The Manitoba Summer Fair kicked off in Brandon Wednesday, bringing new foods, rides and entertainers to the city — along with enhanced security measures.
When guests arrive at the Summer Fair gates this year, they’ll be greeted with metal detectors and bag checks, said Clint Swain, president of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, which hosts the long-running summer fair.
No drugs, alcohol or weapons are allowed on the grounds.
“We need to make sure that everyone has a safe atmosphere — families, small kids, adults, everybody,” Swain said.
Along with the new gate checks, security on site has been increased by about 25 per cent, he said.
So far, guests’ reactions have been positive, even if they have to wait a little longer to enter the fairgrounds, he said. There have been a few items confiscated at the gates that indicate the new measures are working.
“We were kind of concerned about the wait times a little bit, but all the feedback is they’d rather be safe and wait 20 minutes,” Swain said.
Swain even helped at the gates to keep guests flowing in.
The new security measures were brought on through Provincial Exhibition’s new security firm GardaWorld. Swain said the firm offered metal detectors and the non-profit agreed they were a good idea.
There was no specific incident that prompted the change, said Swain. He said organizers were aware of a shooting incident at the Red River Ex in Winnipeg in 2022, and while it was on their minds it wasn’t a major determining factor in the changes.
The Brandon Police Service also has anywhere from six to eight officers at the fair at all times.
WATCH | Manitoba Summer Fair ups security measures:
The Manitoba Summer Fair has kicked off in Brandon with enhanced security measures, including metal detectors and bag checks.
“A presence of security can really hinder bad, bad actors,” said Swain. “So the more we have on the grounds and the more that are visible, the better it is.”
Brandon police reported two incidents at the fair Friday — a youth arrested for an incident that happened prior to the fair, and an intoxicated 20-year-old who attempted to bring a replica handgun onto the grounds.
‘Good to have that in place’: attendee
Karis Munro, 15, has been coming to the summer fair for years. Munro says she loves the fun atmosphere but doesn’t always feel safe.
She knows someone from school who had an incident with bear spray a couple of years ago.
Munro got to the fair about an hour after it opened. While the gate lineup “was pretty intense, pretty long,” it was worth it because she feels safer.
“I think that it’s a good safety precaution — not only for me, but for say, like, little kids or elderly. I think it’s good to have that in place,” Munro said.
Gavin Bi, 12, says he likes spending time at the fair with his family and friends while they explore cool rides and try new foods.
They lined up as soon as the gates opened. He said the wait didn’t feel long and his bag search was fast.
“It still feels like the same fair, just at the start it might feel a little different from what we’re used to,” Bi said.
He said he hasn’t felt unsafe in previous years, but it’s always good to be prepared.
“I think it’s really safe,” Bi said. “We had news about people bringing dangerous stuff, and so that felt a little unsafe, but I guess they just upped the security a little bit.”
Brandon Matchett Duke said he appreciates having a safe place to bring his young family for a weekend of fun.
“I think it’s pretty good.… You can’t be too careful,” Matchett Duke said. “You always want to make sure that everyone’s having a good time.”
Swain said the enhanced security measures don’t seem to be deterring visitors — Friday was one of the fair’s busiest days ever, and Saturday was on track to be even busier, he said.
“We had record numbers over last year, and last year was our ultimate high,” Swain said. “That’s great for us as we kind of rebuild over the last couple of years.”
Swain makes it a point to walk around talking with people to see their favourite parts of the summer fair, which helps inform future Provincial Ex events.
The non-profit will assess the security measures at this year’s summer fair to see what could work for other events like the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, which it also organizes.
“We’re a city of [54,000, but] … we still got that small community feel to us,” he said. “That’s a big difference when we’re planning our events.”
The Manitoba Summer Fair ends Sunday.