Above: Tony Tighe reports on the high number of bidders that attended the Stampede tarp auction.
CALGARY – The countdown to the Calgary Stampede unofficially began Thursday night with the chuckwagon tarp auction.
The 2015 Canvas Auction is not only a sign that Stampede is on the way—it’s a great indicator of how the local economy is doing.
Scroll down to see the bids as they were announced
Many of the tarps are purchased by companies with big ties to oil and gas, or businesses that thrive when times are good. But in current conditions, it’s hard to tell how high bidding will go.
Below: Dr. Gord Atkins, Chair of the Chuckwagon Committee speaks to Tony Tighe.
Last year’s tarp auction brought in $3.54 million in total—well below the record of more than $4 million bid in 2012.
Click through the gallery below to see average, highest and total bids from 2007 to 2014:
But with the price of oil so low and mounting layoffs in the energy sector, Thursday night’s auction will be one to watch. Still, the Stampede’s new president remains optimistic.
READ MORE: Timeline – tracking the layoffs in Alberta’s oilpatch
“I’m pleasantly optimistic tonight that there might be a surprise—that it might be a little bit higher than people think even in spite of these economic circumstances,” said Calgary Stampede President Bill Gray.
“Because there’s lots of people who just support the sport of chuckwagon racing and want to be in that room, and quite frankly those drivers work hard and they deserve the support.”
The festivities began Thursday night with a reception at 3:30 p.m. and the auction at 5 p.m.
The highest bid Thursday night was made by Tsuu T’ina Nation for 2014 champion Kurt Bensmiller at $170,000. The total bid for 2015 was $2.782 million; the average bid was $77,278.
Watch: Tony Tighe interviews Kurt Bensmiller who received this years highest bid.
Read below to see how the bids unfolded in real time:
With files from Lisa Geddes and Erika Tucker
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