Lakes District Fall Fair Upgrades Facilities Ahead of 67th Year in Burns Lake

In 2009, Lakes District Fall Fair Association received a $18,321 grant from Northern Development through the Community Halls and Recreation Facilities program towards this $64,765 project. This has been a funding partnership of Lakes District Fall Fair Association, Northern Development, BC Gaming, Eagle Creek Recreation Commission, and Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund Society

2012-The Lakes District Fall Fair, located right in the heart of Burns Lake, has been a popular annual event for over sixty years and typically includes a three day music festival, annual children’s festival, heavy horse pull, petting zoo, beef show, pet show, and an exhibit hall with commercial booths and concessions. The fair started out as a way to support local farmers as they showed off their yearly crops, steers, canning or quilting. It’s always a place where community members can socialize and bring together their families to celebrate the changing of the seasons during harvest time.

Today, the Lakes District Fall Fair continues as an important annually celebrated community event where families come together to visit, compete, and just have fun. As time goes on, the capacity of the fair grows, and renovations must be made in order to accommodate a growing number of participants. Recently a new barn was built, and with funding from Northern Development in partnership with the Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund Society, BC Gaming, the Lakes District Fall Fair Association, and Eagle Creek Recreation Commission, the Lakes District Fall Fair Association was able to make enhancements to the new barn and other facilities on the fair grounds in 2009.

This funding has made it possible to use the barn for heavy horses and other stock, upgrade the exhibit hall, improve the washroom facility by making it handicap accessible, and construct a new first aid/office building.

"We have had such positive feedback from the 2009 improvements. We are grateful for the funding support from Northern Development and our other funding partners."

Joan McFee, Director, Lakes District Fall Fair Association

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Positive Economic Impacts in Burns Lake

As the annual Lakes District Fall Fair continues to grow, so does the event's positive economic impacts in Burns Lake and the rural areas of the Lakes District region. Each year there are more participants, continually increasing the local spending that occurs during the fair in local businesses throughout the community. The Lakes District Fall Fair Association and fair exhibitors aren't the only organizations that are increasing their revenues, but other organizations that can use the improved facilities are also seeing benefits throughout the year. The barn is now used for local saddle and pony club members throughout the spring and summer months, and the exhibit hall is rented out for different events such as the annual rodeo dance and is used for community functions such as the 2012 Minerals North convention that is being held in Burns Lake.

By undertaking this project, the Lakes District Fall Fair Association is supporting the agricultural sector throughout the region as these improved facilities now act as an important event and meeting place for farmers and ranchers to discuss ranching and farming practices, industry trends, and personal experiences in their ranching and farming businesses. In an area where the growing season is so short, it is important that farmers are able to share new techniques and best practices ranging from increasing crop production to improving herd health and feeding methods. The Fall Fair provides this opportunity and these improved facilities are poised to support agricultural producers in the Lakes District region for many years to come.

Community Halls and Recreation Facilities

The Community Halls and Recreation Facilities is no longer available. Please visit the Recreation Infrastructure program page

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