JULY 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
BC ranchers praised for
wildfire response
McKersie pledges association’s support for better protocols by TOM WALKER
SMITHERS – Some 300 delegates gathered in Smithers at the beginning of June for the 90th annual general meeting of the BC Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA). BCCA president Brian
McKersie thanked Judy Meerdink and the Skeena Regional Cattlemen’s Association for hosting the event June 1-2, the fifth time it has done so. “This is a wonderful
opportunity for fellow ranchers to get together,” McKersie said.
Delegates listened to
reports from the president and general manager, then heard about the work of the association’s committees. In his president’s report,
McKersie acknowledged the devastating effect of last summer’s wildfires, and spoke to the progress made on emergency management procedures and the need to continue the work. “We won’t let this go,” said
McKersie. BCCA general manager Kevin Boon echoed those sentiments.
“I want to salute all those
affected by the fires and the daunting job of recovery that you face,” said Boon. Wildfires torched more
than three million acres of forest and grassland province-wide last summer, Boon noted, with firefighting costs alone exceeding $580 million. “This hit our industry,
literally, where it lives,” he said. “It will be up to us to help you along your way to rebuild.” Boon reminded members of Reg Steward’s work on a permitting system that let ranchers return to their properties to perform essential services such as feeding and watering livestock and putting up hay. “This truly made a
difference and we will continue to advocate for changes in emergency management in the future,” said Boon. Ranchers and their local associations were key players in the summer’s disaster, Boon said. “You showed the value that
we had been saying all along that you could contribute,” he said.
The province’s slow
progress on its review and revamp of the agricultural waste control regulation remains a concern, Boon said, noting that consultations began five years ago. “We thought we were
there, and a report on a vulnerable aquifer in the Okanagan has led to some
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Mid Valley 4-H Club members Emese Illes and Trichelle Reay hoist a custom made coat rack auctioned off during the BC Cattlemen’s Association fundraising auction. The auction at this year’s convention raised $13,765 for the Cattlemen’s Martin Riedemann Society, which offers bursaries, grant and scholarships to post-secondary students. BCCA PHOTO
more changes,” he said. “We are concerned that some of what is being proposed could create some real onerous and costly conditions for some
producers in higher-risk areas. We hope that government won’t make it difficult for you to do your job of providing food for the rest of the world.”
Don’t afraid. be The meeting acclaimed
Larry Garrett of Vanderhoof as the BCCA’s new president. John Anderson of Merritt was elected vice-president.
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