The President of the Valley Ag Society is confident that electrical upgrades to the stampede grounds in Morris will be ready for next summer. The project will replace fifty year old equipment that is no longer up to code and can't support vendor demand during the annual Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition.

"The Stampede's been around for over fifty years and some of that electrical has been there for that long too," said Pat Schmitke. "The Stampede has grown and changed over the years and...electrical panels were put here or there and maybe weren't necessarily done the proper way, or they were done to code at the time but it doesn't meet the code now."

He adds vendors depend on the electrical infrastructure on the grounds to be able to function, noting newer appliances draw more power than what they used to.

"This electrical project will...allow the vendors to be able to plug in, hook up and operate very well and it'll carry us well into the future."

Schmitke goes on to say that the cost of this project should come in around $100,000, adding the Valley Ag Society has already raised $60,000 through various fund raisers such as the Meridian Bin Raffle which garnered $50,000.

The committee is working closely with Manitoba Hydro on this project and Schmitke the Crown Corporation has been excellent in finding ways to get things done for the least cost while keeping things within code.

He expects this work to be complete by the 2017 Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition.