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Ponoka County providing final installment towards AGRIUM Centre

The Rimbey Agricultural Society will receive a final $500,000 cheque from Ponoka County today towards its new $3.4 million AGRIM Centre.

The Rimbey Agricultural Society will receive a final $500,000 cheque from Ponoka County today towards its new $3.4 million AGRIM Centre.

The 60,000 square-foot complex will include an indoor riding arena, a 900-seat grandstand, meeting rooms and a board room.

It replaces the Rimbey Agriplex, built in 1984, which the town had outgrown.

“The 4H Club barely had room in there and actually had to go outdoors to host shows,” said society president Tim Edge.

“It should be an economic driver in the community.”

The final $500,000 will complete the $2 million of funding from the county towards the project, spread out over the last two years.

For the county, this is an essential project and will give them two new facilities to come online in the last few years that will set them up for the foreseeable future. In 2011, Ponoka opened the Calnash Ag Event Centre, an $8-million facility.

“We can be very proud, we’ve got two first-class facilities on each side of our county,” said county CAO Charlie Cutforth.

“Let’s face it, this is horse country, so I’m sure they’ll be very well used. The Ponoka facility has already proved that they’re viable.”

The Rimbey Agricultural Society has also received funding from the Community Enhancement Program from the Alberta government, as well as a number of private donations and other sponsorships.

The funding for the building is complete and should open this fall. At this point in construction, the outside is almost locked down leaving the work inside the shell of the building to be finished.

jaldrich@www.reddeeradvocate.com