“I love this industry, it’s fantastic,” said Leblond, adding he’s honoured by the trust and confidence the board has in him. “We’re super lucky (with this board.) My ambition is to do what the industry and producers are telling us to do. It’s that simple.”

Why it matters: There’s been unprecidented growth in beef prices, meaning a need for leadership in the sector.

The first-generation Powassan producer is a certified engineering technologist and operates a 35-head grass-fed cow-calf operation with his family.

Leblond is committed to bringing his Northern Ontario perspective, municipal government experience and positive yet determined solutions-based attitude to address any issues presented to the board.

Alongside Leblond, the board welcomed newly elected vice-president Don Badour of Perth. Two new directors also joined: Grey County’s Lisa Pallister for the feedlot sector and Don Scott from Grenville County, who replaces outgoing president Craig McLaughlin for the eastern region.

“His leadership, dedication, steady presence and sense of humour have made him a valued part of this team,” said Leblond of the outgoing president. “He made a genuine effort to include directors and staff in the decision-making part of that process; he gave everyone time and space to share their perspectives. He led thoughtfully, respectfully and with appreciation for the team around him.”

The two men worked closely together this year on the provincial beef association working group to develop a unified path for the Canadian Cattle Association’s future.

Leblond’s top priorities are advancing traceability, streamlining the Beef Cattle Marketing Act and securing a provincial guarantee under the Beef Breeder Loan Program.

“When you look around this room and see all these young producers, that’s who it’s going to help,” he said. “That program I’d love to see get across the finish line.”

McLaughlin’s confident that Leblond will step handily into the role and help accomplish whatever the board sets out to do.

“When people just sit down and roll up their sleeves, they can find solutions and make the industry better,” said McLaughlin, adding Leblond is a “fixer,” which has and will continue to serve the organization well.

“I’m just estimating, but approximately 20 per cent of our voting delegates are under the age of 35,” said McLaughlin. “We were trying to provide them with opportunities, because sometimes that’s their biggest challenge — getting an opportunity.”

One solution was to establish the Ontario Beef Youth Alliance five years ago, which now has over 300 members. Another was BFO’s BUILD leadership program, revamped and relaunched in 2024 with the Rural Ontario Institute after a seven-year hiatus.

“It currently has over 20 applicants. Sadly, we won’t be able to accept them all this year,” he said.

StrongHER in Beef, a new, sold-out event launching in March, was created to celebrate, connect, and empower women across Ontario’s beef industry, rapidly growing from a seed into a cohesive event within a few years.

“There’s a demand for that (kind of programming),” McLaughlin said. “We have realized, just like on your farm, what you invest in BFO will come to fruition years down the road.”

Along with the newly elected directors, several were re-elected or acclaimed for another term. Don Hargrave secured a third term representing cow-calf operators. Jairus Maus will serve a second term as feedlot director, and Joost van der Heiden will serve a second term as background director. Emily Bromley will complete her term as the BFO youth representative this year.

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In line with “Strength in Unity,” the OFA’s annual general meeting theme, Sara Wood and Ethan Wallace return for a second year as Vice-Presidents, and Paul Maurice was re-elected as the Executive Member.

Why it matters: The OFA election results continue to build stability, representation, and a collaborative approach to address the pressing challenges facing the Ontario agricultural sector.

“Over the course of the past year, we’ve seen a huge emphasis on taking a team approach to achieve the best results – from buy Canadian promotions to political leaders working together to tackle issues like tariffs and interprovincial trade barriers and more,” said Spoelstra, in a release. “The work at OFA is also a team approach, from county federations to partners across the sector and beyond, and I appreciate the opportunity to serve as the OFA’s president for another year.”

Spoelstra spent 12 years with the organization, starting as a director overseeing Halton, Hamilton/Wentworth, and Niagara, before becoming vice-president and, in 2023, being elected president.

He and his family operate a mixed farm in Binbrook, including dairy, beef, cash crops, and horses. The Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) graduate also manages a Pride Seeds dealership.

Wood, a Director-at-Large and AALP alumnus, is a fourth-generation farmer from Perth County and a University of Guelph graduate. Wallace farms outside Seaforth and represents farmers from Huron and Perth Counties, while Maurice, who farms with his family near Penetanguishene, represents Peel, Simcoe, and York.

Strathroy livestock and crop farmer Maaike Campbell joined the board as the Zone 6 – Lambton and Middlesex director earlier this fall after Crispin Colvin retired following nine years of board service.

Marnie Wood, a second-generation farmer from Cannington, took on the Zone 10—Durham, Peterborough, and Kawartha Lakes/Haliburton director role following Steve Brackenridge’s retirement after nine years on the board. Dashwood’s Teresa Van Raay is re-elected for a third three-year term as Director-At-Large, and Angela Field from Renfrew was elected to serve a one-year term as Director-At-Large.

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The former CFIA president, Dr. Siddika Mithani, retired on Jan. 20 in what officials say was a planned exit.

However Mithani’s leadership was called into question by an October 2022 letter to Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau from the National Farmers Union and 14 other organizations.

The letter alleged CFIA showed a long-standing pattern of deference to regulated parties, pointing to the CFIA’s collaboration with CropLife Canada around drafting gene-edited crop regulations.

“(This) has caused us to lose confidence in the CFIA’s ability to protect the public interest,” stated the NFU letter.

It went on to suggest Mithani be with someone who shows an unwavering commitment to protecting the interests of Canadians.

Upon hearing of Mithani’s retirement, the NFU issued a follow-up letter to the Prime Minister urging him to ensure Mithani’s replacement “doesn’t enable corporate lobby groups to have inordinate influence over its regulatory decisions.”

“(We need) someone with an unwavering commitment to preventing regulatory capture,” said the NFU letter. “Who will provide the leadership needed to protect the interests of Canadians, our food and our environment and restore the CFIA’s reputation and credibility.”

The Feb. 10 announcement of Kochar’s appointment by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of several changes to the senior ranks in the federal public service.

Kochar is currently president of the Public Health Agency of Canada.  As of Feb. 27 this role will be filled by Heather Jeffrey, currently associate deputy minister of health.

Chris Forbes, currently Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, becomes Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change, effective Feb. 20, 2023. 

Stefanie Beck, currently Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence, will replace Forbes as becomes Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. , effective February 20, 2023.

Dr. Kochar has held previous roles within the CFIA, and was Canada’s Chief Veterinary Officer from 2015 to 2017. 

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