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Volume 40 - Issue 1 Winter 2019

B C A S S O C I A T I O N O F A G R I C U LT U R A L F A I R S A N D E X H I B I T I O N S

Rooted in tradition,

growing for tomorrow.

#20-16655 64th AVENUE, SURREY, BC V3S 3V1 | PHONE 778-574-4082 www.bcfairs .ca

LiveWire

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this publication, by the

province of British Columbia.

BC Association of Agricultural Fairs

and Exhibitions

GROWING BC’S COMMUNITIES

As a long-term partner of the BCAAFE, we're

committed to supporting agriculture in BC.

ASK ABOUT OUR EXCLUSIVE BCAAFE MEMBER PROGRAM.

Call Robert for all your insurance needsRobert Fiume

1 800 670 1877 | [email protected]

SUPPORTING

3LiveWire - Winter 2019

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION“LiveWire” is the official newsletter of the BC Association of Agricultural Fairs & Exhibitions.

All advertisements appearing in this publication are paid for by the advertisers. Submissions must be approved by the BCAAFE. The BCAAFE reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement.

Who are we?

We are a gathering place for British Columbia’s communities and regions; a social and economic force that has the ability to drive and enhance the quality of community life!

BC FAIRS Mission Statement:

To provide leadership, resources and services to all association members so they can effectively celebrate the diversity and importance of local agriculture in communities throughout British Columbia.

BC FAIRS Vision Statement:

A sustainable provincial association that represents its membership and increases awareness of BC agriculture through alliances with other industry related organizations.

2019 BCAAFE

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT:

Tom Harter [email protected]

1ST VICE PRESIDENT:

Karen Streeter [email protected]

2ND VICE PRESIDENT:

Ann Siddall [email protected]

FINANCE CHAIR:

Pamela Brenner [email protected]

DIRECTORS

Allison Bowers [email protected]

Keith Currie [email protected]

Sylvia Layzell [email protected]

Shari Paterson [email protected]

COMMERCIAL/

ASSOCIATE

DIRECTOR

Ben James [email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTSMessage from the Executive Director ................................................................................Page 4

2018 BC Fairs Provincial Awards Winners! ......................................................................Page 5

2019 BC Fairs Members’ Choice Award Categories .................................................Page 6

Notice from The Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch ................................Page 6

Welcome to Ben James / Laughing Logger ................................................................Page 7

Discovering Solutions for Fairs of BC Program ............................................................Page 8

What’s so good about it? The BC Fairs Guide ............................................................Page 9

How to Reward Volunteers ...................................................................................................... Page 10

VIEX Barn Destroyed in Fire ..................................................................................................... Page 11

Welcome

LiveWire IS PUBLISHED BY

BC Association of Agricultural Fairs and Exhibitions#20 – 16655 64th Avenue, Surrey, BC V3S 3V1

Phone: 1-778-574-4082 • [email protected] • www.bcfairs.ca

4 LiveWire - Winter 2019

News

2018 Conference

Supporters

Agassiz Fall Fair & Corn Festival

Cowichan Exhibition

Comox Valley Exhibition

Dawson Creek Exhibition

Pass Creek Regional Exhibition

Sooke Fall Fair

North Peace Fall Fair

2018 Conference

Program Sponsors

Without the generous support

of our conference sponsors this

event would not be possible!

Thank you for supporting the 108th

Annual BC Fairs Conference!

A message from the Executive DirectorWith the hustle and bustle of the holiday season behind us, I am excited to get rolling on making 2019 the best year yet for BC Fairs and all our members!

BC Fairs joins up with AssistExpo!

After a very successful product demonstration at the annual conference, Michel St. Pierre of AssistExpo, met with the BC Fairs board to explore how the software could streamline our work flow and database info management. After just a couple of hours, we realized that AssistExpo is a multifaceted program with flexible options!

As we have been working over December and early January with Michel and his team to first transition the hosting of BC Fairs website and then creating the templates for membership and communication management, setting up our online payment option, amalgamating files from our current system into AssistExpo and …. Now training for myself and the two Directors, Ann Siddall and Allison Bourne, who volunteered to work on this project with me. The one snag so far is the delay in sending out the 2019 Membership renewal notices – which I will be working on completing by the end of January.

Part of the website transition included repairs to our resource library. BC Fairs members can access all the valuable documents/templates through the Member Log-in tab on our website. Please note that if you do not have your password, contact me by email and a temporary password will be provided.

BC Fairs Committees – Hard at Work!

The 2019 Conference Committee has been formed; Chair, Pamela Brenner and Co-chairs, Ann Siddall and Sylvia Layzell are looking forward to their first meeting on January 21st. The last 2 years in Victoria have been great

and the support from our island fair members has been terrific, but it’s time to bring the conference back to the mainland and the folks at Sun Peaks Grand Hotel & Conference Centre are looking forward to welcoming us back!

The Awards Committee, chaired by Karen Streeter and co-chair Shari Paterson, have already finalized the 2019 Members’ Choice Award categories and are now working on the Provincial Awards categories – expect to see these by early February!

The Scholarship Committee, chaired by Allison Bowers and co-chair Sylvia Layzell have completed the updates to the 2019 BCAAFE Scholarship and with the very generous support of the Hauser family, the 3rd Annual Bingo Hauser Memorial Scholarship will be posted on our website by the end of January. Please ensure that every youth in your organization is aware of these fantastic opportunities. If you would like to post the scholarships on your website, please email me and I’ll send you the links.

The Education & Resources Committee, chaired by Ann Siddall, are very pleased to bring the new 6-month video conference series, “Discovering Solutions for Fairs in BC”, starting February 12th. For registration information contact the office at [email protected] or go to our website for more details.

Please let us know what you’re planning for 2019 – we’d like to share your story with our friends, followers and of course, our terrific members!

Wishing you all the very best in 2019 –

Janine Saw, Executive Director


News2018 BC Fairs Provincial Awards Winners!

Volunteer of the Year (Over 18 years)

Sandy BowieSooke Fall Fair

Youth Volunteer of the Year (18 years and under)

Mitchell VowlesSooke Fall Fair

Commercial Member of the Year

Ben JamesLaughing Logger

Outstanding Business PartnerDBL Disposal Services Vancouver Island Exhibition

Agricultural AchievementCowichan Exhibition “Bounty of the Valley”

Member’s Choice Award Categories:

1) Arts & Crafts (Youth – under 12 years)

Paper Pinwheel

Katelynn Schmidt Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows Country Fest

2) Sewing (Open to all ages)

Placemat – Country Western Theme

Ibet FolkMayne Island Fall Fair

3) Photography (Open to all ages)

Four Seasons on the Farm

Serena LeblondCowichan Exhibition

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE BC FAIRS PROVINCIAL AWARD PARTICIPANTS!


News

One entry from each category exhibited at your 2019 fair, exhibition or festival can be submitted into the 2019 BC Fairs Members’ Choice Awards program.

Your winning exhibits will be displayed at the BC Fairs Conference, October 17-19 at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel & Conference Centre, where the winner in each cat-egory will be selected by voting ballot. A $50.00 gift card will be awarded to the winner in each category!

Category #1 - Arts and Crafts (12 years & Under)

Decorated Bird House

The birdhouse may be either handmade or kit, wood or mixed media

Overall Size: no larger than 8”x 8” x 10” tall

Exhibitor may use embellishments ie: buttons, bows, ribbons, bells, paint etc.

Category #2 - Sewing or Weaving (Open to all ages)

Table Runner - Agricultural Theme

Size: 13” wide x 31” long

Exhibitor may use embellishments ie: buttons, bows, ribbons, bells, etc & any quilting, weaving or mixed media style.

Category #3 - Altered Photography (Open to all ages)

Theme: Farm Animals

Size: A set of 2 images 5”x 7” Landscape - 1 original image an d 1 altered image. Provide original (before) and the altered (after) photograph. Images must be mounted securely to a 16” high x 11” wide poster board. Alter photograph using any technique - photo painting, coloring, text additions, etc.

For additional information, please contact Award Committee Chair, Karen Streeter, by email [email protected] or call

250-739-4470 or BC Fairs office at [email protected]

2019 BC Fairs Members’ Choice Award Categories

Notice from The Gaming Policy and Enforcement BranchThe Gaming Policy and Enforce-ment Branch (GPEB) is pleased to announce that applications for licensed charitable gaming are now paperless. Technical upgrades will improve service for clients by simplifying the ap-plication process.

As of January 1, 2019, all licensed charitable gaming event appli-cations and reports must be filed online through our website.

Paper cheques will continue to be accepted for Class A, B and C licences. Class D applications will continue to accept only credit card payments.

To assist clients, organizations and stakeholders through this transition, step-by-step Licens-ing Application Guides for each different licence are available on our website at:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/gambling-fundraising/gambling-licence-fundraising/documents-forms

GPEB’s licensing team will also be available to assist by phone or email Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., except holi-days

Tel: 250 387-5311 Option 1

Toll-free: 1-800-663-7867 (ask to be connected to the number above)

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.gaming.gov.bc.ca


News

Welcome on Board!We are very happy to introduce newly elected BC Fairs Director, Ben James, rep-resenting our Commercial Membership.

Ben James / Laughing Logger

New Zealand born and bred, I have always had an affinity with the rural sector. After

studying Agriculture at Massey University, I entered the cor-porate world where I pursued a career in sales and marketing, later moving on to finance as an agribusiness manager with the Bank of New Zealand.

In 2002 I was fortunate enough to travel to BC Canada to compete in logger sports. It was here I found my calling and decided to return home to build my current production business and lose the corporate tie.

After saturating the New Zealand agricultural and pastoral fairs for almost ten years, I had an opportunity to move the busi-ness into Australia where the opportunities seemed endless.

During this time, I met my wife, Michelle Lefler, who was also involved in the entertainment industry and in particular lum-berjack entertainment. A well-known actor and hands down the best lumberjack MC I have ever seen, I knew I had to have her on the team. As the song goes…’If you like then you better put a ring on it…’, (close enough) the rest is history. One little lumber jill later (Alix West Lefler - daughter) and we made a decision to settle our roots in Canada where it all began!

Now, after three amazing seasons operating in Canada, we find ourselves continually evolving and developing our prod-ucts and services to the fairs community. Our primary focus has been to establish ourselves in BC while creating strong relationships and partnerships with our clients, so we can evolve together and continue to grow and improve our ser-vices while adding value to BC fairs.

After a record year, internationally, but most importantly being 100% BC booked in Canada, receiving Commercial Member Year for BC Fairs, and already booked for 2019, it is an ab-solute honour to be appointed as the Director representing Commercial Members.

We look forward to the challenges of 2019 and beyond, the changes, and being part of the evolution within BC Fairs. I see this as a great opportunity to assist other commercial members to achieve their goals and better service BC Fairs.

See you all on the other end of the log real soon.

Good as Wood Ben James


NewsCalling all Fairs in BC who are wanting innovative ideas to implement for the best fair ever.

Discovering Solutions for Fairs of BC Program

• Do you want to be the first to know of the upcoming trends throughout BC and Canada?

• Do you crave a place where you can have support throughout the year dedicated to struggles and concerns?

• Do you need support around 4H Clubs?

• Do you lack resources on Fair topics? (judges, exhibits, volunteers, or basic info) Does support around conflict within your organization sound uplifting?

• What if support and solutions were available throughout the year for you?

• What if guest speakers for specific topics of your choice were open to sharing ideas and tools with you for your upcoming fair?

• What if members and volunteers were eager to say “YES” when asked to help with tasks?

YOU CAN HAVE THIS ALL…

Your Fairs’ Investment: • 6 Month Program (February to July)

• A 90-minute meeting per month via ZOOM CONFERENCING (phone in or video)

• Eligible Fairs must be registered with BC Fairs.

• Cost for fairs with 1001 in attendance and up is $100 per fair for the 6 months (paid upfront)

• Cost for fairs with 1000 in attendance and lower is $25.00 per fair for 6 months (paid upfront)

The second Tuesday of the month, starting at 7:00 pm:

• February 12

• March 12

• April 9

• May 14

• June 11

• July 9

Join your facilitator and commercial member Kryssie Thomson of Smile Inside Out Consulting while she guides these online group conferences to support you

in creating the solutions you deserve for the best fair of 2019.


What̀s So Good About It?

News

Today`s Topic is the BC Fair`s ..........Fair Guide. Do you really understand why it`s so good, so valuable - such a great tool?

Published every year by BC Fairs over 20,000 copies are printed and distributed every April. They go around the Province to Visitor Centers, BC Ferries, Chambers of Commerce and more. These people are ALWAYS asking for them before we even get them printed! Why you ask? This is a much sought-after magazine that has a long shelf life (that`s good news in the Publishing Industry) and ALWAYS gets front and center exposure wherever it is displayed because it not only looks good but has all the information required by the reader to plan a great stay at home in BC Family Vacation.

Do you realize it takes us 3 months to put this guide together for you and the public? It takes hours and hours of phone calls and follow-up to get info from delinquent Fairs alone. Heaven forbid if we missed your Fair because YOU couldn`t get info in to us but it is essential when we ask for dates etc. from you that you respond asap. Every follow-up call delays the Publication. Press times must be booked months in advance and if we

have to delay printing because a Fair can`t respond when asked we have to wait for a new time slot - we are at the mercy of the Press. Thankfully most Fairs get us info on time.

P r i n t i n g a Publication of this quantity and quality is expensive - VERY expensive. It`s paid for by the ads we sell - again a very time-consuming job both selling the ads, getting copy, then putting the guide together to make it Press Ready. The “Editorial” space we give your Fair is very valuable. If you had to pay for that space that alone would cost as much as your Membership to BC Fairs. A pretty good BENEFIT eh!

Some readers pick up a magazine just to look at the flashy ads and were drawn by a great cover - others are interested in the “Editorial” pieces which includes your Fair`s Listing. If your Fair is in a position to buy an ad (many do) - no matter what the size increases the chances of both types of readers knowing about your Fair. The ads are inexpensive - we at BC Fairs can design and build an

attractive eye-catching ad for you if you need help - graphic design is no cost to you and another BENEFIT of our Partnership. Think about it for this year - build it in to your budget. This isn`t a sales pitch - it makes sense. The more ad revenues we can generate - the bigger we can make the Guide or the more we can produce and distribute.

Got a question, comment or suggestion please get a hold of me - ANYTIME at [email protected].

Respectfully submitted by Keith Currie,

Director BC Fairs

1

2018

Event details for48 fairstaking place thissummer and fall!

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this publication, by the province of British Columbia.

2019 Membership Renewal Time! Membership renewal forms have been mailed out and are available on our website at www.bcfairs.ca


News

Volunteers can be both the easi-est and hardest team members to encourage and show appre-

ciation to. They are “easy” to encour-age because often their expectations aren’t very high (except for adolescent volunteers!) and therefore any positive communication is received well.

But volunteers are also difficult to show appreciation to, for a variety of reasons. First, they often aren’t around very often. They may come to help weekly, monthly or just for special events. And when they are present, there is usually plenty of work to do and the supervisor is busy managing lots of people. Second, unless they have been volunteering for a long time (which is the exception rather than the rule), the person(s) who are supervising don’t typically get to know the individual volunteers very well. So, you don’t know how best to encourage them.

We have found that a very beneficial experience is for organizations, as part of their orientation for volunteers, to give the MBA Inventory and then in-troduce the appreciation languages concept. We have successfully used this as part of the “kick-off” process at the beginning of the organization’s service year (for example, in the fall at the beginning of the school year). It immediately communicates to your volunteers that you value them and want to know how to encourage them in their service.

Practical Suggestions

But if you need some short fill-in-the-gap suggestions of how to encourage and show support to your volunteers,

here is a list of suggestions of actions you can implement right away:

• Give positive verbal encouragement to them frequently.

• Tell them “thanks” often and im-mediately.

• Reinforce positive behaviors you want others to emulate.

• Use people as positive examples – tell stories about them.

• Praise them in front of team mem-bers or the people they are serving.

• Learn their name and use it.

• Go and talk with them as they arrive and show up at the end before they leave.

• Look them in the eye when talking to them.

• Give them clear instructions and standards for what is expected for a “job well done” and then give them encouragement as they try to meet the standard set.

• Ask or assess what they are good at, and what they like to do. If possible, match their abilities and interests with similar tasks.

• Work along side of them.

• Find out about them personally while serving with them.

• Give them a small gift that has the organization’s logo or tagline on it (but make sure it is something they need or value), giving them more of a sense of connection with the organization. (Great for on-boarding

with new recruits).

• Have volunteers work together in small teams rather than individually.

• Provide snacks and refreshments during or after their time of service.

• Spend some individual time with them. Give them an opportunity to ask you questions about the orga-nization and your role in the orga-nization

• Give them a vision of how what they are doing ties into the broader goals of the organization and helps you toward what you are trying to ac-complish. (Values, Mission and Vi-sion statements)

• Continuing education allows vol-unteers feel that the organization is invested in them.

• For organizations that have a lot of volunteer and supervising them is a major part of your organization’s activity, having your staff go through the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace training series can be an excellent way to increase your retention rate of volunteers.

~ Kryssie Thomson Leadership Performance Coach

You can contact Kryssie Thomson by phone:

250-730-2416 or email: [email protected]

www.smileinsideout.com

How to Reward Volunteers“Making Work Relationships Work”


VIEX Barn Destroyed In Fire

News

When your phone rings at 4:30 a.m. you know it just isn’t good news and it certainly wasn’t.

The entire barn used by the Vancouver Island Exhibi-tion, Nanaimo to store their equipment was engulfed in flames and burnt to the ground at approximately 4:30 am on October 11, 2018.

The majority of their equipment: 2 farm tractors, a flat deck truck, 2 tow motors, hundreds of chairs and tables, decorations, signs etc were stored in that barn and all of it was lost in the fire.

The City owns the property but all of the barns and equipment belong to the VIEX and how do you put a re-placement value on that.

Karen Streeter, VIEX Vice-President told news reporters at the scene as she watched along with the City Man-ager, the barn burn to the ground, that it is totally dis-heartening to see much of what we own go up in smoke. “We’re all volunteers and try the best we can to put on the fair, so to see this happen is totally devastating.”

This barn was used to store equipment during the off-season and during the fair showcases the 4-H and Open Rabbit shows. The custom-made Judging cages for the rabbit shows were destroyed which now must be replaced prior to the next fair.

Even though the barn was insured, insurance can’t re-place all of the memories. This barn was built in the ear-ly 1970s and big pieces of the fair’s past are now gone forever.

This is the second fire incident to affect the VIEX this year.

Two of the ticket booths were torched just before the fair. But due to the generosity of local businesses and indi-viduals, they were rebuilt in time for the fair.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue, the Electrical Inspector and the RCMP have confirmed the fire to be “suspicious” in na-ture. Insurance is expected to cover the loss but it can’t repair the emotional damage of seeing the barn go up in flames.

The VIEX has also had to deal with constant break-ins at this site even though there is nothing of great value to steal. “It is disheartening because it is ongoing” stated Karen Streeter.

Despite the setbacks, VIEX is looking forward to cel-ebrating its 125th year in 2019 and they will make it a memorable celebration.

[email protected]

west coast amusements @westcoastamusementsLIKE & FOLLOW US:

www.westcoastamusements.com

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