The Burning of the Brand was attended by several dignitaries such as Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Mart and the Chief Executive Officer of STARS Air Ambulance.

Over the years, Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) has raised $250,000 for STARS, which provides service to all corners of the province.

STARS CEO Andrea Robertson said it was an honour to kick things off.

“It’s so fun to be here. It’s such an amazing event, and then, in addition, you think about the partnership we’ve had with them since 2014,,” she said.

For many in rural areas in the province, STARS can be the difference between life and death.

“Your ability to live or not live can come down to us getting there in time, so I think it has a huge meaning to every one of us that lives in Saskatchewan,.” Robertson said.

CEO of Candian Western Agribition, Shaun Kindopp hopes to see attendance reach over 100,000 people this week.

“We are looking to get back into that six-figure mark of pre-pandemic levels,” he said. “We weren’t far off during the pandemic, so looking forward to getting back to a bit more normal and welcoming those folks back.”

Agribition will run until this Saturday, with plenty of events and activities for those passionate or looking to learn about agriculture to take in throughout the week.

For a full list of events and what’s happening, you can visit the Canadian Western Agribition website.

(CKRM)