Vassar producer happy to supply local market
thecarillon.com
JUNE 19, 2025
WES KEATING THE CARILLON The purebred Simmental cattle at the feeding station at Goulet Farms may be turned out to pasture before the end of June, depending on the quality of the grass at the farm, eight miles north of Vassar.
FEATURE STORY Vassar producer happy to supply local market See story on page C2
n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C2
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
n www.thecarillon.com
Vassar producer happy to supply local market
by WES KEATING W hen Trevor and Melissa Goulet moved on to 10 acres east of Steinbach in the Rural Municipality of La Broque- rie it was their dream to provide a spacious home for their horses. That was back in 2011, but that dream was dashed two years later, when the municipality refused to give them a permit to build a barn on their prop- erty for the two thoroughbred race horses they purchased in 2012. So the Goulets packed up and moved. Their new farm was a quar- ter section of bush and pasture eight miles north of Vassar, where they added raising sheep to their breed- ing of purebred thoroughbred race horses. But raising sheep for meat proved not to be the most lucrative of enter- prises and the Goulets shifted their attention to beef. Today, meat-lovers who do their shopping at Sprague, Woodridge and Buffalo Point are serving up ground beef, roasts and steaks from purebred Simmental cattle from Goulet Farms. Goulet is happy to have found a local market for his beef and opera- tors of stores like Carl and Kay’s Fine Foods in Sprague are equally pleased to have a ready supply of quality beef for their customers, without the add- ed cost of freight. Reflecting back on the move to the Vassar area, Goulet says the immedi- ate tax break was significant. The tax on property in La Broquerie was in the neighborhood of $3,000, while they paid just $600 for their first year of taxes on their 160 acres in the RM of Piney. The decision to move was great but the timing was bad. “December of 2013 was not a good time to move. I would not recom- mend moving in winter to anybody. We hadn’t expected our property to sell that fast.” Trevor and Melissa were married in October of 2011, and the 10-acre parcel of land, two miles east of Steinbach on Townline Road, was their first home. The farm, eight miles north of Vas- sar, is their second home and Trevor says they plan on retiring here. “We have spent far too many hours fencing and pounding in fence posts.” Goulet Farms started with a 100- head flock of ewes, raising sheep for meat and selling purebred lambs as breeding stock. But Goulets says there was little money in that lit- tle experiment and are now in their fourth year of beef production. When they switched from sheep to beef, they bought 16 purebred Simmental bred heifers from LaSalle Riverbank Farm. Since then, the Goulet herd, in partnership with a large beef pro- ducer at Moosehorn, has expanded to 43, using only purebred Simmen- tal bulls. Goulet says they keep 20-25 head here, depending how the pasture is doing, and the balance of the herd is raised and bred in Moosehorn. The Moosehorn beef producer has 800 head in a cow/calf operation. Being on poorer land he needs a lot of acreage to support that herd, Gou- let explains. Here 20-22 head can be grazed on 80 to 100 acres.
PHOTO COURTESTY OF MURRAY MACHEJ
Corinne and Murray Machej operate Carl and Kay’s Food Store at Sprague, which has been in the family for more than 50 years.
tions uncomfortable. Machej says the Americans still like their fishing and hunting. At the same time, more locals, as well, are now buying locally rather than cross-border shopping. And many visitors from the U.S. adopt that very Canadian charac- teristic of apologizing for something that is not their fault. Machej enjoys a bit of good-na- tured teasing when the situation arises. The removal of United States liquor from Manitoba store shelves has given him the chance. An American recently came into the store asking for a bottle of Ken- tucky bourbon. Machej told him, “We’re not the 51st state yet.” After saying he was sorry to have asked, the American bought a bot- tle of Canadian rye whiskey, Machej chuckled. On the way back, the American probably stopped in again to stock up on those Coffee Crisp bars, rye bread and maybe a few bags of ketchup or all-dressed potato chips, as well. After all, Machej says, that is what people have been doing at the Sprague store for 50 years.
ey Chamber of Commerce, is quick to point out that “Shop local, Shop Canadian” applies to their friendly neighbors across the border to the south. For 50 years, Americans have been stopping at the small store in Sprague on their way to or from North West Angle or other fishing and hunting spots in the area. Everybody on their way back to Minnesota loads up on Canadian products they can’t get in the United States. In that regard, Machej’s store has received a big boost from his neigh- bors across the border. In promoting the major fishing spots on the Lake of the Woods, a drive through Can- ada on the way to North West Angle is recommended on the Lake of the Woods Tourism website. “The trip up will have travellers going through Sprague, Manitoba, a very small town. Some stop at the local grocery store to pick up a few items you can only get in Canada. Perhaps, a Coffee Crisp chocolate bar, a loaf of famous Canadian rye bread or some delicious Canadian jams.” And that has not changed since the United States president has made Canada/United States rela-
mains frozen from the time he picks it up at Winkler until he transfers it to smaller freezers in a storage build- ing at home. Locally, he sells ‘a ton of ground beef’, pepperettes are big, and cus- tomers of one store he deals with really like his beef jerky. And of course, roasts and steaks are popular throughout the year. There are also individual custom- ers who buy stewing beef briskets, Goulet said. One of Goulet’s best customers is Murray Machej at the store in Sprague. Carl & Kay’s Fine Foods was founded in 1974, and Murray and his wife Corinne took over the store from his parents in 1996. Machej says for years they were buying meat from a wholesaler that has since closed and he was very happy to learn there was a producer in the area that would be willing to deliver to them. “To small stores like ours, it is great to be able to buy local, for freight is a big cost and the savings can be passed on to the customer.” Goulet Farm has a great product and they deliver every week, Machej says. Machej, who would make a great spokesperson for the R.M. of Pin-
“We bring 20 calves down every spring and if it is a good year for grass, we bring a few more. After all, Moosehorn is not next door, located four hours away, north of Ashern.” It takes about 30 months to raise the animals to market weight of 1,400 pounds at Goulet Farm. Now, the Goulets have about 20 head a year butchered for the local market. They do their own hauling, two at a time, to Banman Meats at Schanzenfeld every three weeks, depending on how busy they are at the Winkler area plant. Every four weeks, Goulet makes the trip to Ban- man Meats to pick up the meat that has been, cut and ground, wrapped and frozen, ready for delivery to his customers. The Banman Brothers operate one of a few licensed beef plants in Man- itoba. Goulet says they offer a com- plete butcher package, taking care of everything, from farm to freezer in one place. Goulet says he finds this handy for him, as he sells his product locally to stores in Woodridge, Sprague and Buffalo Point, as well as to individual customers in his area. Goulet uses large freezers set up with a 5000-watt gasoline generator on a trailer to ensure the meat re-
WES KEATING THE CARILLON Trevor and Melissa Goulet with Regan, seven, Taylor, five, Easton, three, and Kinsley, one, on the play structure which is the children’s favorite spot on the yard at Goulet Farms.
WES KEATING THE CARILLON With ears perked forward, Trevor Goulet’s 11-year-old stallion, Hay Listen Up, lives up to his name.
STEINBACH, MAN. THE CARILLON n C3
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
www.thecarillon.com n
WES KEATING THE CARILLON
The AITC volunteer got some surprised looks when she showed the slide about fish and cricket farms in Manitoba.
Ag in the Classroom volunteer enjoys lively session at Sprague
home to the largest pea processing plant in the world. Animals on farms in Manitoba include turkeys, chickens, sheep, goats, dairy and beef cattle, bison, and even fish. Not all fish Manito- bans eat come from the province’s rivers and lakes. Trout and arctic char are grown in a huge building on a Manitoba Hutterite colony, stu- dents were told. One of the slides showed two different types of food items and students were asked if they knew what each group represented. Wolf explained one group of foods was grown and the other was processed. The fresh foods side of the slide showed carrots, cucumbers and steak. The other side showed cano- la oil, pickles and cheese. This being beef country, the student probably knew the answer when he asked, “How do you grow a steak? “ The theme for this year’s Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month in March was “What’s in your Lunch”and stu- dents learned all about food; what is grown in Manitoba and what comes from elsewhere. There are plants like peaches, or- anges, bananas, cocoa beans, tea, and vanilla that cannot be grown in Manitoba. Why not, Wolf asked? All these students knew that pine- apple could not be grown here, and being used to Manitoba winters, they also knew the reason why. “Manitoba does not have a tropi- cal climate.” Wolf told the students that many of the things in the pantry and most of the food in your fridge all comes from farms. It doesn’t fall from the sky, or appear from outer space, or get made by elves in a fairy tale place. Agriculture is farming, with its gi- ant tractors, and involves water, land and cows. Agriculture is also a sci- ence, studying the effects of fertilizer
by WES KEATING W hen Agriculture in the Class- room volunteer Alex Wolf asked the Grade 3-4 class at Ross L. Gray School at Sprague what they had learned during her Canadi- an Agriculture Literacy Month pre- sentation, the two quickest answers were that crickets were eaten like po- tato chips by some people and that bison are taller than cows. But during the 30-minute power point presentation, it was mostly the class asking questions as the Seine Rat Roseau Watershed technician covered both familiar and unfamil- iar ground for these rural Manitoba students. Wolf told the students about crops grown in Manitoba and the different types of animals raised for meat and fibre. Unlike some of their city cousins, all these students know that milk and eggs come from cows and chick- ens, not the supermarket. They were, however, somewhat puzzled when the subject of fertilized and unfertil- ized eggs came up, wondering why there were no roosters in egg-laying barns. Slides showing crops grown in Manitoba included only a few the kids didn’t recognize as the pictures went up on the big screen in the Grade 3-4 classroom. They shouted out, wheat, canola and flax and also recognized all the familiar vegeta- bles grown in their gardens at home. They may not have known what oats looked like, but they all knew it was used to make the cereal they ate for breakfast. Other crops grown in Manitoba in- clude corn, sunflowers, wild rice and hemp. Students learned that canola was a ‘made in Manitoba’ crop, de- veloped in the province in the 1970’s. They also were told that Manitoba is
WES KEATING THE CARILLON Cards with pictures ranging from watermelon and apple juice, to pizza and grilled chicken, provided a challenge for students in the “What’s in your Lunch?” guessing game.
dents to try and guess the identity of the card they are holding. Although they ran out of time before they ran out of guesses, the game was part of the resource package left with the school and the students were look- ing forward to playing it in their classroom again. The “What’s in Your Lunch?” kit provided by Agriculture in the Class- room gives teachers a hands-on way of connecting students to the food they eat and the farmers who pro- duce it. There are Manitoba curriculum connections for Grades 2-6 and sug- gestions of how to use the materi- als in the kit to best meet Manitoba learning outcomes.
experience every five years or so, when the whole school has the op- portunity to tour Moonshadow Hol- steins, a large dairy operation at St Labre. “We tour Moonshadow when there is a new crop of students in the sys- tem. They show us everything from the calf barn to the milking facilities and serve up a barbecue lunch to follow.” The students thoroughly enjoyed the slide show and the discussion with the volunteer, and the session wrapped up with a “twenty-ques- tions” card game. Students lined up and were given a card illustrating a type of food. They would hold the card on their forehead, where they couldn’t see it, and trade questions with other stu-
on growing plants, for example. “Farmers in 1900 would produce enough food to feed this classroom (about a dozen) and now a farmer would produce enough to feed this whole school.” For the Sprague school, agriculture is very much part of the curriculum and Agriculture in the Classroom has been instrumental in providing resource materials to expand the horizons for this small K-12 school of 130 students for a number of years. Grade 3-4 teacher Melissa Goulet says they have been participating in the CALM program in March for four or five years and “Follow the Farm” videos are in the third year, starting during COVID for grades one/two and three/four classes. The students also get a hands-on
BUSINESS HIGH INTEREST SAVINGS ACCOUNT STARTING AT At this rate, you’ll get there. 1.75% * SCU.MB.CA/BUSINESS-SAVINGS
*Rate subject to change. Tiered pricing available.
WES KEATING THE CARILLON A student plays the food guessing game with her teacher, Melissa Goulet, at Ross L. Gray School.
n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C4
n www.thecarillon.com
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON
Dustin McCaughan and Scott Sawatzky of Trans Canada Brewery during their beer tasting even in the Village of Neubergthal.
From field to foam: Brewing beer from Manitoba’s bounty
by LORI PENNER I n the heart of Manitoba, a brew- ing revolution is quietly taking place—one that’s rooted in the province’s rich agricultural tradi- tions. Craft breweries like Trans Canada Brewing (TCB) are drawing inspiration from local ingredients to create beer that tells a unique story. For beer enthusiasts and agricul- ture fans alike, learning how beer is made—starting with the soil—is a truly fascinating experience. In early March, a beer-tasting event hosted by the Neubergthal Heritage Foundation provided an ideal platform for locals to connect with the agriculture behind Mani- toba’s craft beer scene. Held at the Neubergthal Commons Barn, the event featured Scott Sawatzky, head brewer at Trans Canada Brewing, as well as sales team member and certi- fied beer server Dustin McCaughan. Sawatzky, who has been with the brewery for seven years, took the guests on a detailed journey through the brewing process, emphasizing the importance of high-quality in- gredients. The evening’s focus wasn’t just on tasting the beer, but under- standing the care and precision in- volved in creating each brew, from the fields to the glass. While craft beer has become a growing trend across Canada, the brewing process itself remains steeped in tradition. For Sawatzky, it’s all about balancing the age-old techniques with modern innova- tions—and above all, paying atten- tion to every detail. He shares, “We are a proudly independent compa- ny. If we expect people to choose our product over multinational brands, it’s important they understand how we produce our beer and why we take so much care in crafting each recipe.” Much of that care starts with the ingredients, especially the grains. Sourcing ingredients locally isn’t al- ways an easy task, but it’s essential for creating a beer that represents the region’s unique terroir. “Sourcing malt barley is tricky,” he explains. “There’s not a lot of it grow- ing in Manitoba, and it all needs to be purchased by a malting facility. Most of our malt barley comes out of Calgary, but it’s originally grown in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Man- itoba.” For Sawatzky and his team, this is a constant effort. They work to find the best possible local sources for their ingredients—particularly bar- ley, which is critical to the brewing process. While Manitoba may not yet be a barley powerhouse on the same scale as Alberta or Saskatch- ewan, the craft beer industry here is showing a real commitment to
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON
Hops were on display at the event.
changing that. At its most basic level, beer is made from four main ingredients: water, barley (malt), hops, and yeast. Each plays a crucial role in shaping the flavor and character of the final product. However, to truly under- stand the magic behind a great craft beer, it’s important to explore how each ingredient is sourced, treated, and transformed throughout the brewing process. Water: the foundation of flavour You might not think of water as an ingredient with a lot of person- ality, but in the world of brewing, it’s the starting point for everything. Sawatzky emphasizes just how im- portant water quality is for brewing great beer. “The quality of water real- ly changes how your beer looks, how your beer tastes, the overall profile for it,” he explains. Fortunately, TCB is located in Win- nipeg, which is known for having some of the best water in Canada for brewing. “Winnipeg water is very good for brewing with,” he says. “Ide- ally, you want a generally very soft water. We run it through a filter just to remove all the chlorine.” Chlorine, even in small amounts, can severe- ly affect the beer’s taste. He uses a simple analogy to illustrate this: “If chlorine gets in our beer—like even a couple parts per billion—you’re going to get a beer that smells like
band-aids.” The city of Winnipeg’s water comes from Shoal Lake, where the water quality can vary throughout the year due to factors like algae blooms and temperature changes. That’s where the science of brewing comes in. “We have to manipulate our recipes based on how the water changes. If the city’s treating the water different- ly, we adjust accordingly,” he notes. This level of precision is a hall- mark of craft brewing. While many large-scale breweries might not fo- cus as much on the water composi- tion, smaller breweries like TCB have the flexibility and expertise to adjust their recipes as needed. This gives their beers a consistency and quality that can be tough to match. Malt barley: the backbone of beer Barley is the backbone of beer, providing the sugars that yeast will later convert into alcohol, as well as the flavors that give beer its depth and character. Sourcing barley is a bit more complex in Manitoba, where the growing season can be challenging, and the crop isn’t as widely cultivated as it is in other provinces like Alberta. However, this hasn’t deterred breweries like TCB from seeking out high-quality local sources.
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON Dustin McCaughan with some of the craft beers that are created at their Winnipeg brewery.
Continued on page 5C
STEINBACH, MAN. THE CARILLON n C5
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
www.thecarillon.com n
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON
Scott Sawatzky and Dustin McCaughan during their presentation in Neubergthal.
Hops are another essential com- ponent in the brewing process. Known for their distinct bitterness, hops help balance out the sweet- ness of the malt and add depth to the beer’s flavor. But hops aren’t just about bitterness; they also contrib- ute to the aroma of the beer, with many hops imparting citrus, floral, herbal, or piney notes. Sawatzky is very selective about the hops he uses, as each variety brings its own personality to the beer. “Hops are incredibly import- ant,” he says. “The bitterness bal- ances out the malt sweetness, and it’s also where the aroma comes from. Depending on the variety of hops, it can give you anything from grapefruit notes to piney flavors. It’s a huge part of creating the perfect beer.” When it comes to sourcing hops, he explains that while there are a few local hop farms in Manitoba, the majority of the hops TCB uses are sourced from larger hop-growing regions like the Pacific Northwest in the United States. However, as the local craft beer scene continues to grow, there’s hope that Manitoba’s hop farms will flourish, giving local breweries even more reason to buy locally. Yeast: the silent worker Yeast is the final key player in the brewing process, though it often goes unnoticed by beer drinkers. This tiny microorganism is respon- sible for converting the sugars from the malt into alcohol and carbon dioxide, creating the beer’s alcohol content and carbonation. Different strains of yeast can pro- duce vastly different flavors, ranging from fruity esters to spicy phenols, depending on the strain and fer- mentation conditions. Sawatzky ex- plains that yeast is one of the most crucial elements in crafting a dis-
Continued from page 4C
“We’re always looking for the best barley,” Sawatzky says. “But it’s not easy to find in Manitoba.” In fact, most of the malt barley TCB uses comes from Calgary, though it’s grown across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. For now, the brewery imports the bulk of its malt from fa- cilities that malt the barley grown in the region. However, Sawatzky is optimistic that Manitoba’s barley in- dustry will continue to grow, as de- mand for locally sourced ingredients becomes more pronounced. Barley is malted by soaking it in water to allow it to germinate and then drying it to stop the process. This process is what transforms raw barley into malt, which gives beer its sweet, toasty, and sometimes nutty flavor profiles. The malting process is a careful balancing act, as the bar- ley must be roasted to varying de- grees depending on the style of beer being brewed. Lighter beers, like a pilsner or la- ger, require pale malts, while darker ales or stouts need heavily roasted malts. “The level of roasting, the type of malt—it’s all part of the recipe,” Sawatzky explains. “When you get it just right, it contributes a unique flavor profile. We take a lot of care in selecting the right malt for each beer style.” The flavor of the malt has a signif- icant impact on the final taste of the beer. When brewed correctly, malt can contribute subtle flavors like caramel, toffee, or biscuit-like qual- ities, or more intense roasted flavors like coffee or chocolate, depending on the roasting process. It’s this rich diversity of flavors that gives each beer its individuality. Hops: adding a touch of bitterness and aroma
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON
Karla and Chris Driedger of Altona sampling some of Trans Canada Brewery’s creations.
foods best suit each beer variety. For Sawatzky, the goal is to craft beers that reflect the local agricul- tural landscape while maintaining the high standards that make craft beer so special. “At the end of the day, we’re brewing beer with local ingre- dients, and we want people to taste the difference,” he says. “We want to make sure that each beer represents the best that Manitoba has to offer.”
unique and flavorful beers, adding to the excitement of the craft beer movement. As the evening drew to a close, Sawatzky and McCaughan led at- tendees through a tasting of four dis- tinct beers: Flying Otter, a light lager; Blueberry Ale, a refreshing fruit-in- fused beer; Lamplighter, a rich am- ber ale; and Arrow, a bold IPA. Each beer was paired with food to com- plement its flavors, and the pair pro- vided valuable insight into which
tinct beer. “The type of yeast you use will shape the overall flavor,” he says. “We use different strains for different styles of beer. It’s about getting that perfect balance between the yeast, malt, and hops.” Though yeast is typically cultured in labs, some craft brewers are ex- perimenting with wild yeast strains, allowing natural fermentation to contribute even more complexity to their beers. Wild yeast is unpre- dictable but can produce incredibly
Thank You to all our customers for a great spring season.
Serving southeastern Manitoba for over 40 years. Your local family run agricultural business.
www.marchutletseeds.ca
LORI PENNER THE CARILLON
Sourcing the best barley is important to the process.
n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C6
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
n www.thecarillon.com
SRRWD
A group of young students enjoy “critter dipping”, catching water bugs from a stationary dock in the shallow pond at TCDC.
Old Kleefeld landfill site now an outdoor classroom
by WES KEATING T he RM of Hanover took recycling to another level when the munic- ipality permanently closed the Kleefeld landfill site on Highway 52 and had it trans- formed into the Tourond Creek Discovery Centre, which has been described as a mini version of Oak Ham- mock Marsh. The Discovery Centre host- ed the regional envirothon competition for high school students there in April. The envirothon, in its 28th year, is sponsored by the Manitoba Watershed Associ- ation, and teaches students about the environment and sees students from across the province compete regionally, then provincially, and mov- ing on to a national compe- tition in July. This was the first time the Seine Rat Roseau River Wa- tershed District hosted the East Regionals Manitoba En- virothon and the first time it was held in the Southeast. Alex Wolf, a SRRWD tech- nician in charge of activi- ties at the Discovery Centre, said nine teams from six schools competed in the re- gional competition: Gimli, Shevchenko (Vita), Shaftes- bury, Grant Park, the Lauri- ette Academy (Winnipeg) and St James Collegiate. The Envirothon regionals are designed for students to come and learn for the day. Students have the Enviro- thon experience without a large time commitment to studying resource docu- ments ahead of time. The regional teams are tested in five disciplines, including aquatic ecology, soils and land ecology, plant ecology, and wildlife, Wolf explained. Students get an hour-and-a-half of orienta- tion and training at the var- ious stations throughout the Discovery Centre before the tests. The top team from each region, South, Central, West, East and North, and the bal- ance of the 20 to advance are based on test results in all five regions. The two Shaftesbury teams were at the top of the region- al competition at Tourond and teams from Shevchen- ko School, Gimli, and Grant Park were among the top 20 province-wide to advance to the provincials at Camp Arnes. Team Terra from Shaftes- bury won the Manitoba En- virothon provincial competi-
SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC CARILLON ARCHIVES Sophia Friesen and Miguel Bouchard are members of a Shevchenko School Envrothon team they made it to the provincials from the regional competition at the Tourond Discovery Centre.
are geared to Grades Four to Six. Resource materials can be adjusted to meet curric- ulum, adding something like soil tests for high school stu- dents, for example. Educationally, Wolf, who also volunteers for AITC programs says working with kids outdoors at the TCDC is more fun than in the class- room Hands-on learning is better than just looking at pictures in the classroom, she says. The Tourond Creek Dis- covery Centre has been more than a decade in develop- ment with the first classes coming out to the outdoor classroom in 2012. The RM of Hanover re- zoned the outdoor learning environment to a park in 2013 to open the centre not only to schools but to the general public as well.
tion and will be representing Manitoba at the internation- al competition in Calgary. Alex Wolf, who is in charge of the outdoor classroom, says they hope in future to have more schools coming to Tourond Creek Discovery Centre on a regular basis. In 2024, four classes took advantage of the outdoor classroom near Kleefeld. Two elementary schools came in spring and another two in fall. This year, the South- wood School came in March, but it was a brutally cold day. The regional envirothon, unfortunately had no Ha- nover School Division high school teams, but Wolf hopes that will change in the future. “The Seine Rat Roseau River Watershed District has tried some outreach to schools, but it would be easi- er for schools to come to us.” Any grade level is welcome to spend a day at the Centre, although resource materials
See ‘Years to develop’ on 7C
WES KEATING THE CARILLON The tower overlooking the pond is one of Alex Wolf’s favorite spots at the Tourond Creek Discovery Centre.
STEINBACH, MAN. THE CARILLON n C7
www.thecarillon.com n
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
SRRWD The lookout tower on the far bank of this pond provides a perfect spot for students to do a little birdwatching, or perhaps to get a birds’ eye view of a variety of water plants, during a tour of the Discovery Centre. Years to develop Continued from page 6C
FLASHBACK
to the Tourond Creek Discov- ery Centre. Today, the TCDC is burst- ing with life. Visitors may en- counter the diversity of plant and animal species unique to each of five micro-ecosys- tems, including grasslands, aspen forest, rich woodland, wetland and the Tourond Creek. This area would have his- torically been mostly tall grass prairie made up of highly productive soils. Most of this natural grassland has been turned into cropland.
that the site had a diverse habitat and a variety of wild- life, making it suitable for ed- ucational use. Toews said the site has a creek and bush area, making it a prime location to study flowers and bugs, rather than have students trek all the way to the Sandilands. No motorized vehicles were to be allowed on that site, and there would be no digging where the active pit area once stood, as well as no hunting. It has taken years to devel- op the site, transitioning it from an unused landfill site
Members of the Hanover School Division and the Seine Rat River Conservation District were responsible for launching the outdoor class- room project, eight years af- ter the Kleefeld landfill site closed in 2002. It was in 2010 that council for the Rural Municipality of Hanover gave its blessing to the Seine Rat River Conser- vation District (now SRRWD) in collaboration with the Ha- nover School Division to use the old dump site as an out- door classroom. Reeve Stan Toews, at the time, said council agreed
December 18, 1991
Supply management system is threatened
raised discussion of Article 11 and Supply Management to a major issue in current GATT talks. Balcaen agreed the approach being pro- posed during current discussions falls short of the position advocated by Canada in the interests of all sectors of Canadian agricul- ture. “We should not be expected to simply endorse a bilateral deal between the United States and the European Community.” The working papers tabled by GATT general director, Arthur Dunkel, promote comprehensive tariffs and do not include strengthening or clarifying the GATT article recognizing the validity of Canadian supply management. Supply management has been part of Canadian agriculture for more than two de- cades, with dairy producers in Ontario and Quebec launching the program in 1970. In 1970, the National Milk Marketing Plan came into effect to control supply, with the federal government and the governments of Ontario and Quebec, the two largest provinces, signing on. By 1974, every prov- ince except Newfoundland had signed on. Following dairy, a national supply man- agement system was implemented for eggs in 1972; turkeys in 1974; chicken in 1978 and chicken hatching eggs in 1986. Balcaen maintains the quota system for milk is the best way to ensure continued health of the dairy industry. If supply-man- agement were dismantled, prices may fall initially, but as the number of producers and quantity of production shrunk, the price could not be expected to stay at lower levels. The current GATT talks have already been extended by a year and this round is scheduled to conclude by the end of 1991.
by WES KEATING C anadian farm leaders are concerned supply management systems for dairy and poultry, which have been in effect for two decades, will be threatened if the United States and the European Eco- nomic Community are allowed to develop world trade practices to meet only their in- terests. Returning from a four-day trade mission to Geneva and Brussels, both Louis Bal- caen, president of Dairy Farmers of Cana- da and Waldie Klassen, Canadian Chicken Marketing Agency chairman, expressed hopes there would be further support of the Canadian position on supply management in current General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) talks. Klassen said more and more agriculture leaders are recognizing the need for pro- tection of farmers, although there is some dispute as to how to do it. United States and the European Community feel the best way to control imports is through comprehen- sive tariffs, Klassen said. Article 11 of the World Trade Agreement recognizes the validity of supply manage- ment programs. While such programs exist in the dairy, egg and poultry sectors of Ca- nadian agriculture, the GATT rule is avail- able to all commodities and all countries. Klassen points out that in the poultry sector, Canada is a net importer and ex- ports of processed chickens have not been challenged with tariffs in the same way as dairy products, like ice cream and yogurt. Canada’s balanced position has been well received and the Canadian government is very supportive of the agriculture sector. Klassen said. That government support has
CARILLON ARCHIVES A technical expert explains component milk testing, which determines the price paid to producers, to an Ault Dairies representative and Louis Balcaen of Dairy Farmers of Canada.
WES KEATING THE CARILLON A map on a pedestal along one of the nature trails directs attention to the grassland leading up to the hill that was the old landfill and to the weather station that can be seen in the distance on the left.
n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C8
n www.thecarillon.com THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
Committed to Our Community Proudly telling the stories that affect Southeastern Manitobans.
NEWS THAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN MANITOBA
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8Powered by FlippingBook