More upgrades are in store for the aging facilities at the Morris stampede grounds, thanks to a $49,969 provincial grant.

The Valley Ag Society was one of 203 organizations and groups in Manitoba to snag a share of this years' Building Sustainable Communities funding doled out by the provincial government.

"We were quite excited to receive word that we had won that grant application," said James Buhler, president of the Valley Ag Society.

According to Buhler, this funding will help to modernize the safe handling of livestock within the barns located on the stampede grounds. This includes safer and more manageable pens.

This latest grant is in addition to the $250,000 spent on upgrades to the grounds over the last 4 years.

"A lot of our buildings were built in the mid-nineteen sixties so you can imagine how old some of this stuff is, and it takes a lot of money to keep the wheels on the ground so to speak, " said Buhler. "(There's) been a lot of changes over the years from electrical to construction, so we basically need to make sure that we are compliant with all government regulations."

"We're a not-for-profit organization, so all the money that we make basically goes back into upgrading the facilities and running all kinds of community events, as well as our signature events," he added.

Buhler notes not only do the grounds play host to three signature annual events, but also serves as home-base for a variety of other community activities, and he says more are added to the schedule every year.