The cancellation of major in-person events during the COVID-19 pandemic has cost the CNE millions in losses and raised concerns about the future of the fair founded in 1879, the association that runs the event said earlier. CNE’s return comes amid a strike by safety inspectors represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, who walked off the job July 21 after contract negotiations with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority broke down. Darrell Brown, CEO of the Canadian National Exhibitions Association, said Monday that this year’s event, which is scheduled to start Friday and run until Sept. 5, is busy. “We’re fine with picketing as long as it’s informative and there’s no barrier to entry,” he said. “This could have serious implications for us in terms of attendance and financially.” The CNE lost more than $70 million in revenue and gained more than $8 million after canceling the 2020 and 2021 events, he said. The agency laid off more than 50 percent of its full-time staff to manage the losses, and the workers who remained took pay cuts, he added. While the association was able to raise enough funding for this year’s event, which has a budget of $37.5 million, its success could be critical to the financial viability of the CNE moving forward, he said. During the industrial action, OPSEY expressed concerns about the thoroughness of the checks carried out on the fairgrounds. Striking workers also held a demonstration at the fairgrounds on Sunday and are set to return on opening day. The CNE previously said it has taken steps to ensure the industrial action does not jeopardize the safety of visitors, vendors or staff. In a statement, the agency also said TSSA management has taken “precautionary measures,” such as traveling to other exhibition venues to inspect equipment before it arrives at the CNE. In a recent interview, TSSA spokeswoman Alexandra Campbell said the agency has non-union staff qualified to perform critical inspections and has also hired third-party contractors to do some of the essential work. Brown said Monday that CNE also has its own team of safety engineers to conduct additional audits beyond TSSA inspections. But he said he was concerned that picketing outside the fair could discourage or deter people from attending. When Exhibition Place laid off workers who provide technical and staging expertise for on-site events in 2018, it cost the CNE $1.6 million and a drop in attendance, he said. The union, meanwhile, said it doesn’t want to hurt the fair’s finances and just wants its concerns addressed. Key issues in the negotiations include wages, benefits, staffing levels and improved accountability for public safety standards and practices, said Cory Knipe, OPSEU Local 546 bargaining chair. While TSSA’s non-union staff and management have stepped in to conduct inspections, many likely lack field experience, Knipe said. “Supervisors haven’t been on the road for a while, they usually do office work more than anything else,” he said. “The (union) inspectors, that’s their day job, where we go out there, check the nuts and bolts and whatever comes loose.” He noted that the fairways have also been inspected at other locations, before being loaded onto trucks and taken to the CNE, where they have since been reassembled. “Our biggest concern is that something might get lost,” he said. “For us, it’s strictly public safety and making sure that when we leave, we feel good, we did exactly what we were supposed to do,” he added. The union hopes to return to the bargaining table with the TSSA this week. “Let’s all work together to make the CNE one of the safest places around,” Knipe said. — With files from Allison Jones. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 15, 2022.
