Raymond Stampede applies for COVID funding

Posted on February 25, 2021 by admin

By Nikki Jamieson
Westwind Weekly News

Raymond town council is supporting a COVID funding request for the Raymond Stampede.

Raymond Stampede and Race Meet Society is applying for COVID support funding from the province, and has asked the town to submit a letter of support for their grant application.

“The stampede society reached out inquiring if we’d be willing to write a letter, as the leaseholder and the landowner for the stampede, for them to be able to access sustainability funding from the province, to help the longevity and sustainability, viability of the stampede going forward,” said Kurtis Pratt, CAO for the town, during council’s regular Feb. 16 meeting.

Pratt said he had already written the letter of support and it has been submitted, after making an “executive decision based on an assumption,” and asked for council to accept the letter.

When asked what the amount of funding they’ll receive will be, Pratt said it was based on their financials from the past number of years.

Founded in 1902, the Raymond Stampede is Canada’s oldest professional rodeo, predating the Calgary Stampede by a decade. Normally held during the town’s Canada Day festivities, due to the pandemic, the Raymond Stampede did not occur last year.

Council passed a motion to accept the letter for information.