Community Organizations
As a non-profit organization dedicated to community service,
Northlands Park has partnered with community organizations since its
inception. Some groups, such as the University of Alberta (U of A), have
been very prominent while others have functioned at the grassroots
level. What is similar about all of them is the value placed on public
service.
One such entity is the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade, who offered its
services to those in attendance at the Edmonton Exhibition Association’
s (EEA) events. Voluntarily servicing the grounds, the well-trained
brigade treated 392 people on site in 1946. Such contributions
highlighted the importance of community work while also providing a safe
environment for fairgoers.
A more industry related collaboration was with the U of A and yielded
numerous benefits for both the learning institution and the EEA. Leaders
in several departments including the faculties of Agricultural
Engineering, Home Economics, and Animal Husbandry maintained regular
contact with the association. The EEA extended summer employment to
university students when appropriate, hosted remarkable pupils as
associate judges for livestock fairs, showcased Home Economics products,
displayed agricultural machinery, and even contributed articles to
university newsletters. Beyond agricultural affairs, convocations were
sometimes held on the exhibition grounds.
As a gesture in kind, university professors provided the EEA with
input on how to improve the organization while keeping it up to date on
technological developments. Having the school appoint representatives to
serve as associate directors also encouraged close links. Interface not
only kept the EEA modern and relevant, it also ensured its success by
cultivating the agricultural capabilities of newer generations.
Another longstanding community partner in the EEA’s history has been
the Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB).
As its partner, the EEA
organized essay contests, school art and handicraft exhibits, and boys’
and girls’ camps during the summer exhibition week. When space was
needed for athletic events, the EEA would allow free use of its grounds.
Earlier educational endeavors paved the way for later cooperation and
innovation between the two.
Innumerable partnering initiatives involved fundraising. Though the
EEA board did not hold the power to make grants or donations from
exhibition funds, it sometimes permitted community leagues and other
parties to have raffles on the exhibition grounds. In other cases, event
revenue was rerouted to a community group.
As a prominent community
organization itself, the EEA received numerous requests for donations
and invitations to participate in the development of charity
organizations. Perhaps most consistently, it supported organizations by
providing facilities for their use and delivering educational
presentations to civic groups.
Likewise,
many EEA board members were also volunteers during their own time.
Interaction with organizations like the Rotary Club or the Young Women’s
Christian Association (YWCA) fostered a culture of service beyond mere
exhibition interests and established the primacy of this community
involvement.
With sports clubs, animal organizations, and benevolent societies all
looking to collaborate, the EEA had plenty of community partnerships to
keep it busy and in touch with citizen concerns.
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