A new proposal could see Lethbridge & District Exhibition be split into two distinct organizations. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

City proposes splitting Lethbridge & District Exhibition into two organizations

May 9, 2025 | 9:04 AM

The City of Lethbridge could soon explore different business models for Lethbridge & District Exhibition (LDE).

It was proposed at a meeting of the Economic Standing Policy Committee this week that LDE be split into two separate entities – one focused on operating the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre and one to serve solely as an agricultural society.

City Manager and LDE Board Chair Lloyd Brierley says, “In the coming months, Lethbridge & District Exhibition will go back to its 1897 roots and become Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society. This will be much different than what LDE had grown into and will realign the Ag Society with its original intent of promoting agriculture in Southern Alberta.”

EventCo

Deloitte recommended in its report to council last fall that the City create a temporary holding company that would run the trade centre and employ all current LDE staff. The City will refer to this proposed company as “EventCo” until a permanent name is chosen.

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Deloitte believed that this would be a more sustainable and cost-efficient way of running the Agri-food Hub, and it would not need to meet the criteria of an Ag Society.

City of Lethbridge Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Darrell Mathews says the municipality would be the sole shareholder of EventCo and be responsible for its governance.

“It is important that the City maintains oversight of the facility,” says Mathews. “This is a tax-supported venue and we need to do everything we can to continue to find efficiencies.”

The Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society

The City of Lethbridge says a new community-run Ag Society would focus on the promotion of regional agriculture, partnering with EventCo to host events such as Ag Expo, Whoop-Up Days, farmers’ markets and more.

They say these changes would be necessary to meet the requirements of Ag Societies and Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis. Meeting the regulations will ensure that there is no loss of grant of gaming funds.

Back in April, the Alberta Government announced $4.03 million in one-time funding to Alberta’s seven regional Ag Societies, which includes Lethbridge, to help manage cost pressures and plan for the future. Another one-time investment of $2.87 million would go towards business transformational costs.

READ MORE: Ag societies, facing tough economy, receive $7.4M boost from Alberta government

The Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society is projected to have an annual budget of $550,000 from provincial grants and fundraising.

Going Forward

The matter of splitting LDE into two organizations will now go to a future meeting of Lethbridge City Council for a decision.

Council will also consider the potential of consolidating other event attraction work through the creation of a Municipally Controlled Corporation (MCC).

Even if these changes are approved, Mayor Blaine Hyggen says there will still be a lot of work ahead.

“These changes won’t happen overnight. It will take time to gather the right information to make informed decisions about what is best for the community,” says Hyggen.

In the coming months, the agriculture community and other interested stakeholders will be invited to become part of the Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society as they establish new stakeholders and elect a community board. This should be completed by the end of the summer.

We will get a clearer picture of what exactly EventCo will look like, including new naming and branding, as more decisions are made around its future governance model.

Deloitte will return with plans for the business, implementation and budget for the MCC

The full committee presentation can be found online and is available for viewing through the City’s YouTube channel.

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