Chairs Corner

Forging A Renewed Relationship

By: Donald McQ Shaver

The Animal Research Centre in Ottawa flourished in the 50’s 60’s 70’s and early 80’s. With the network of federal research stations across the country, Canada was capable of conducting research on a scale and quality that was not excelled anywhere else in the world.

It is my belief based on experience that this was the golden era for livestock breeding and production in Canada. More was achieved to place the Canadian livestock sector among the world leaders than at any other period in our history.

I sold broiler and layer poultry breeding stock in more than 90 countries world-wide. It is a fact that I never would have gotten up from my knees with my business, if there had been no federal Department of Agriculture in the 50’s to work with us. They gave expert scientific advice, proved and/or disproved our test structures, and provided us a world-class consulting service for the myriad of new diseases, nutritional and management issues that Shaver encountered abroad.

The scientific infrastructure that nurtured Canadian livestock 25-50 years ago is now very much reduced. Little has been done in a co­ordinated way by the livestock sector itself to lobby and correct this wrong.

The Foundation, as it strives to serve agriculture by participating in the forefront of Farm Animal Genetic Resource Conservation, is to a substantial degree, hamstrung by the lack of appropriate technology that would normally flow from an adequately funded and staffed central Animal Research facility.

If you consider the Foundation’s goals are worthy of industry support, we need you to join and also work hard to recruit your neighbours and friends. To allied industries, we make a special request for support and participation. While this column is beamed toward ourselves, we should never tire of reminding governments of the contribution to Canada’s G.N.P. by the livestock sector.

The Foundation welcomes the following:

Foundation Annual Meeting

The 2002 Annual Meeting will be held:

NOVEMBER 20, 2002

OTTAWA, ONTARIO

Details will be announced shortly!

We thought readers would be interested to know who are the Directors of the Foundation, and what their backgrounds are.

This month, we feature four Directors who are also Chairs of the Foundation’s key committees.

R.J. (Dick) Huggard
(Chair, Membership Committee)

Dick was raised on a dairy farm in New Brunswick and studied Agriculture at Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Macdonald College, and the University of Illinois.

His working years were spent with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing where he started out doing livestock extension, specialising mainly in nutrition. Later he was involved in Administration as Director of Livestock, Director of Extension and Deputy Minister.

Dick has always had a special interest in breeds, breeding and performance evaluation. Dick stated “when one sees breeds, which were an important part of our youth, disappear there is not only emotional involvement but the realisation that a genetic pool is gone forever. The more people who care, the more progress we can make.”

Dr. Kimberly Cheng
(Chair, Communications Committee)

Kim obtained his Bachelor of Science degree at Tennessee Technological University, his Masters at Southern Illinois University, and his PhD at the University of Minnesota.

Dr Cheng is a Professor, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of British Columbia. He has been the Director of the UBC Quail Research Centre and is a founding Director of the Canadian Farm Animal Genetic Resources Foundation. His research and teaching focuses on avian genetics and behavioural ecology.

Kim provides expertise on all aspects of the Foundation’s activities.

Dr Roger Buckland
(Chair, Fundraising Committee)

Roger was born in New Brunswick and obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees at McGill University. Following the completion of his PhD at the University of Maryland, Roger joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in British Columbia.

Most of his career has been spent at Macdonald College as Professor, Department Chair and Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Science.

Roger is currently Director of the Poultry Unit at Macdonald. He is “concerned about the loss of genetic material for the future of Canadian agriculture. Environmental changes will make it more important to retain genetic diversity. Many breeds are part of our heritage. These are resources that can help feed the world; they may help the export aspects of Canadian agriculture and who can predict future needs?”

Dr. Peter Hunton
(Chair, Conservation Assessment Committee)

Peter was born in Newcastle on Tyne, England. He obtained his B.Sc. degree from the University there, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of London, specialising in poultry science and genetics.

He worked for breeding companies in Canada (with Chair, Donald Shaver) and the UK, before becoming Poultry Specialist for Ontario Egg Producers in 1980. He retired from that post in 2001.

However, Peter always retained his interest in breeding and genetics, and is a whole-hearted supporter of the Foundation’s ideals.

He has written extensively in the poultry press, is the Editor of a book on Poultry Production, and has contributed chapters to several other books on poultry breeding and poultry health.