Walter Says It’s Time After 45 Years On Exhibition Board

By Robert Thomas

The ceremony was small and brief.

A small bouquet of fresh flowers and applause from the approximately 15 people who attended the Moose Jaw Exhibition Association Inc’s AGM.

But for Joyce Walter it was the end of a 45 year ride with the Exhibition.

A ride which never began with fanfare and applause but rather with under cutting tones of derision from more than a few.

A 45 year ride of firsts which many now consider ordinary stuff left the Moose Jaw Exhibition a much better place.

Joyce Walter receives a bouquet of flowers in appreciation of her 45 years as a director with the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company at Tuesday evening’s AGM - MJ Independent photo

Walter, who has one of Moose Jaw’s largest Rolodex of community achievements, wasn’t initially welcomed by more than a couple of members the Exhibition’s board in 1980.

Achievements stretching from her board duties at the Exhibition, being named Moose Jaw’s citizen of the year in 1989 up to 25 years on Moose Jaw’s Canada Day Committee and more. Including a 55 year stint married to Ron.

Her initial appearance as an Exhibition board member was due to a critical editorial Walter wrote in the now defunct Moose Jaw Times Herald. A newspaper whose staff she joined in 1968 right after graduation from school in Parkbeg.

“I had written an editorial after the Fair that summer saying that I thought we should be in the A circuit instead of the B circuit. We were big enough an A circuit midway,” Walter explained, adding “one of the board members phoned me saying ‘you don’t know what you’re talking about.’”

“He said if you think you know so much why don’t you come be on the board,” Walter said.

It was a challenge she accepted but there were hoops to jump through.

Walter remembers telling the board member she would do it but she needed to be nominated to get on the board.

“I said I don’t think that is going to happen,” she said.

Walter would relate the story to a friend Jim Slaney - who ran a popcorn stand and hobby shop downtown. Slaney would reply “oh I’ll nominate you.”

Walter would be nominated at the Exhibition’s AGM and elected - the first woman ever - to the Exhibition’s board.

She would hear from the board member who had challenged her.

“After it was all over the old fellow came up to me and said you’re not as bad as I thought you were.”

Being nominated and elected to the Exhibition’s board was not the end of it as there was still some resentment amongst more than a few board members of the day.

The late Norm Smith would be instrumental in helping Walter to succeed.

“I came to my first meeting and nobody would sit beside me,” Walter said, adding “all the men and executive sat at the front table on the other side of the room. I thought this is going to be a lot of fun but Norm (Smith) came in and said we’re going to be a team,” she said.

Walter would start to fit in thanks to Smith.

“Norm Smith was the best one I ever worked with. He kind of took me under his wing and made me help and build things. I had my little hammer that I brought from work and he kind of laughed at me. He was really good to me.”

Despite the initial hiccups Walter said being on the board for 45 years has been worth it.

“You get to meet all sorts of neat people and you get to participate in all sorts of events you wouldn’t normally…you get to meet a lot of different people and you get to meet people in the community because you’re out representing the Exhibition Company,” she said.

“People don’t realize how important this organization is to Moose Jaw. But once you’re involved in it you see what’s going on.”

Walter would serve as rodeo chairman for several years, the fair chairman and president of the Exhibition Company at two different times.

The biggest accomplishment for Walter was when she and Ray Sheward managed to convince the provincial government to allow Sunday horse racing and the casino to operate.

The horse racing and casino are now gone as the rights were sold to the province with the arrival of Casino Moose Jaw.

The Exhibition could have continued with their gambling endeavours but Walter pointed out how difficult it would be to compete against the province’s downtown casino.

“That would have been foolish. There’s no way we could compete with the provincial government. So they bought us out.”

The sale to the province provided income to the Exhibition. An agreement set to expire in two years.

“It’s going to be a challenge to find funds to replace it but I think the board will be able to find different funds,” Walter said.

Asked why she was leaving sitting on the board she said time had caught up with her.

“It’s time. I’ve been around for a long time and my health isn’t what it used to be. And I’m getting older and it’s time for a change. We need to get new people on the board to get new ideas and take on new projects.”

Walter said rentals are fine but at the same time the Exhibition has to also start doing their own events.

“We need to do some other events on our own like we use to,” she said.

In the end the 45 years were worth it.

“I met some really, really neat people over the years.”

Despite initial misgivings Walter was also named a life member of the Saskatchewan Association of Agricultural Societies and Exhibitions in 2015.