Ag. Society 40 years young

Times Reporter 

 

The Strathmore and District Agricultural Society is celebrating 40 years this year. The club began in 1973, and one of its founding members, Eugene Helfrich, still sits proudly on the board. 

Helfrich has been president of the Ag. Society a few times in the past, but says now he plans to just remain a board member. 

Though the rodeo is one of the biggest events the Ag. Society hosts, it wasn’t originally created for the rodeo. 

“Originally the land was purchased to provide space for the recreation facilities in Strathmore as they were needed. So the Ag. Society donated the land that the tennis courts, the curling rink, the skate board park, the Family Centre and the Civic Centre are all on,” said Helfrich.

The whole process began in 1970 when the Strathmore Lions Club began looking for land to accommodate future recreational facilities. In 1970 the curling rink was where the Crowfoot Liquor Store is now, the arena was where the old IGA (now Sobeys) is and the outdoor pool was where KFC is. 

“There was no parking around there, and we thought it would be very nice when these facilities outlived their usefulness, or if something happened to them, if we would have some land available for these facilities to be built on. That was the premise of buying the land, and that’s how the Ag. Society was born was to buy the land,” said Helfrich. 

In the beginning the main problem was gaining community support for the project. During the search for land the organizing group looked at three parcels of land. The first is where the current town office is and the surrounding land. Another area considered was the land that is now known as the Spruce Industrial Park; and the third was the present day Parkwood. 

By 1972 support for the project had grown, and so the group applied to the Government of Alberta requesting that they wanted to form what is now the Strathmore and District Agricultural Society. 

The first meeting for the newly formed society was on April 18, 1973, and on June 14, 40 years ago, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed to purchase 150 acres. 

Helfrich said it was more land than they had originally intended to buy, but in the end has worked out quite well with the growth of the rodeo. 

“When we went looking for this land back in 1970 the rodeo was the furthest thing from our mind, it was basically for recreation for the town,” said Helfrich.

The rodeo had started out on the south end of Kinsmen Park, but in 1976 or 1977 the first rodeo was held at the current location. Since then it has grown to become one of the top three largest rodeos in Canada. 

A lot of things have changed since the initial talks about finding land for recreation facilities.

“It seems to have gone by pretty fast, there’s been a lot accomplished at the Ag. Society grounds over the years,” said Helfrich. 

One of the newest things the Ag. Society board is working on now is creating an outdoor skating rink. 

“We have plans in place for it we’re just looking for funds right now, we have applications for some grant money, we hope to get that off the ground pretty quick,” said Helfrich. 

The Ag. Society may be best known for the Strathmore Stampede, but throughout the year they are always busy with other activities outside of the rodeo. 

Helfrich said the Ag. Society hopes to continue to provide recreation and family facilities well into the future.