CWB director elections

Canadian Wheat Board elections are being held this fall in the odd-numbered districts. An interesting race is shaping up in District 3, which is southwest Saskatchewan and part of southeast Alberta. Two candidates are throwing their hats into the ring and more will no doubt follow. District 3 has long been represented by Larry Hill of Swift Current, a strong supporter of the CWB’s single desk. Hill has always won by a wide margin, but he has served the maximum number of terms and now the district is wide open. The two candidates who have announced their intentions to run are both single desk supporters, but they differ in their approach. Stewart Wells of Swift Current is a former president of the National Farmers Union. Bright and articulate, Wells hardly ever has anything negative to say about the CWB. He will certainly have a lot of name recognition. The second candidate is Brett Meinert of Shaunavon. While also a supporter of the CWB’s marketing functions, Meinert promises to address the industry and producer frustrations that arise in dealing with the CWB. Meinert has served on the board of South West Terminal and as president of the Inland Terminal Association of Canada. With two high profile single desk supporters in the running, it’ll be interesting to see who comes forward to represent the dual marketing viewpoint. I’m Kevin Hursh.