The North Thompson Agriplex building site has been surveyed, cleared, levelled, fill brought in, packed and is now ready for the next step thanks to an outpouring of generosity from local contractors and land owners.
Last week 300 dump truck loads of donated gravel were brought into the site from Carman and Barb Smith’s property by dump truck operators Ian Mitchell, Norm Fennell, Norm Peters, Bud Horn, Ron Wallace, Paul Morris, and Stamer Contracting. The gravel was all hauled as in-kind donations to the Agriplex.
Heavy equipment used on the site was also provide by in-kind donation from Stamer Contracting, Greg Fennell, Darin Yurkiw, and Ross Huber.
Low-bedding was provided by donation from Darren Brackman, and truck drivers Murray Livingstone and Ian Nelson also donated their time.
Argo Road Maintenance dnated a water truck throughout the packing process to keep the gravel wetted down. And surveying of the site was provided in-kind by Kenner Mitchell.
“It’s just amazing how the community has embraced this building,” said Agriplex Project Committee member and NTFFRA director Dick Ross, “People are really excited about seeing this project happen.”
Committee member Darcy Feller commented, “There’s a lot of buy-in here from a lot of people. We all have other things we could be doing, but the Agriplex is important to the community and to our children and their children. We need others to step up and lend a hand in anyway they can.”
North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association president Donna Kibble says, “It was “truly exciting to see those dump trucks arriving one after the other on a continuous basis at the fairgrounds last week. It was also a little scary to see what a giant project this is, and how quickly it is happening. We can’t say enough about the wonderful community we live in; how people have pulled together, donating their money, and their time to raise the Agriplex.”
The NTFFRA is encouraging others to step forward “and help raise the roof on the North Thompson Agriplex”. They welcome all donations, both big and small, in-kind, and volunteers.
“This is really happening, and it’s happening now,” said committee member and NTFFRA director Ken Beharrell, “People are really excited about this, they want to help in anyway they can, and we welcome them to join us.”
It seems that the Association’s vision of a multi-use facility, 30,000 square feet, with 20,000 of that clear span, has pulled the local community together to bring it to reality.
Jim Ivanitz, owner of MSC Contracting, who are manufacturing the steel Agriplex building says, “I really like the way your community has joined together to erect this building. I really like to see that, it shows this is a good place to live; where people care.”
NTFFRA vice-president an Agriplex Committee member Rainer notes there are a number of other changes taking place at the fair grounds, “We have moved the light horse arena and warm-up ring over a ways to fit in the new building. This is also being done by other contractors in-kind, and we have materials donated for fencing and to make a good footing in the arena.”
Getting the light horse arena up and running as quickly as possible is on the priority list.