Our Mission

​To plan and produce a community fair with emphasis on agricultural related activities, reflecting the needs and interests of all age groups in the community, both urban and rural.

Our Story

​The Bearspaw Old Tyme Bench Exhibition (the fair) was established on July 15, 1969 by several families with the support of local organizations, and was later incorporated under the Societies Act on August 24, 1970.

The founding group included the Bearspaw Lions Club (finance), Bearspaw 4H Club (dairy), Red Cross (garden/vegetables), and the Glendale Women's Institute (handicrafts and baking). The charter members of the organization are: McPherson, Bancroft, Hawkwood, MacKenzie, Blackwell, Canning, Hutchinson, Hughes, Stevenson, Larsen, Chelack, Smith, Wearmouth

The first fair was held on Sept 6, 1969 at Rudolph's Barn, and takes place every year on the Saturday prior to Labour Day. By 1974, the fair had grown so much that it was moved to the Cochrane Arena, and in 1978 it joined the Cochrane & District Agricultural Society in order to qualify for additional grants.

Since 2015, in partnership with the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society,  we have combined two community happenings to converge on the same fun weekend. The Cochrane Fair now hosts our Old Tyme Bench Exhibition on the same weekend. Both of our organizations believe a combined event will offer more fun, more entertainment, more rural activities and more opportunities for community engagement with local agricultural practices!

We're celebrating out 50th birthday in 2018 and invite everyone to come out and celebrate with us!