For the first time in 135 years, the Saskatoon Exhibition will not go ahead due to the coronavirus, according to Prairieland Park.
The Ex has been held annually in Saskatoon since 1886 — well before Saskatchewan was a province and Saskatoon was founded as a city.
“COVID-19 has changed everything for everyone,” Prairieland Park CEO Mark Regier said in a press release.
“The safety of our patrons and staff is incredibly important, and we know that public gatherings put that safety in jeopardy.”
The event employs around 600 people and attracts around 215,000 patrons each year, according to Prairieland, which manages and hosts the Exhibition.
Prairieland has every intention to bring the Ex back next year “with all the flair, fun and excitement people have come to expect at the Ex.”
“Prairieland has been around a long time, we will be here when this is over,” Regier added.
The event was slated to run Aug. 4 to 9.
The Exhibition was originally designed to “showcase the resiliency and economic viability of the area in the bid for the Temperance Colony of Saskatoon to become a full-fledged city.”