I have had a tremendously satisfying career over the last 45 years doing work connected in some way to the wheat grown on Canada's prairies.
As with many others retiring after a good career, I feel, perhaps vainly but with pride, that mine is an interesting story, if only to one or two other people.
I intend to use this website as a sort of on-going diary and working draft for my personal writing projects. I hesitate to refer to this project as a memoir as that word almost seems too dignified for my more modest expectations. This exercise will give me the opportunity to reflect on the very many pleasant and interesting memories I have.
I first worked for 12 years at the Wheat Board and then spent 6 years at Manitoba Pool Elevators. More recently I represented farmers who were short-changed by $152 million following the dismantling of the Wheat Board by the Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper in 2012. That dispute is still before the Court of Kings Bench in Manitoba and may not be resolved in my lifetime.
A special highlight for me was my mentoring relationship with longtime Wheat Board lawyer, Henry Monk. Mr. Monk's legal career spanned over 50 years beginning in the 1930's. The CWB first retained him in 1943 when it was given its single-desk mandate. I worked closely with him from 1978 to 1985. I think this relationship was a powerfully positive influence on my career particularly over the first 20 years. The details and value of this relationship deserve a separate book perhaps as a guide for young professionals and their mentors.
I will be adding fresh material to this website in the coming months. The period from 1980 to date saw many dramatic and sometimes controversial changes. I had an insiders perspective on much of this history as it unfolded and intend to cover all of it. Don't hesitate to reach out if anything on these pages reminds you of your career in Canada's wheat industry.
