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The Saskatoon Exhibition is upgrading its security this year to include bag searches and a walk-through metal detector.
Prairieland Park wants to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2022, when police were called to the grounds on three separate occasions after someone used bear spray.
“We did have some incidents last year that obviously we want to eliminate, and this is a good measure to work towards that,” said Susan Kuzma, manager of signature events for Prairieland Park.
She added that increased security is now typical at large events across North America.
“Well, I think with upwards of 225,000 people on the park over the six days, you know, we want to keep everybody safe. And so it’s a program that we’ve invested in,” she said.
Kuzma said the new measures could lead to delays getting into the Ex, but said people should be understanding because safety trumps speed.
People who set off a detector — say, with a pocketknife — will have the option of taking it back to their car or not coming in at all.
Banned items include professional photography equipment, laser pointers, scooters, skateboards and bicycles, weapons (including bear spray, mace, firearms and knives), lawn chairs, gang-affiliated colours and clothing, alcohol, illegal drugs and recreational cannabis.
The Ex begins Tuesday and runs all week.
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