Sources have confirmed to CTV News that what was supposed to be the final year for the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, won’t be. The event is expected to return to the city in 2017.

Back in July, 2016, the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) and the City of Saskatoon announced that a memorandum of understanding had been signed for the Canadian Finals Rodeo to be held in Saskatoon from 2017 to 2019.

That decision came after CPRA didn’t accept a joint offer from the Oilers Entertainment Group and Northlands to host the CFR.

That deal had the CFR moving to Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton, with Farm Fair International staying at the Northlands Expo Centre.

On Monday, sources confirmed to CTV News that the event would be coming back to Edmonton, as the deal to move the event to Saskatoon had apparently fallen through.

Details on the change have not been confirmed, sources say details will be set at a meeting Thursday.

CPRA tweeted an announcement would be coming, from Northlands, on Wednesday:

 

 

Saskatoon organizer ‘disappointed’ after CFR deal fell through

The Executive Director of SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon spoke to CTV News in that city Monday, and said the changes came quickly.

“It was such a quick shift, they confirmed the event and within a week they had some major changes in their organizations,” Scott Ford said.

“It is disappointing,” Ford continued. “We certainly thought we had an agreement in place with a good business plan.

“Certainly, on their side of things I can understand they have a level of comfort – being in Edmonton.”

Ford said a short time after the announcement of the memorandum of understanding to move the event to Saskatoon in 2017, 2018 and 2019 came out, SaskTel learned changes had happened at the CPRA and the organization had a new executive director.

Ford said there was a shift in the board, and said the event could stay in Edmonton despite the memorandum – he said Northlands had lobbied to keep the event since July.

With files from CTV Saskatoon