Pride of the Land: An Affectionate History of Brandon's Agricultural Exhibitions

Bruce Grainger is head of Public Services at the Macdonald Library,
McGill University.

Coates and McGuinness are both residents of Brandon: the former, a professor of history at Brandon University, has previously written of western Canadian exhibitions; the latter, a writer, newspaperman and lecturer, has been associated with the Brandon exhibitions in an official capacity. In this book, the authors take (as the subtitle suggests) a fond and largely uncritical look at the various fall, winter, and summer exhibitions which have been continuously held in Brandon since 1882. A detailed history is provided of the associations which organized the various fairs culminating in the formation, in 1969, of a single Manitoba Exhibition Association responsible for all of the Brandon Exhibitions.

The exhibitions were an expression of the commercial aspirations of Brandon businessmen from the start. The authors acknowledge the “urban boosterism” of the exhibitions’ promoters and the intense rivalry with fairs in other municipalities, especially those of the arch-rival, Winnipeg. The strenuous efforts of the early promoters to obtain local, provincial, and federal subsidies and their extensive promotional activities seem distinctly modern.

The authors give a good account of the varied activities and exhibits at the fairs and how they changed over the years. Their story is enhanced by the numerous interesting illustrations, which include black and white photographs of individuals, exhibits, events, buildings, midway attractions, farm equipment, posters and advertisements. Although the focus of this book is on a local institution, the impact of world events is of interest. The full-color cover is especially attractive. An index of names and places is also included.

Many interesting vignettes of local events and personalities associated with the exhibitions are given.

This book is well written and researched. Although it will naturally be of most interest to those who live in the Brandon area, this history conveys an excellent sense of what a regional agricultural exhibition was like and how it evolved to the present.