38
THE BRANDON SUN • WINTER FAIR • MARCH 2025
cery store) meat counter.” Andrews said the gradual depopu- lation of rural Canada to urban cities means that the fair plays an import- ant role in supporting agricultural culture. She has been volunteering on-and-off for 30 years in a variety of roles such as preparing flowers, maintaining a coffee lounge, provid-
Responsibility is a word that comes to mind for Kristjansson. He told the Sun he stays volunteering because he wants to do his part to keep the fair running like people did when he enjoyed it as a kid. “So I’ve stayed involved as a vol- unteer,” he said. “My grandparents, my aunts and uncles were all part of
Continued from page 37
“We have hundreds of volunteers that dedicate their time and support our organization to make our event a success,” Laing Breemersch said. “It’s countless volunteer hours … to make this event a huge success.” Volunteers include a wide range
the fair around here. They showed, exhib- ited, went to events and raised their fami- lies coming to the fair. So that’s what it’s been about for me, I think, and why it means so much to me.” He added that fa- miliar family names pop up all the time and it gives him a good feeling of senti- ment. As newer and newer generations of familiar last-names show at the fair in competitions and more, Kristjansson
of people from those who help organize the event, all the way to people who clean up the floor while the Keystone Centre is filled with thousands of visitors. The win- ter fair depends on its volunteers who very much form the back- bone of the annual Brandon event. Barb Andrews, a vol- unteer board mem- ber, told the Sun edu- cation is one of her big focuses at the fair. As small farms become less common over
W e have hundreds of volunteers that dedicate their time and support our organization to make our event a success.” Kristen Laing Breemersch Manager of Operations Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba
said it reminds him of the unity and relationships that really go into the fair and make it happen – everyone doing their part. There’s many people with the same motivation to volunteer at the fair, said RMWF president Clint Swain. The board of 39 directors is all volunteers, and all of them play a part in organizing the fair’s events by volunteering their time.
ing information to visitors, getting bull cattle ready for show and setting up the VIP box area. And she is planning to stay in- volved as long as possible. “I always look forward to going and contributing where I can,” said Andrews. “I’ll keep volunteering. As long as the fair is going and I’m able to get around, I’ll be there. Whatever capacity I’m able to fit into.”
time in Manitoba, the fair is one way to keep the lessons learned from the region’s agricultural heritage going for children, she said. “I think it’s important that (chil- dren) get in and learn at the educa- tional areas at the fair, where their eggs come from and where their hamburger comes from,” said An- drews. “It’s important that they real- ize it doesn’t just come from (a gro-
Volunteers contribute countless hours to make the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair a success. At left, volunteers help dish out food during the fair’s morning pancake breakfast. (FILE/Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba). Right: Royal Manitoba Winter Fair volunteer Alisha Ducharme stacks dozens of paper hats especially made for the fair by BDO outside the entrance to the Westoba Place Arena. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun).
Powered by FlippingBook