For many, the return of the Canadian National Exhibition traditionally heralds the end of summer. But this year also means something else – a return to a life that looks more like normal.
It’s been a rough ride for the CNE over the past few years.
Even before the pandemic, the organization was dealing with change. Just weeks before the event began in 2019, the CNE and its CEO suddenly parted ways without explanation. The event took place this year but has since been put on hold due to COVID-19.
Current CEO Darrell Brown, who took over in 2019, said the organization had to “scratch and claw” to get through a tough few years.
“I mean, we borrowed $4 million to try to make ends meet,” Brown told CP24.com recently at a media preview. “That would certainly not be enough on its own. Just to give you an idea, our budget for this year’s fair is $37.5 million, and we normally don’t get government funding. So we have to make sure we get enough revenue to cover that and our annual operating costs.
He said that means laying off more than 50 percent of the organization’s staff and cutting the salaries of everyone else.
The organization has been able to stay afloat, he said, through a combination of loans and grants from the federal and provincial governments. The organization has received more than $7.2 million from the federal government and $1.6 million from the Ontario government to recover from the pandemic.
However, Brown said the thing he’s most excited about this year is seeing “people coming through the gates. I just see the crowds, walk through the Midway and have fun.”
He said the sellers were also looking forward to The Ex’s return.
“We have 107 vendors in the food building alone. We have over 800 businesses that rely on us. So, they’re here and they expect it to be big. And I think they’re right because when we look at other fairs this year, more people have come out,” Brown said. “But also the cost per person is much higher. And so I think some people have lost a little bit of money, maybe because they haven’t been going out as much during COVID and they’re spending that money when they do go out.”
Jeff Broders and Karin Johnson are part of a team of vendors happy to be back this year.
The couple started dating in 2009 and CNE has been a part of their story since the beginning.
“We used to come here every single CNE meeting. We started dating in 2009, so since then we’ve been coming every season for a date, and then it turned into this,” Johnson said, referring to the Curd King stand the couple runs on the Midway.
Their stand sells deep-fried cheeses, a choice they came up with after the Broeders—originally from Minnesota—couldn’t believe the food wasn’t available at the Ex, as it is at the Minnesota State Fair every year.
This year, the pair is offering a new twist – the Cinnamon Curd Crisp – which takes the original and covers it with cinnamon sugar, cream cheese frosting and a crunchy cinnamon toast. This is one of the many outrageous food creations you can find at the CNE this year.
Click here to see more wild foods on offer this year.
But the couple said the real reason they keep coming to The Ex is the special atmosphere.
“You come down and the energy down here, it’s a lot of fun to be around the people,” Broders said. “Everyone is here to have a good time and the atmosphere is different. And it’s fun to hang out with everyone.”
Johnson adds that the two call the former “our summer camp.”
In addition to a bunch of outrageous food and attractions to try, the CNE will have a nighttime drone show featuring 100 drones that will light up the night sky. There will also be a multimedia show — NEVAEH & The Northstar — that combines “cutting-edge theater technology, pyrotechnics and augmented reality to take audiences on an immersive odyssey through time, land, sea and galaxies.”
Gaming enthusiasts can also check out eSports at the Gaming Garage Powered by AMD, where they can come play some of the hottest PC games on glowing AMD PCs that look more like club decorations.
Teams will also face off in a robotics competition at the Gaming Garage from September 2-4.
Other attractions this year include the Celebrity Kitchen Stage, Food Truck Frenzy and Craft Beer Fest, a lineup of musical acts at the CNE Bandshell that will include Glass Tiger with the Spoons; Gordon Lightfoot with The Good Brothers; Tom Cochrane with Cassador and many others. And of course the 73rd Canada International Air Show will wrap things up from September 3rd to 5th.
While the influx of visitors returning to the exhibition will no doubt be a boon for the CNE, some challenges remain. Union safety inspectors who work for the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) staged a raucous demonstration at the official opening of the CNE on Friday. They expressed concern about how the rides were inspected during their industrial action.
“When you have deputies trying to do the jobs of people who have been here 10 or 20 years, I think it’s very difficult to do,” one picketing safety inspector, John Todorowski, told CP24 on Friday .
The CNE said it had taken steps to ensure the strike would not affect the safety of the event and that it had its own engineering team to carry out inspections alongside those carried out by non-union staff (TSSA).
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know if you go:
WHEN
The CNE runs from August 19 to September 5. The grounds are open from 10 a.m. to midnight daily, except for Labor Day (September 5), when the grounds close at 9 p.m.
The CNE is open rain or shine, although some outdoor events may be canceled or postponed due to weather.
TICKETS
General admission for those 14 to 64 is $25, while tickets for adults (65 and older) and children (5-13) are $20. Children under 4 are free.
You can save some money if you have time to go during the week. Admission after 5pm Monday through Thursday is $11 for all ages.
Most passes can be purchased online to save time ($2 processing fee is added for online purchases) or at the CNE gates.
You can also gain access to the CNE grounds with a Budweiser Stage or BMO Field ticket.
There are several other trades and combinations to allow. See TheEx.com for full details.
Game and ride coupons start at $5 for four coupons and can only be purchased at the door.
TO GET THERE
Those venturing to the CNE grounds this weekend should allow plenty of time and route planning as there are a number of road closures and transit adjustments that could make travel difficult.
Brown says the early start will help avoid traffic jams as the crowds increase during the day.
Driving
Westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East, between Parliament Street and Lower Sherbourne Street, will be reduced to one lane until 9:00 p.m. Sunday, August 21 to facilitate work on the Enbridge pipeline installation.
There are also a number of other road closures in the city over the weekend to accommodate construction and events. You can find a full list on the city’s website and plan around them.
The CNE has two off-site lots and several on-site lots. The cost to park in the on-site parking lots is $30 to $35, depending on the day.
TTC
Options for getting to the CNE grounds by transit include the Bathurst Streetcar to Exhibition Loop; 504B King Streetcar to Dufferin Gate Loop; 29 Dufferin Bus which goes to Dufferin gate Loop and 509 Harbourfront Streetcar which goes to Exhibition Loop.
There will be no subway service on Line 1 between Sheppard West and Wilson stations due to track improvement work. There will be shuttle buses that stop at every station along the route.
Go by public transport
Metrolinx says that between Aug. 20 and Sept. 5, weekend schedules for the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West GO train lines will be adjusted for the CNE to limit any potential for crowding at the Exhibition GO station.
“Customers are encouraged to use gotransit.com’s Trip Planner to plan GO trips in advance,” the agency said. “Customers should allow extra time as GO trains and buses will be busier than usual, as well as stations, parking lots and ticket counters.”
Customers can purchase a GO Weekend Pass online, which covers one day ($10) or two days ($15). Note that this option cannot be purchased at train stations.
Children under 12 ride for free.
Customers can now also use a credit card to pay for an adult fare by tapping if they don’t have a Presto card.
See full details on the Metrolinx website.
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