Rhonda Woytkiw has been wearing a lot more hats lately than just her official job description with the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba.
Officially, she’s the financial controller, a position she’s held for about three years. Since the start of COVID-19, however, she’s been doing a lot more than looking after the books.
Why it matters: The host organization for the three largest ag fairs in Brandon took a staffing hit early in the pandemic, forcing staff members into new roles to pick up the slack.
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Since the onset of the pandemic, her role has expanded to anything from shovelling the sidewalk to management decisions. More recently, she’s taken on work with the livestock office, with the return of Ag Ex wrapping up just weeks ago.
“It’s been challenging at times, but rewarding at the same time,” she said. “I wouldn’t have had these opportunities and the ability to grow in the way that I have without it. So that’s kind of a positive spin on it. But there are also the other parts of it where it’s been many, many long days and weekends that have been sacrificed to make sure the doors stay open and the lights stay on.”
Now, almost two years since the onset of the pandemic changed everything, Woytkiw is getting national recognition for her efforts.
She is now the latest Canadian Fair Champion, as awarded by the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (CAFE). The national industry organization announced the award Nov. 18, during its annual meeting in Regina, Sask.
“I’m honoured to be nominated for the award, but humbled, I suppose, by actually receiving it,” Woytkiw said. “There’s a lot of people out there who are very deserving of it, so I’m just really grateful.”
The Canadian Fair Champion is, in CAFE’s words, “‘that special someone’ who goes the extra mile for your fair organization or agricultural society,” regardless of whether that person is a volunteer or staff member.
“It may be the fellow who has taken on maintenance of your fair buildings with little or no thanks. Or the woman who has chaired every committee twice and keeps stepping in when needed!” an online description of the award reads. “Maybe it is someone who supported your community through another difficult pandemic year.”
That last, according to Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba president Greg Crisanti, certainly applied to Woytkiw.
“It really is quite an accomplishment for Rhonda,” Crisanti said. “The amount of work that she puts in for our organization is incredible… her job’s been ever changing and it sure is appreciative for her to be recognized at that kind of level.”
The organization in general has had to deal with adjustments and changing public health orders, he noted. On top of that, he also noted the staff cuts and expanded responsibilities of Woytkiw, a change that led to numerous volunteer hours, he said.
Woytkiw herself noted the challenge that her entire team has faced trying to get creative with fundraising.
An organization that draws its primary income from large in-person fairs, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic threw the exhibition for a financial loop in 2020.
The exhibition was forced to cancel its 2020 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair at the last minute, while the organization’s other two fairs, the Manitoba Summer Fair and Ag Ex, met with similar fates that year. The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and Manitoba Summer Fair 2021 were likewise, cancelled.
Despite smaller events and fundraising, large-scale in-person events did not return to the exhibition until late summer and fall this year, with a midway event and scaled-back Ag Ex.
Crisanti also noted that Woytkiw has been an advocate for the region’s fairs in general as the whole industry has sought to navigate the pandemic and engage with government.
