FedDev Ontario investment supports 100th anniversary of the world's largest indoor agricultural and equestrian event
November 2, 2022 - Toronto, Ontario
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (The Royal) is the largest combined indoor agriculture fair and international equestrian competition in the world. Taking place in Toronto in November each year, The Royal is where Canadian and international breeders, growers and exhibitors come together to showcase their expertise, drawing more than 300,000 visitors annually. As a major contributor to the local economy, the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 in person iterations of the fair due to the pandemic, resulted in a significant loss of revenue for The Royal, its vendors and exhibitors, and the local tourism and hospitality sectors. The Government of Canada is committed to revitalizing major events and festivals, like The Royal, supporting its important contributions to local economies and positioning the event for a strong future.
Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announced a non-repayable investment of over $5 million in The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair through the Major Events and Festivals Support Initiative (MFESI).
This year marks the 100th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, taking place in Toronto from November 4−13. With this support, The Royal has made updates to its venue and equipment, including the purchase of new temporary stalls for livestock, horse jumps, and implementation of enhanced health measures to keep visitors safe. In addition, the investment is enhancing and modernizing the visitor experience at the fair, including updated signage, improved video production, live streaming technology, interactive mapping software and programming improvements.
The in-person return of the fair will also have significant spill-over benefits for the local economy. With this investment, The Royal is positioned for a strong return, while laying the foundation for continued success.
