112th edition of the PNE Fair kicks off in Vancouver

The 112th edition of the PNE Fair is officially underway in East Vancouver. Thousand rolled through the gates Saturday, eager to return after COVID-19 restrictions kept many away the past two years.

“It’s no secret it's been a challenging two and a half years for our organization,” said spokesperson, Laura Balance.

"The skies are sunny and so are the days ahead for the PNE,”

While the fair can now operate without restrictions, Ballance says they’ve chosen to put their own capacity limits in place.

“The last two years we’ve had limited fairs,”

“We really felt like our guests enjoyed that, they enjoyed the space of being able to spread out, to distance,” Ballance said.

She says they’re expecting to have around 500,000 people attend the fair this year, roughly 70 per cent of pre-pandemic attendance.

Among the new additions to the grounds this year is a canoe carving showcase.

The exhibit is being run by an Indigenous-led, non-profit group called “The Canoe Cultures Society”.

"It means the world actually to have great opportunities,” Alvin Martin, an eighth-generation carver told CTV News.

The group will be putting on live demonstrations on traditional Indigenous carving techniques, and completed canoes are also on display.

“Come check us out, we’d love to have everybody and show what we’re doing here,” Martin said.

On Saturday ride passes sold out, Balance says people should buy ahead to avoid disappointment.

Tickets for the PNE prize home, which for the second straight year has been built off-site, can be purchased online, or on the fairgrounds until closing day, Sept. 5.