And this time through the revolving door...


With no direct experience in agriculture, Pat Pimm’s first priority is to get a grip on the issues.


By Judie Steeves H


emay be the 12th agricultureminister in British Columbia during the past 20 years and the eighth in five years, but PeaceRiverNorthMLA Pat Pimmis


giving his newjob a positive spin: “It’s good to see some former (agriculture)ministers in cabinet.” He’s hopeful thatwill give the portfoliomore exposure and


mean there’s a better understanding of agriculture issues around the cabinet table. Former agricultureminister Steve Thomsonwas re-posted


to Forests, Lands andNaturalResourceOperations andDon McRae got SocialDevelopment and Social Innovation in the round of cabinet appointments that followed lastMay’s provincial re-election of the BC Liberals. Themost recent former agricultureminister andMLA for


Kelowna-Lake Country,NormLetnick,will not be at the table. Although re-elected, hewas not given a cabinet post, although hewas named Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier for Intergovernmental Affairs. Pimmpromises to continue efforts to ensure residents of


B.C. buy local agri-food products and that the province takes advantage of newmarket opportunities in Asia. Despite the austerity talk in Victoria, he says therewasn’t a


reduction in the budget for his newministry fromthat presented in February. Both the Buy Local programand the School Fruit and


Vegetable programare still there, although there’s been no increase in the agricultureministry’s budget, as demanded by many commodity groups. Pimmwas first elected provincially in 2009 and is a former


Fort St. John councillor.He has 25 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry and is president of Alpha Controls Ltd., a company that provides construction,maintenance and electrician services for construction projects. He admits agriculture is a very diverseministry and says he


has spent some time getting up to speed on some of the issues. There are 200 commodities in the agriculture side of his


portfolio and 100 on the aquaculture side of it, he noted. “I’ve grown up in the Peace region and been around grain


and cattlemost ofmy life, and it’s a key interest in our community. I’mvery excited to have the agriculture portfolio,” he commented. Once the one-month session of the legislature concludes this summer, Pimmsaid, he plans to tour the province and visit


12 British Columbia Berry Grower • Fall 2013


the various agricultural areas. Pimmhas a


small-business background and says he’s already started good relationshipswith some of the commodity groups hisministryworks with, and he intends to continue. He’s enthusiastic


about the new agri-foods program and the federal- provincialGrowing Forward program.


Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm is the province’s eighth agriculture minister in five years.


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