The Lamont & District Agricultural Society made a motion at their June meeting to forgo planning events for the Summer of 2021.
"Our planning typically begins in January for both the Bullarama Supreme and Summer Sizzler Rodeo" stated Vice President Shelley Loren. "There is a very long to-do list that has not been started yet with all the uncertainty of what the summer would hold."
With changing restrictions throughout the past year, volunteers were unable to make commitments to vendors for rentals and entertainment.
"There was no indication back in January that anything was going to be able to be hosted with any certainty this summer." recalled Loren.
With the Government of Alberta's Open for Summer plan, it is possible that by the traditional date of July 10 & 11 for the Summer Sizzler Rodeo will show few restrictions. However, this is entirely dependent on the success of Albertans getting vaccinated, something the Ag Society can not bank on.
"Our group is entirely run by volunteers. At this time, we do not have the manpower to run a fiscally responsible event this summer. Nor do we have the ability to risk planning an event that still may not be permitted to occur. Therefore, we have made the decision to plan our next events for the 2022 season." stated Loren
The Bullarama Supreme has been held yearly since 1993, with its first cancelation in May 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Summer Sizzler Rodeo started in 1989, being hosted yearly as well with only a few cancelations over the years due to inclement weather.
Loren went on to say "Our events are vital to our community, and it is important to our organization that we plan them to the best of our ability, keeping everyone safe and being fiscally responsible to our funding partners, which includes many local businesses."
