First year of entrance gate searches at Saskatoon Ex nets 'tremendous' amount of cannabis

The first year of enhanced entrance security at the Saskatoon Ex helped make for a generally safer experience for visitors,Prairieland Park Corp.'sSusan Kuzma said.

Safer but not without surprises.

"There was a tremendous amount of marijuana," said Kuzma, the managerof signature events. "People obviously didn't realize that they can't consume [it] outside of their home."

The cannabis was confiscated and destroyed.

Everyone who went onto the grounds had to passthrough metal detectors and all bags were searched.

Prairieland Park wantedto avoid a repeat of what happened in 2022, when police were called to the grounds on three separate occasions after someoneused bear spray. Dozens of people had to be treated after each assault, in enclosed venues.

This summer, staff were on the lookout for alcohol, illegal drugs and recreational cannabis,weapons (including bear spray, mace, firearms and knives), gang-affiliated colours and clothing, professional photography equipment, laser pointers, scooters, skateboards, bicycles and lawn chairs.

One cannister of bear spray was seized during the fair. Staff also confiscated booze, and pocket knives that were carried accidentally (not hidden).

Kuzma said the searches and detectors will be back next year, although organizers are considering an express lane for people who do not have bags.

• Saskatoon Exhibition upgrades entrance security with metal detector, bag searches

Attendance at the Ex, which ranfrom Aug. 8 to 13. dipped slightly this year, to 207,000 from an historical average of 220,00 visitors, Kuzma said, noting there werea couple of unsettled, rainy days.

Sunday set a single-day attendance record with 39,000 people on the grounds.

Police saidthey had between 16 and 20 officers on site every day. They arrested 32 people over the week, including 12 for public intoxication and three for assault (two against officers).

"The staff sergeant who oversaw police operations at the Ex has indicated that anything seized at the gates was because it was prohibited by Prairieland to be on the grounds," police spokespersonKelsie Fraser said in an email.