Canadian National Exhibition - Governance and Organizational Structure

Governance and Organizational Structure

The Canadian National Exhibition is governed by the Canadian National Exhibition Association (CNEA) and its volunteer Board of Directors. The CNEA is a separate organization from the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place which is governed and operated under the jurisdiction of the Canadian National Exhibition Association Act of 1983 as amended by the Statutes of Ontario in 1999 and the Province of Ontario Agricultural and Horticultural Organizations Act of 1988. The Board of Governors of Exhibition Place is a City agency accountable to the City of Toronto.

The CNEA is a provincially chartered association that resides on a municipal site. It is an independent organization which operates an annual fair through an agreement with Exhibition Place. 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. Even though the CNEA operates independently, the city’s budget still includes the revenue and expenses of the CNE. The MOU provides for the use of the buildings and grounds for the annual CNE.

The CNEA has over 125-member individuals and associations representing each of the following sectors: Municipal, Manufacturers and Industry, Agriculture, and General and 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. Each year a Board of Directors is elected from this membership, giving equal representation to each section. Six representatives of the Municipal section are appointed by Toronto City Council.