society was chartered in 1906 and the Alberta Society was chartered in 1908.
We still operate in Alberta under the 1908 charter.
Two fairs were
held each year. Both Societies used the same grounds and facilities and
held their fairs on separate dates.
During the period of the World War I, the two Societies were amalgamated into
one Lloydminster Agricultural society by a special Order in Council passed by
both governments. That same order determined that the Lloydminster
Agricultural Society would receive from each Province one half of the grant
monies that each province paid to other societies of the same status in each
province. That grant arrangements
existed until 1978 when Lloydminster received its “A” status.
During
the early 1920’s the Society suffered some financial losses and three of its
Directors had to guarantee loans at the bank.
In order to reduce this liability responsibility on the Directors, the
Lloydminster Agricultural Society was dissolved, and the Lloydminster
Agricultural Exhibition Association Ltd. was formed under the Company’s Act of
Saskatchewan. Most of the Agricultural Societies that were operating in
that period in both Alberta and Saskatchewan took this action and formed limited
companies.
As a company,
membership in the Association was by means of a share purchase. This arrangement existed until 1980, when Saskatchewan
discontinued its company’s act and we were incorporated under the new Non
Profit Corporations Act.
Operating
as we do on the border and serving people in both provinces, we pay membership
in the Saskatchewan Agricultural Society Association and to the Alberta
Association of Agriculture Societies. We
must file reports in both provinces and attempt to be active in both provincial
associations.
In the
early 1970’s the bylaws were changed to the present system of 24 Directors on
the Board with no geographic stipulation. Directors are elected for a
three year term, with the Board being divided into three groups of eight –
therefore at any election only 1/3 of the Directors retire and can be replaced
at one time. This has given
continuity and a strong measure of stability in the programs and direction of
activities. A member may serve as many 3 year terms as they wish provided
they are re-elected after each term.
The
Directors are elected by the membership at large. The President and Vice President are then elected by the
Directors from within their members. The
President serves for one year, but may be re-elected.
The usual term has been two years, the odd President stays for three
years and occasionally a President only serves one year. Ladies are
eligible as Directors and there are usually 3 or 4 as members of the Board.
The
affairs of the Association are directed by the Board and it appoints the
committee members from the public at large.
We do not require that a Committee member be a member of the society.
Normally there are about 30 standing committees and there are 120 – 130 people
involved in these committees.
Each and every
activity sponsored by an agricultural society brings people and money into the
community and exports only its services as supplies and labor are from within
the community. The Lloydminster Exhibition Association is a major
importer of new money into the economy of the City and a provider of many
services that would otherwise not be available in the community.