The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is an 18-day fair taking place every August concluding on Labour Day. Over its 129 year history, the CNE has grown to be the largest annual fair in Canada and the fifth largest in North America attracting approximately 1.25 million visitors each year. 

The programs and exhibits of the CNE encompass the 192 acres of Exhibition Place in Toronto including eight buildings and structures designated as historical sites under the Ontario Heritage Act. 

The CNE’s roots are in agriculture and this continues to be a strong component of the Fair which features a working farm and the Horse Show. However, the CNE has grown to include the highest level of Canadian and international performers.

Central to any fair is its midway. The CNE features two midways with a total of over 50 rides and 80 games. The large main midway, situated in the heart of the grounds, is not for the faint of heart. Adjacent to Kids’ World is the Kiddie Midway with rides and games catering to the youngest of our visitors. 

Each midway also presents a variety of foods unique to the fair. The CNE Food Building is one of a kind in North America with over 90 vendors featuring foods from around the world. 

Each year the CNE hosts the Canadian International Air Show. A highlight of the fair, this 3-day air show takes place on Labour Day Weekend. It is the largest over-the-water air show in the world and features Canada’s top precision flying team, The Snowbirds. 

The CNE is Toronto’s unofficial “Summer Celebration”. With its unique variety of entertainment, the CNE offers something for everyone. For many families it is a tradition that has lasted generations.

A 2003 Economic Impact Study conducted by Festivals and Events Ontario and the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership (OTMP) revealed that the CNE attracted more than $48 million to the city of Toronto and more than $66 million to the province of Ontario. The CNE works with several organizations including Festivals and Events Ontario, Tourism Toronto, Attractions Ontario, the American Bus Association (ABA) and the Ontario Motor Coach Association, to help promote tourism in the Greater Toronto Area and the Province of Ontario.  

The Canadian National Exhibition has been recognized by the American Bus Association (ABA) as an Internationally Known Event (IKE) in the ABA's Top 100 Events in North America for the year 2008. 

One of the many ways the CNE helps to boost the local economy is through job creation. The CNE hires approximately 1200 people starting in the spring of each year to assist in the planning and production of the annual fair. An additional 3500 people are hired during the Fair itself by CNE partners including Emergency Services, Toronto Police, Toronto Fire, food vendors, exhibitors and concessionaires. For many young people growing up in Toronto, the CNE is their first employment experience. For information on employment at the CNE, click here. 

With annual visitation of approximately 1.25 million people, the CNE gives companies an excellent venue to sell their wares and connect with their audiences face to face. Many corporate sponsors and over 700 exhibitors, including many Canadian and international businesses, contribute to the CNE.

As a program of Exhibition Place, the CNE is committed to protecting and sustaining the environment. Its grounds are home to the first urban wind turbine in North America and the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demonstration Project, a partnership with Hydrogenics Corporation. 

Moreover, through its extensive waste diversion program, the CNE recycles more than 40% of its overall waste including: 5,307 tons of solid waste, 67 tons of cardboard, 18 tons of wood, 1,921 tons of hay and manure, 14.7 tons of grease, 15 tons of organics, 10 tons of hand towels and 25 tons of clean fill. 

Each year, one day of the CNE is designated as Green Day. Showcasing the latest in environmental technology, CNE Green Day incorporates community activities and initiatives that illustrate how we can work to protect and sustain our planet. 

Further information about Exhibition Place's Environmental initiatives can be found at www.explace.on.ca.

The CNE celebrates community at every level and encourages community involvement in the fair. This is a community event. For over a century this has been Toronto’s summer celebration and is for many people a family tradition. Although the CNE began largely as an agricultural fair, it has developed into a unique family experience with something for everyone. 

One of the main forums for community participation in the CNE is through a number of competitions. These include:
 
• The Horse Show 
• Lions-CNE Peewee Baseball Tournament 
• Rising Star Talent Competition (A division of the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions’ National Youth Talent Awards whose participants have included Alanis Morisette, members of the BareNaked Ladies and Matt Dusk (1998 CNE Grand Champion).)
 • Canada’s largest flower and vegetable Competition 
• Ambassador of the Fairs Competition
• TTC Busker Auditions

The CNE also takes an active role in supporting community events such as It’s Your Festival in Hamilton, the East York Canada Day Parade in Toronto and the Streetsville Bread and Honey Festival in Mississauga. 

We are proud to offer donations to non-profit groups raising funds for medical research, libraries and schools to name a few. The CNE also distributes 1.1 million free admission passes to school children 13 and under within its region, a tradition that has lasted more for more than 80 years. 

We take great pride if our efforts to support and promote awareness of issues in the community such as child advocacy and environmental protection.

Learn More:

:	Community Outreach
:	Donations

The CNE has a long history of supporting the artistic community in Canada. We even had our own art galleries on site between 1902 and 1972. In 1965 and 1966, the CNE donated a total 340 pieces from its collection to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). This donation included works by such well known artists as J.E.H. MacDonald, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, Stanley E. Turner and Jean Gauguin and formed the base of what is now the AGO’s Canadian Collection. MacDonald, Harris, Jackson and Casson were all members of the famed Group of Seven. 

The CNE continues to include artistic exhibits in its annual programming with such exhibits as Celebration of Women by Canadian artist Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn & the International Stone Sculpture Symposium, both features of the 2005 CNE, and the "From Fine Art to Kitsch: A Celebration of CNE Art since 1879" exhibit in 2006.

The CNE is not only active in and important to Toronto and surrounding areas, we are also a leader in the fair/event industry. The CNE is the largest and one of the longest running annual events in Canada and the fifth largest fair in North America. 

The CNE is an active member of Toronto Tourism, Festivals and Events Ontario, Attractions Ontario, Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (CAFE.), International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). David Bednar, the General Manager of the CNE served as President of the Board of C.A.F.E. in 2006 & 2007. 

The CNE also works very closely with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). The TSSA is a member organization of the CNEA and senior staff from the CNE work with TSSA committees to promote ride safety at the CNE and throughout the industry. For more information on ride safety, click here.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is governed by the Canadian National Exhibition Association (CNEA) and its volunteer Board of Directors. The CNEA is governed and operated under the jurisdiction by the Canadian National Exhibition Association Act of 1983 as amended by the Statutes of Ontario in 1999 and the Province of Ontario Agricultural & Horticultural Organizations Act of 1988. 

The CNEA is a provincially chartered association which resides on a municipal site. Through various agreements with the City of Toronto including the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the CNE receives administrative, financial and operational services from Exhibition Place. The MOU also provides for the use of the buildings and grounds for the annual CNE. 

The CNE is not involved in any other events which take place at Exhibition Place throughout the year. 

The CNEA has over 125 member individuals and associations representing each of the following sectors: Municipal, Manufacturers & Industry, Agriculture and General & Liberal Arts. Member associations appoint a representative to the CNEA and approximately 15 members are appointed directly by the CNEA from the community-at-large. Criteria for appointment includes: a keen interest in the Exhibition; good interpersonal skills; ability to work with people of diverse interests; and expertise in fields generally associated with the Exhibition. Each year a Board of Directors is elected from this membership giving equal representation to each of the Manufacturers & Industry, General & Liberal Arts and Agriculture sectors. Six representatives of the Municipal sector are appointed by Toronto City Council. 

If you or your organization are interested in membership in the CNEA, please contact the Corporate Secretary’s office at 416-263-3620 or fscagnol@explace.on.ca.

More Information:
Board Agendas