40 Years at Irricana

The 14^th Annual Pioneer Acres Show & Reunion was scheduled for August 13 & 14, 1983. The Club took possession of the new property on June 15^th, and it had been decided to host the Show at the new site. There were no services in place – no electricity, no telephone, no water. There were no buildings or fences. There were no trees. All the equipment was still on the previous site at the Taylor Farm at Langdon Corner and had to be moved up to Irricana.

July must have been a terrifically busy month for the volunteers who undertook to prepare for the Show. But it eventually all came together. Attendance was 1,560 according to ticket count. The 1983 Financial Report indicates that Show Income was $8,321.28 and Show Expenses were $1,657.25 so it was a money maker for the Club. Notably, our relationship with the Irricana Lions Club began at that first Show. They looked after the parking lot and collecting at the gate in addition to the concessions.

The Club’s bank balance at the end of 1983 was $8,076.36 and Trans Alta Utilities quoted a cost of $7,900 to provide a power line to the new site. The situation must have seemed grim. But it has been onward and upward since then. Power was installed after the 1984 Show, telephone service came in 1986, as did the water well and the barn. Funding was provided by donations and grants, in addition to any profits from the Shows.

Eventually, over the years, trees were planted, fences were installed, and buildings were erected. Every few years a new building would be proposed, funding would be secured, volunteer crews would go to work and the project would be completed. A grant was even obtained so that Pioneer Acres could appear on the World Wide Web.

The highlight ‘Show of All Shows’ was our 30^th Anniversary celebration in 1999 when our ambitious Horse Committee members organized and executed the famous 30 Horse Hitch. That performance attracted record crowds with visitor traffic backed up to the highway on the east and into town on the west for most of the day.

The Club received a welcome surprise in 2012 when the sister of one of our founding members bequeathed the bulk of her estate to us. Arlo Jurney was the original Club Treasurer and an active member for many years. His sister, Mrs. Erma Erb of Santa Barbara, California, appreciated his dedication to Pioneer Acres and we ended up with a substantial endowment. We appreciate all contributions to help us remain sustainable.