MARCH 2025 • WINTER FAIR • THE BRANDON SUN
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EDICATED VOLUNTEERS D
Ron Kristjansson, who previously served as a general manager of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, continues to volunteer with the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair year after year. (File/The Brandon Sun)
BY CONNOR MCDOWELL R on Kristjansson has volunteered at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair on-and-off for 40 years. His reasoning began when he was in elementary school: his grandparents lived out in Oak Lake and they brought him to the fair when he visited for spring holidays. “I have memories that far back,” Kristjansson said during a conversa- tion with the Sun. “My grandparents thinking what are they going to do with young kids from the city? They
going to the fair. Our one son ex- hibited a lot in the cattle shows … My wife showed horses there. So it’s been part of our lives. And I’m just, I like giving back to the community and doing my small part to try and keep things happening here.” Kristjansson’s contribution is one of the many people in the Westman region who make the Royal Manito- ba Winter Fair possible every year. And according to Provincial Exhi- bition of Manitoba manager of op- erations Kristen Laing Breemersch, there are many people involved.
got them out for a bit. So let’s take them to the fair. So, you know, that’s exposure that I got at a pretty young age.” Kristjansson’s family lived in Win- nipeg. As he grew up in school, the family tradition brought him back to the fair and he started to grow fond of the event with agriculture and shows. He’s been tied to the Win- ter Fair since 1984, the first year he moved to Brandon. His continued commitment to volunteering at the fair stems from a desire to ensure the event lives on. “The ‘why’ for me is the people and the history, I guess the heritage of it,” he said. “We raised our boys
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