“Where are we going with the rodeo?”
That was the question posed by Dave Matechuk, president of the Kamsack Indoor Rodeo Association during a meeting on March 2. The meeting had been called following town council’s decision to no longer permit non-ice related activities at the Broda Sportsplex because of the degradation of the coolant pipes embedded in the concrete floor.
The Sportsplex had been the venue for the past 18 rodeos, which were usually held the last weekend of September.
Attending the meeting with members of the committee were rodeo professionals including members of the Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) and Manitoba Rodeo Cowboys Association (MRCA), which sanction the rodeos. These included stock contractors, the announcer, and owner of the mini ponies which have been featured at the rodeo during intermission.
Matechuk said the meeting was to help the committee determine how much interest there is in the community to see the event continue, and if it is to continue, where and when it would be held.
In the discussion, it was said that if the date, which is a favoured date, is retained, the rodeo would have to be protected from the weather, most feasibly in a “post barn” structure, but until financing is acquired to construct such a facility, the rodeo could either be held at the same time in an arena of a neighbouring community or outdoors in Kamsack, likely at the sportsground, on an acceptable date in August.
Committee members said that although it would be a lot of work, it is possible to create an outdoor arena in time for an August rodeo, but members suggested that a sheltered arena at the later date would be preferred in the long term.
Rod Gardner likened the situation to his experience working with the committee that had been responsible for the construction of the new medical clinic, saying that the clinic began with a meeting “such as this” with people committed to a cause.
“If there’s a commitment, it will get done,” Gardner said.
It was said that if a new structure is the favoured route, then it should be constructed so that it can be used for additional events and examples were offered of such buildings in other communities where motocross, ball room dancing and dog and horse shows are held and the facility soon “pays for itself.”
“We do want to keep it going,” a committee member said. “What we do is important to the community.”
“The rodeo is good for the town, people and area and we don’t want to see it go,” it was said.
Remember, in order to keep a small-town rodeo going, the town has to benefit, it was said.
Committee members agreed to contact neighbouring communities to determine if there is interest in them hosting the Kamsack Indoor Rodeo for this year as a stopgap measure and to take a closer look at a relatively unused portion of the Kamsack sportsground with the objective of identifying an area for a temporary outdoor arena.
Committee members encouraged others to raise the issue with residents and encouraged persons wishing to see a rodeo continue in the community to make their opinions known.
A general consensus was that an annual rodeo was favoured, although rather than it being an indoor rodeo, it might be held outside, most likely on an August weekend.
