Earlier this month (May 10) the Board of the Cochrane Ag Society invited members and representatives of five user groups to attend a “closed door” meeting about the proposed sale of the land the Ag Society currently occupies.
The Acting Chairman, Justin Burwash, says that once a buyer is found, the Ag Society will have an opportunity to sit down and negotiate what it needs at a new site. I’m not at all sure a new owner will feel any such obligation. But it sounds like in the board’s mind the sale of the land is a “done deal” and they anxiously await this opportunity.
Nothing is in writing from the county guaranteeing a new location to meet the Ag Society’s needs. Additionally, funds and commitments to a time frame for any move or to be “up and fully running” at a new site have not been guaranteed. I find this a very worrisome. It’s especially a concern when dealing with the county which, through our Councillor, Bruce Kendall, has stated numerous times that the county will not promise funds or a new location.
Justin said the Board wants to work with the county and feel that is the way to ensure the Ag Society’s needs would be met. I don’t see how they can have any confidence this will happen considering recent history.
Specifically, working with the county has ensured that none of their needs have been met. The county first refused to renew the Ag Society’s lease; then declared the property “surplus”; and promptly moved to release a request for proposals to sell the land. Co-operating with the county has resulted in the county doing exactly as it pleases.
What is that adage, “Doing the same thing and expecting different results is idiocy” – or words to that effect.
The meeting was, sadly, not seeking help or direction from affected users in dealing with the county. Rather, it was a chance for attendees to say what they’d like for the Ag Society at a new location (or if it stays in the current location – which considering the talk about “sitting down with the new owners” makes that seem unlikely). No reference was made to the grassroots reasons the Ag Society was created in the first place.
Various User Groups have big dreams. For example, one member mentioned that the Quarter Horse people would like banquet facilities (really!?). Maybe they need to hold their events at the Stampede Grounds or in Red Deer which are already set up to meet these requirements (of course at a significantly higher price) because these “wants” are far from the original purpose of the Ag Society.
The Eventers want a world-class course to replace the existing cross-country offerings. But this ignores that the Ag Society wasn’t created to cater to one specific interest group. The aims are not wrong but the Ag Society can’t be all things to all people – especially at this specialized level. Perhaps to achieve their dreams, they need to solicit private funds and a different location or seriously work to improve the present course.
Of course, all these talks about future “wants” and selling the land for development are moot with the current zoning. Only the Town of Cochrane can change that. So, assuming that is true, if you want to stop the sale of these lands, be sure to contact the Town councillors (who have been amazingly silent since the land was declared “surplus”) and insist that the zoning must remain the same. Otherwise, the Ag Society will be remain the same. Otherwise, the Ag Society will be only a dream – a sad one of loss.
Deb Miskiw
