MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Former Mountain View County reeve Bruce Beattie has been named to the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame for his decades-long contributions to the province’s dairy industry and Alberta Milk.
Beattie was one of six individuals honoured with induction into the hall during a ceremony in Edmonton on Feb. 2.
The hall recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Alberta agriculture and food industry and to the development and sustainability of rural life in Alberta.
In an Albertan interview, Beattie said he is honoured to be named to the hall. He found out last fall that he was a inductee but the ceremony and official announcement was not held until last week.
“I was very lucky to work with many good people over the years,” said Beattie, who was a Mountain View County councillor from 2010 to 2021, including 10 years as reeve.
A former dairy owner himself, Beattie’s involvement with the dairy industry, both provincially and nationally, spans decades.
“I started with the Red Deer Milk Producers back in the 1980s,” he said. “I joined the Alberta Milk Producers Society at that time and I was with them for, probably, 20 or 25 years. I also served as the national representative on Dairy Farmers of Canada for 16 years. I worked with a lot of great producers.”
Beattie was involved with the creation of Alberta Milk in 2000.
“Previously it was under a government dairy control board, which was appointed by the minister,” he said. “In 2000, under Minister Ty Lund, we became a marketing board responsible for all of the policies and transportation and everything to do with administering the dairy industry in Alberta.”
Beattie was also involved the dairy research side of the industry over the years, both at the national and provincial level.
“We worked with the researchers from University of Alberta and University of Calgary and nationally with a number of organizations supporting the research,” he said.
That research included such things as determining rationing, housing and how to make better quality milk, he said.
As well as the dairy industry, Beattie was also involved with other agriculture-related undertakings.
“I was involved with the Alberta Products Marketing Council, which I chaired for five years,” he said.
Although he is now semi-retired and no longer deeply involved in the dairy industry, Beattie says Alberta Milk and the dairy industry remains strong and vibrant.
“There are very good people running it,” he said. “The industry is doing very well and it is a demonstration of how producers across the country can work together.”
Angela Aalbers is the current reeve of Mountain View County. She commended Beattie for his achievements.
“Bruce has always been a strong advocate for the agriculture industry, including while serving as an elected official, and his participation on numerous provincial boards,” Aalbers told the Albertan.
“Although this is extremely special for Bruce and his family, it is equally special for our county to have one of our own recognized for such amazing contributions to an industry that feeds the world and protects the environment in a way that will allow generations moving forward to benefit.”
During the Feb. 2 hall of fame induction ceremony in Edmonton, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Nate Horner praised the latest inductees.
“Agriculture and rural communities are a foundational part of Alberta’s history and will continue to drive economic development,” Horner said in a press release. “In a time when innovation and diversification are increasingly important, I congratulate the inductees for their vision, deductions and pioneering spirit.
“Their hard work to improve agriculture practices, grow the industry and educate the next generation is helping to build a stronger future for our province.”
The other 2021-2022 inductees to the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame are Simone Demers-Collins, Jack Lewis, Walter Paszkowski, David Price and George Visser. Beattie congratulated them for their efforts and contributions.
Since being founded, 141 individuals have been named to the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame.
