It's 'full steam ahead' for Agribition, as Brandt announces construction of new building

It's 'full steam ahead' for Agribition, as Brandt announces construction of new building

Brandt says new building to be complete by this fall

Brandt Sports & Entertainment says it will build a brand new building in Regina's REAL district that will be ready for this year's Agribition in November.

Brandt owner Shaun Semple made the announcement Friday morning, saying there's been a lot of speculation about the future of the 2026 Canadian Western Agribition during the sale of several buildings in the district.

He was accompanied by Agribition's CEO Shaun Kindopp.

"Agribition 2026 is going to be moving forward full steam ahead. We wanted to give some comfort to our exhibitors and to everyone who travels international," Kindopp said.

Semple explained that the sale of the Avana Centre meant the loss of 84,000 square feet of livestock accommodation adjacent to the Bunge International Trade Centre.

But the construction of the new 115,000-square-foot structure announced on Friday will mean about 37 per cent more space for Agribition, he said.

"Our team believes that we can have this facility in place for this year's Agribition, as long as we move quickly," Semple said.

While the Avana Centre sale is completed, the sales of several other buildings to Brandt have not been completed.

Semple said Brandt is still doing its due diligence, but he does expect the sales to take place. In his 40 years at the company, he said this is the "probably the most complex" deal he's ever been involved with.

He disputed reports of tenants being evicted from some of the buildings, noting that they were on month-to-month leases that could be terminated with 30 days notice.

The Canadian Bison Association, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and Saskatchewan Association of Agricultural Societies and Exhibitions have all received notices that the space they are leasing is required for other uses.

While the word "eviction" was used in media reports, Semple argued that it wasn't the right terminology for tenants who were on leases in buildings that were for sale.

Semple also shared renderings of the planned expansion of Queen City Distillers, which he said will be a "flagship" building and a landmark on Lewvan Drive.

He said there's going to be a lot of construction going on at the site.

"If we don't invest, if we don't modernize, if we don't make difficult decisions today, we risk losing the very events, organizations, community assets that we're all trying to protect," Semple said.

Hannah Spray works as a reporter and copy editor. She began her journalism career in newspapers, first in her hometown of Meadow Lake, Sask., moving on to Fort St. John, B.C., and then to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. She joined CBC in 2022.