There is steady growth at the Calnash Ag Event Centre as was shown during its board’s annual general meeting Monday, Jan. 25.
The Ponoka Ag Event Centre Society (PAECS) hosted its AGM with president Terry Jones expressing satisfaction with the relatively positive year of growth and that trend appears likely to continue in 2016.
“What’s kind of cool is roughly 90 per cent of our events re-booked,” explained Jones.
He said this wouldn’t be possible without a dedicated group of employees, including events co-ordinator Joyce Vold and facility manager Dennis Pugh.
“It couldn’t be done without the great work they have done … it takes a lot to run this place,” said Jones proudly.
He thanked the board of directors and the many volunteers who spend time at the centre ensuring projects and programs run smoothly.
“I wanted to especially thank Sherry Gummow for being on the board and being so dedicated,” said Jones.
Gummow was one of the original members of PAECS but with a change in directors at the Ponoka Agricultural Society (PAS), the group that now runs the operations of the building, she was no longer eligible for a director position at PAECS. Jones said she was integral in getting the project going.
He is also excited about the upstairs classroom and concession getting busier as the years progress.
As PAECS finances are concerned the society had revenue at $497,000 with expenses at $479,000 and with some other expenses the society saw a small deficit of $10,000, explained accountant Gord Parker of Rowland Parker and Associates.
He added that the Festival of Trees is another area PAECS saw growth. “The Festival of Trees is put on by PAECS, specifically to benefit another organization in town,” said Parker.
Money from the festival goes to the Ponoka and District Health Foundation. Funds from the first festival in 2014 brought in $112,000 with $41,000 going to expenses and $59,500 donated to the health foundation. Leftover was $11,500 to continue with the fundraising effort in future years.
“It’s basically to cover future things for the festival,” said Parker.
Understanding how well the building did, however, requires a look at PAS’s AGM finances. Revenues are up at $1.3 million compared to $970,000 in 2014 but so are the expenses. For 2015, expenditures reached $1.16 million compared to $817,000 in 2014. After expenses, the building brought in $132,000.
PAECS also has a $1.8 million demand revolving line of credit with Servus owing $950,000 for 2015, compared to $897,00 in 2014.
Bylaws updated
With an approved change of its bylaws during the AGM, PAECS directors are now allowed to sit on the board for longer than two three-year terms.
Several members were in contravention of those bylaws after sitting on the board for longer than was allowed. The change allows the board partners — the town and county of Ponoka, the Ponoka Stampede and Exhibition Association and PAS — to designate how long their PAECS members can sit on the board.
The board is now comprised of Jones, Dale Olson and Danny Jones for the Stampede Association, Doug Weir for the county, Mayor Rick Bonnett for the town and Dan Dixon, Linc Drynan and Cec Dykstra for PAS. Rick Cline represents the residents as the member at large.
Other changes to their bylaws include amending the membership year from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 as opposed to Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. PAECS’ fiscal year now ends in September.