Planning for Canada 2023; Why Olds?

By Becky Zimmer

When it comes to Canadian agriculture, there are so many amazing regions and no shortage of agricultural innovation to show the world.
For IFAJ 2023 co-chairs, Trevor Bacque, Annemarie Pedersen and Jessika Guse, Olds, Alberta is an agricultural hub that needs to be celebrated, which is why it was chosen as the prime location of the 2023 Congress.
For Bacque, IFAJ has had some amazing congresses all over the world, including the Guelph region of Ontario, Canada in 2011. The biggest question for Bacque was how to build on past events and continue this legacy.
Olds was the perfect fit, with a premier agricultural college available as a central staging area and plenty to see such a short distance away, even when Alberta is as large as it is, says Pedersen.
“We knew we could get to things within an hour or two without having to drag people all over the province. We're really trying hard to keep people close by.”
With the congress taking place in the summer, attendees will have the Olds College of Agriculture and Technology to themselves and will be staying at the Pomeroy Inn & Suites attached to the college, conveniently keeping many of the activities and sessions within walking distance.
“That's why we're calling the space the Congress Campus,” said Pedersen, “because those two locations are going to be very fluid, very interchangeable, and it's going to bring an energy since we have this space where we can all gather. It’ll just be ours.”
Pedersen and Bacque, along with the many planning committee volunteers, are truly excited for everyone to experience Olds, Canada.