Beaumont and District Ag Society

BADAS Fairgrounds - The Mortgage-Burning Party is over!

BADAS Directors and Members have worked very hard towards securing ownership of the 70 acre Fairgrounds parcel immediately west of the Town of Beaumont in Leduc County, Alberta for over 10 years. Have a look at the site plan for our 25 year vision for the Fairgrounds - it's ambitious! With our last official payment on the mortgage as of August 24, 2011, it will have been paid in full. Thanks to everyone in our District who have helped raise funds through the past 11 years. Special thanks also to our dignitaries who brought best wishes to our party on June 12, 2011. They were: George Rogers, MLA; Mayor John Whaley, Leduc County; Mayor Camille Berube, Town of Beaumont; Lisa Hardy, Executive Director of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies; Jeremy Kornel, Beaumont Blues Festival; Loretta Martin, BADAS Director and Equine Enthusiast Extraordinaire; and, Harry Zuzak, P.Eng., BADAS Director, Chair of the BADAS Development Committee and member of the Gerry Patsula Community Gardens. Have a look at our mortgage going up in flames courtesy of Grace O'Flynn (ride on, Grace!)

Development Phases - Phases 1, 2 are up and running with No. 3 in the shute!

Phase 1 (infrastructure) is ongoing. Phase 2 (equine cross country course) is completed. Phase 3 (large agri-recreational barn) was initiated in 2008 with securing of grant monies for a feasibility study. The study by RC Strategies has been completed in April, 2010 and the decision on the project will be made the Board of Directors on March 7, 2011. Time flies when you are having this much fun!!

The Gerry Patsula Community Gardens (GPCG)Info and 2012 Registration Process

Before winter even arrives this year, the dedicated Gardeners of the GPCG are already asking about the registration process for 2012. Hope that's not a sign of an impending tough winter! The following details will be finalized after a comprehensive business planning process that BADAS completes each year by December (see the heading at the bottom of this page if you would like to contribute to it). There will be a formal call to register for a garden plot on February 14, 2012. The cost in 2011 was $25 for BADAS Members and $50 for Non-Members. GPCG plots are about 15 feet by 30 feet (or 5 metres by 10 metres) with water pumped from a nearby pond. Plots will be offered first to BADAS Members and are numbered similar to the 2009 Community Garden Plot Layout diagram under Additional Information. For more details on the 2011 operating procedures and the Fairgrounds Use Personal Waiver form, have a look under Additional Information. Annual membership forms are available on the 'Contact and Join Us' page. If you have questions, email the BADAS Volunteer Garden Coordinator at badasgardens@live.ca.

Equine Cross Country Course - Take a "Tour of the Prairies" on horseback!

“Tour of the Prairies” Cross Country Course is completed with over 60 PE to T level jumps, 2 ponds, and a bank complex. There's two ways to enjoy it - ride or just go for a walk and marvel at the workmanship! Riders throughout Alberta have spoken very positively of this course, you will too once you give a ride!

Agri-Recreational Barn Project - Can a 120 foot wide by 180 foot long enclosed barn enhance YOUR agricultural, recreational or cultural group's programs? Duh!

Through 2009, BADAS partnered with Leduc County as well as the Town of Beaumont, and with the assistance of a matching grant from the Provincial Government, on a feasibility study by RC Strategies. This study compliments previous work in the past decade on the concept of a large enclosed agri-recreational facility within Alberta's Capital Region through the Agridome Project and the Strathcona Exhibition Corporation Project. Great insights were also received from Malcolm Heaven of the Whitecourt Ag Society at our Annual General Meeting in January, 2011 and President Brenda Moon of the Airdrie & District Agricultural Society on March 7, 2011. The deliberations are over as the BADAS Board has voted unanimously to proceed towards the construction of an enclosed agri-recreational barn project 120 feet wide by 180 feet long, expandable to 270 feet in a second phase. The next step for BADAS, in partnership with Leduc County and the Town of Beaumont, is to secure a matching grant from the Province to assess the feasibility of raising $1.25 million. Stay tuned for word on the result of our grant request in spring, 2012. All Board meetings are open to the public, including agricultural, receational and cultural organizations, so if you'd rather not sit in that armchair when an exciting project like this is happening in our District ... then come on out and get involved!

East/West Outdoor Show Rings - Improvements thanks to feedback from a confidential survey of equine enthusiasts!

Each is a full size show ring of 132 feet by 271 feet (40 metres by 82.6 metres) with sand footing. Thirty (30) open air stalls have been completed and are available for $10 per day. Thirty (30) covered stalls have been completed and are available at $15 per day. As expected, footing in the outdoor show rings in the past few years has been challenged by the constant wind, rain, sleet, snow, ... you get the idea. In 2011, the footing has been upgraded and an arena groomer will arrive in the spring, 2012 to ensure that quality footing is available for shows and the general riding public. Thanks for the feedback, it helped sort out the infinite number of decisions to be made with finite resources!

Business Planning Cycle, Fall 2011 --- Confidential surveys of users of the Gerry Patsula Community Gardens and Equine Cross Country Course are now closed

Thanks to the nearly 30 users of these facilities for providing their feedback on the current management and areas for improvement. Have a look at our Annual Newsletter on the About Us page, Additional Information to see the immediate impact your feedback has had on BADAS Fairgrounds operations. Thank you for providing this valuable feedback!