The Canadian Grain Commission’s deck of commissioners has been refilled with two farmers with long resumes in Prairie farm policy.
The federal government on Friday announced governor-in-council appointments to the CGC for Doug Chorney, as assistant chief commissioner, and Lonny McKague as commissioner.
Their appointments, both effective Feb. 13, follow the announcement earlier this month of Canola Council of Canada president Patti Miller as the CGC’s chief commissioner, also effective on that date.
Chorney, a grain and vegetable grower who farms north of Winnipeg near East Selkirk, Man., is best known as the president of Manitoba’s general farm organization, Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) from 2011 to 2015.
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Chorney, who holds an agricultural engineering degree from the University of Manitoba, was well known during his stint as KAP chief for lobbying Ottawa to address rail service issues affecting grain growers.
McKague, a farmer and Limousin cattle producers at Ogema, Sask., about 110 km south of Regina, was a founding director for one of Saskatchewan’s first rail shortlines, Red Coat Road and Rail, and a former president of the Canadian Limousin Association.
McKague has served on the boards of various farmer and cattle producer groups at the local and provincial level and was active in federal-level politics, previously serving as a constituency aide to now-Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, and as a Liberal candidate in the 1984, 2004 and 2006 elections.
The appointments for McKague, Chorney and Miller fill the CGC’s three head-office vacancies after terms of office expired for chief commissioner Elwin Hermanson, assistant chief commissioner Jim Smolik and commissioner Murdoch MacKay in January, November and December 2016 respectively.
The Winnipeg-based CGC, which has a staff of about 400 full-time equivalent employees, serves as regulator of standards and procedures for Canada’s grain handling sector and as official certifier of Canadian grain.
The commission establishes, recommends and maintains grades and standards for Canadian grain, is responsible for Canada’s system of grain grading and inspection and serves as one of Canada’s scientific research organizations on grain quality. –– AGCanada.com Network
