Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — On Tuesday evening, the Canadian Cattle Foundation presented the second annual Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award to B.C. rancher Cassie Marchand.
Reg Schellenberg, former president of the Canadian Cattle Association, died suddenly in December 2022. In lieu of flowers, the Schellenberg family requested that donations be made through the Canadian Cattle Foundation to support the Canadian Cattle Association’s Young Leaders program (CYL), the association’s mentorship program for up-and-coming leaders in the beef industry.
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The Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award honours individuals who embody the spirit of humble leadership, mentorship, collaboration and dedication to the Canadian cattle industry. Recipients receive a buckle, sponsored by Schellenberg’s family’s ranch, and a bursary to attend the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference.
“Reg was always bringing a CYL under his wing on Parliament Hill to give them a taste of the lobbying activities of CCA,” said Shannon Schellenberg, Reg’s wife, adding that he served as a mentor in the program as well. “Even though a program like CYL didn’t exist when he was getting into leadership opportunities, he still sought out the mentors in his life for the wisdom he needed to become a great leader.”
“Reg was very passionate about the industry. He was also especially passionate about bringing along the next generation, both in terms of operation of ranches, as well as being involved in the industry, advocating for policies to the benefit of the industry,” said Lynn Grant, a Saskatchewan rancher and vice president of the foundation.
Grant explained the young leaders are asked to nominate three people to the judging committee from their cohort for consideration. This year, there was a tie, resulting in four nominees: Alberta’s Brayden Schmidt and Ashley Nicholls, Saskatchewan’s Marianne Sytnyk and Marchand.
Marchand grew up on a ranch near Keremeos, B.C., and now ranches with her husband and his family in the north Okanagan. Alberta rancher and marketing entrepreneur Sarah Wray served as her mentor for the program. Marchand was accepted into the program in 2023 and was part of the 2024 graduating cohort honoured at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. She cited networking and having “a seat at the table” with decision-makers, particularly those setting policy, as two benefits of the program.
Active in the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association public affairs and education committee before the program started, Marchand was initially focused on educating producers and consumers. However, during the mentorship program, things “shifted” for her slightly, she said, as she increasingly saw the value of working on advocacy and creating content with corporations such as McDonald’s, as well as other partners.
Marchand said she had nothing but great things to say about the program. “Highly recommend it for anybody that’s interested in it.”
—Updated Aug. 23. Adds missing information to lead paragraph.
