Westerner Park CEO Shelly Flint. (Westerner Park/Supplied)

By Ian Gustafson

maintaining a community driver

Westerner Park urges city council to advocate for more funding

Aug 6, 2025 | 4:37 PM

Westerner Park is asking Red Deer city council to advocate for them to the provincial government for more operating dollars and sustainable capital funding.

In their 2024-25 financial report presented to Red Deer city council Tuesday, the non-profit organization reported an overall surplus of $957,126, but a $100,000 operating loss with grant income ($429,900 without grant income) compared to a forecast operating loss of $1.1 million.

In a presentation to council, Westerner Park CEO Shelly Flint said as a non-profit, they do things for the community that don’t always net a positive on the bottom line.

“That doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to expenses; in fact, quite the opposite. We’re keenly aware of what it takes to operate the park and prudently manage our expenses. This year we really focused on cutting expenses to maintain liquidity. Did we cut too deep in some places? Quite possibly,” she confessed.

“We did everything we could to get closer to a liquidity break, even extending the time required for the province to provide financial support. In doing so, we got more than half the way there. Our operating loss is now only 3.4 per cent of total revenue, last year it was 13.3 per cent, and this year the budget is for a positive 1.7 per cent.”

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She explained the biggest current challenge is that the Ministry of Agriculture has been giving Westerner Park the same grant of $398,000 for the last 20 years, though most recently, a one-time grant of $850,000 over and above.

Flint said the current funding model based on agriculture is not fit to support the size of the venue Westerner Park has. Yet, they’re expected to operate with the same amount of funding as smaller ag societies with facilities in Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Camrose, Olds, Medicine Hat, and Grande Prairie.

They’re hoping for approximately $2 million from the provincial government. In comparison, the Calgary Stampede receives $5.5 million in funding from the province.

That gap creates issues, she said, not only for them, but for Red Deer, as she claimed the community doesn’t have enough hotel rooms to be able to support large scale conferences and tournaments.

The operational costs exceed self-generated revenues.

“That’s not a Westerner Park issue, it’s a regional infrastructure limitation and it affects everyone’s potential,” she added.

Westerner Park is also doing what they can to sustain the facilities like the Parkland, Prairie, and Neeralta pavilions. However, without a steady revenue stream, they will rely on events to subsidize aging infrastructure.

Flint said this is not a sustainable model, adding that it’s a temporary fix to a long-term challenge.

“[Westerner Park] is not just a venue, it’s not just nice to have, it’s essential infrastructure, it’s a community anchor, and it’s a regional driver,” she said. “It deserves the same kind of long-term strategic investment that any critical asset would receive. We’ve done the work, but for Westerner Park to keep delivering, it needs to be supported.”

As a result, they’re asking council — a group of voices they say understand Westerner Park’s true value to the region and province — for continued support through advocating for more long-term funding from the provincial government.

More specifically, Flint said they need multi-year operational funding to stabilize staffing, programming, and essential services.

They also need capital investment to maintain critical infrastructure such as the pavilions. In addition, they hope to get formal recognition as a strategic regional partner, and not just as an agriculture event space.

“Here’s why it matters, not just as policy makers, but as people: You’ve made memories at Westerner Park. Your kids have too, and one day it’ll be your grandkids riding in the midway, graduating on the floor of the Centrium, or cheering on the Rebels,” said Flint.

“We can only do this with you. We need champions in rooms that we can’t be in.”

Looking ahead to their 2025-26 financial goals, they hope to deliver more events with revenue hitting $17.2 million. With $16.9 million in expenses and other factors, they currently project to end the year with a $345,192 loss. Flint described this an aggressive goal.

This is dependant on stabilizing the RV Resort, increased operating funding through grants and sponsorship, and increased events.

They may also explore the idea of having people once again pay for parking when at Westerner Park.

“We’re still hopeful for increased funding from the province, but we haven’t seen it yet. We did see one-time grant funding come from the province this year to support some of the studies and there might be some additional funding for studies coming in the fall,” Flint continues.

“We haven’t received any update on ongoing operational funding and that’s what we really need.”

No decision was requested of council during the regular city council meeting Tuesday, but councillors did weigh in.

Councillor Victor Doerksen said Westerner is an important asset for the city, adding he’s made plenty of memories with his family at the park. He thanked Flinn for her continued work.

Meanwhile, councillor Bruce Buruma said he loved the feel of Westerner Days this year.

“We cannot lose sight of those memories and the essential role that they play,” he said.

Last year, Westerner Park hosted over 400 events, including 254 banquets and meetings, 46 trade shows, and 37 Rebels games.

During Westerner Days, over 25,000 people came out for the parade and there were 1,165 volunteer hours, over 20 pancake breakfasts and 7,000 attendees for the RCMP Musical Ride. In total, 46,000 attendees came out during Westerner Days despite multiple rainy days.

According to Flint, activities at Westerner Park contributed $73 million in total Alberta-wide economic impact with $42.5 million of that impact in Red Deer.